It's About Time!

Thanks for joining me today! I treated myself to a few goodies from The Stamp Market for Easter and I finally took some time to use them! I wasn't feeling particularly creative and the reason why I bought the supplies in the first place was because of the darling samples, so I just decided to CASE one of the samples! ha ha! I chose a different color combo for my card and got to work. That being said, once I made this card, the creative juices started flowing and I can't wait to use it again with some of the other sentiments for other types of occasions.

I'm an 80s gal so Swatch watches were all the rage so it was fun to create these paper versions. To begin, I used the Watch Band Dies and cut all of the bands from Berry Sorbet, Sweet Blush, White, and Enchanted Evening cardstock. I cut multiples so I would have both sides of the watch. There are two different sizes of circular watch faces and the square one.

Even though I'm not good at shaker cards, I felt confident I could make the shaker watch face, which is just so cute! Sometimes I have difficulty using acetate with dies, but I used the Clear Cardstock from Papertrey Ink and it worked great!

I used the Time To Say Stamp Set for the watch faces and the "it's your day" sentiment. There are quite a few other sentiments for different occasions, which I can't wait to use!

I used Antique Gold cardstock for the watch hands and the brackets at the top of the first watch. I was the manager of the watch department (among other departments) when I was first married, so this brought back fond memories of that time! (no pun intended)

I used silver glitter cardstock for the frames around the watch faces and glued them over the top using liquid glue. Each of the watch faces and bands are added to the card using foam squares. This will be a fun one to add to the stash! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

For Mom

Hello and welcome, friends! I hope you've all had a great week! It's been busy around here, but I wanted to pop in for some last minute Mother's Day inspiration! I used some products from the latest Papertrey Ink release along with some older favorites for this Mother's Day card.

To begin, I die cut all of the pieces for the flowers and leaves using the Into the Blooms: Anemones Die. Everything is cut from white cardstock with the exception of the flower centers (those are cut from gold). I used Harvest Gold ink for the flowers and Ripe Avocado, Stormy Sea, and Spring Moss ink for the leaves.

I gave all of the flowers and foliage a spritz of Shimmer Spray and set them aside to dry. For the background, I used the Fall Harvest Hot Foil Plate with gold foil on Lilac Grace cardstock. I used a corner rounder punch on the corners for a professional look.

I heat embossed the sentiments, which are from the Larger Than Life: Mom mini stamp set, using gold powder on a strip of velum. I let that cool while I worked on the next steps.

I used the Reflections: Numbers 6 Die for the anchor point for the flowers and foliage. I added it to the background using foam squares and then arranged everything until I was satisfied with the arrangement.

I wrapped the vellum strip around the card front and secured it to the back of the background panel using Scotch tape.

The entire panel is glued to a top-folding A2 card base using liquid glue. I used pearls for the berry sprig and a few on the left side for balance. I also added the gems to the flower centers. This design would work well for quite a few different occasions: wedding, birthday, thinking of you, etc.

 I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

The Greetery {Postmarked Spring}

 

Hello friends! I know yesterday I said I’d be back with more Teacher Appreciation week inspiration, but I’m switching gears today with a fun springtime project that makes me wish it was scratch and sniff! Ha ha! Are the lilacs blooming in your neck of the woods? They sure are here, but since I don’t have any growing in my yard, my lilac candle and walks around the neighborhood will have to suffice! Lilacs are one of my favorite flowers and so it’s always a treat to incorporate them into my creations this time of year!

I’m always looking for ways to stretch my supplies and so today I’m sharing yet another way to use the North Pole Post Stamp Set and Post Box Details Die. You might remember during February I created some Valentine's Day Post Boxes and of course for Christmas, I made holiday themed post boxes and a gift card holder. For today, I wanted to show you how easy it is to incorporate those same elements, but for a card!

As I mentioned in my introduction, my goal was to use lilacs and my second goal was to use a post box on my card, so I gathered all of the supplies I planned on using and got to work. To begin, I die cut all of the pieces for the flowers and leaves using the BotaniCuts Lilacs Die and then colored them with distress oxide inks and finger daubers. I gave the stand-alone blooms their shape by pushing them into a foam mat with the end of a stylus. Each bloom also got a dot of purple using fine-tip marker. I attached them to the clusters using liquid glue and gave them all a spritz of shimmer spray.

I set those aside and got to work on the elements I would need to create the postal box. I die cut the second to largest arch included in the A2 Arches Die from Spellbinders Waterfall cardstock. I also die cut the additional details using the Post Box Details Die. It turns out that salvaged patina distress ink is the perfect choice to add some shading around each of the details as well as the arch. I also heat embossed the sentiments, which are from the North Pole Post Stamp Set, in gold and then used the coordinating die to cut them out.

I used foam squares to attach the details and liquid glue for the “slot” die that was cut from silver cardstock along with the lock. Once I had that done, I got to work on the background. I used the Airmail Border Stencil on a white A2 panel using milled lavender distress oxide ink and salvaged patina distress ink. I gave the entire panel a splattering of black ink and then added the post box using additional foam squares for dimension and then had fun arranging the lilacs and leaves.

No post box is complete without a few envelopes and letters, so I die cut those using the Sent With Love Die. I added them here and there until I was satisfied with the arrangement. One of the reasons why I love creating with these postal themed products is because I can use this card for any occasion!

You could customize with other sentiments if you have something specific in mind, but I left it as-is! This card was a lot of fun to make and I was thrilled to see how well the postal images work on more than just a box! I hope you’ll find some time to get creative and try using some of your supplies In new and fun ways! Thanks for fluttering by!

Teacher Appreciation Week {You Are So Special To Me}

It's Teacher Appreciation Week and this year my son's school went with a country-western theme. I have EXTREMELY limited supplies in that category, but I got creative for today's card and tag! 

I own THIS die, but I didn't want the stitching lines along the edges so I bought a cheap die on Amazon to do the trick! I die cut it from Blueberry Sky cardstock and then added some Blueberry Sky and Enchanted Evening ink around the edges using a blender brush. The silver "rivets" are included in the die and I cut them from silver cardstock and adhered them with liquid glue. 

I pulled out a few of my favorite flowers and leaf dies that had a country feel. For the flowers, I used the Into the Blooms Die; this is the original set in the series so it was fun to pull it out again! The wheat and one of the leaf sprigs comes from the Beautiful Cornucopia Die and then the leaves around the flower coming out of the pocket is from the Into the Blooms: Sunflowers Die. 

I cut everything from white cardstock and then used my PTI dye inks to color everything with blender brushes. I glued the flowers together with both liquid glue and foam squares for dimension. The "jeans label" was cut using the Just Tags Die from Kraft cardstock and then I stamped the sentiment, which is from the Just Sentiments: To & From Essentials Mini Stamp Set, using Classic Kraft ink. I wanted it to look as realistic as possible and I think it turned out great!

For the background, I used the Woodblock Prints Stencil Collection; Blueberry Sky cardstock cut to an A2 panel and then used Blueberry Sky ink and Enchanted Evening ink around the edges. The panel the pocket is adhered to was cut using the Love to Layer: Torn Edges Die from white cardstock. I added Classic Kraft ink around the edges and then added the smaller print around the bottom using one of the other stencils included in the Woodblock Prints Stencil (linked above).

I added the pocket using foam squares and then attached the flowers, leaves, and wheat using both liquid glue and foam squares.  I decided to make a coordinating tag using the pocket die to attach to the gift that will be sent along with the card. This particular sentiment is from the Thankful For Fall Sentiments Mini Stamp Set and fits with one of the largest labels from the same Just Tags die set.

I have been saving the old SU! Wanted Stamp Set for YEARS....I think we're actually at decades if I'm being completely honest! Yikes! That being said, I have been saving this set for a project JUST like this! ha ha! I stamped the big WANTED sentiment using Blueberry Sky ink and then used the Just Sentiments: Just Because Mini Stamp Set to finish off the sentiments. I thought about selectively inking the "just wanted to say" portion to omit the wanted, but it seemed like the risk of messing up was too great! ha ha! I stamped a few of the accent images also included in the old Wanted Stamp Set for some additional western flair! My plan is to have something each day of the week, but we'll see if that actually happens, but stay tuned! ha ha! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

With Heartfelt Sympathy

Hello and welcome! Over the last month or so, I have been in need of quite a few sympathy cards, unfortunately. I like having a variety on hand because they are always needed unexpectedly and I like to send condolences quickly. 

I've mentioned before I like having sympathy cards that can be mailed and others that can accompany a sympathy basket. These 4 are mailable and I have plans to work on some with more layers.

To begin the set, I used the Wild Blooms Stencil Collection on 4 white A2 panels. This was a comedy of errors, but in the end it all worked out! The stencils aren't numbered and it has been awhile since I used the collection AND I didn't realize I was missing two of the steps! ha ha! I did find the missing two, so I was able to get them finished, but it's best do them in order! 

I had originally planned to make 4 different panels with all of the flowers on each card being the same color, but knew that would mean I would need to clean the flower stencil between each color! I decided it made more sense to make each panel the same and just use 4 different colors on each one! ha ha! I really like the results and I'm happy I didn't do all the same color!

Once I was done with all of the stenciling, I cut each panel to measure 5 inches by 3 3/4 inches.  I rounded the corners with a punch and then stamped the "with heartfelt" portion of the sentiment directly onto the panel using black ink. The sentiment used on the front is from the Perfect Pairs: Commodities Stamp Set. I die cut the sympathy portion 8 times from white cardstock using the Perfect Pairs: Commodities Die. I stamped 4 using black ink and then glued another one underneath so each word is double thick for stability. 

I used little pieces of foam squares to pop up the sentiment underneath the "with heartfelt" portion. 

I scored and cut 4 card bases from Soft Stone cardstock and then attached the stenciled panels using foam squares. It's hard for me not to use any dimension, but between this and the sentiment, these will still be easily mailed with regular postage.

It's no secret that I love a coordinating envelope, so I used the Show Your Stripes Stencil Collection to add the gingham design to the flaps of the envelopes. I also added the "Lifting you up in prayer today." sentiment, which is from the Praying for You Sentiments Stamp Set, in black ink on each of the four envelope flaps.

I forgot to photograph the inside of each card, but I cut 4 white panels measuring 4 by 5 1/4 inches and then stamped one of the sentiments from the Inside Greetings: With Sympathy on each panel. I used a tape runner to attach them to the inside. My daughter has been needing to use some of the sympathy cards and she likes if there is a sentiment on the inside. I like it too, so I was glad to have these all stamped and ready to go. Oftentimes I am in a rush when I am making cards and I don't take the time to stamp an inside greeting, but I'm always glad when I do! 

Thanks for fluttering by!

 

The Greetery {Jubilee Collection}

Hello and welcome, friends! I'm so thrilled to be here today celebrating the SIXTH birthday for The Greetery  As always, you'll want to make sure to head to The Greetery Blog for the official "Meet and Greet"! Make sure to leave a comment here, and on each of the designers' blogs for a chance to win one of two Jubilee Collection bundles!!!

I'm absolutely smitten with the new World's Greatest suite of products! This cute trophy cup is so perfect and charming for so many occasions when paired with the World's Greatest Sentiments! I'm already getting excited to use this for my sons' football cards in the autumn! 

I specifically ordered some Rose Gold Mirror cardstock in anticipation of using it for this beautiful trophy cup and some Rose Gold embossing powder; for some reason it's showing up as black or grey in the photos, so go figure! ha ha! For this particular card I die cut the cup twice; once from the mirrored cardstock and again from blush cardstock and glued them together for a sturdy piece. There is also another insert or panel die that comes with the World's Greatest Die which could be used to create shaker cards, but I cut it again to give the trophy more dimension. I heat embossed the No. 1 sentiment before I cut it so I could line it up perfectly.

I also heat embossed the "world's greatest" and "Teacher" portion of the sentiment on the same mirror cardstock and then used the World's Greatest Die to cut them out. I popped them up using small pieces of foam tape for maximum dimension. Teacher Appreciation week is approaching quickly and I want to have a few things ready to go. That being said, they are doing a country-western theme this year, so this is a stretch, but I do feel like it will still work in terms of an equestrian/horse theme! ha ha!

This angle gives you a better idea of the immense shine this mirrored cardstock has; I was worried I wouldn't be able to get any pictures without my smiling face shining in the trophy cup! ha ha! 

I'm equally in love with the new Best Bouquet Detail Die that I have used on both card today! I cut everything from white cardstock and then used distress oxide ink to color all of the blooms and foliage.

Both card feature an arched background: I used the 2nd largest arch included in the A2 Arches Die and cut a panel measuring 4 by 5 1/4 inches. I added them to top-folding A2 white card bases using foam squares. I also added some blue ink and ink splatter to the center.

For this card, I die cut the trophy cup from Saffron Spice cardstock and then stamped the shadow using ink. I really like both the shiny cup and this one with the stamped detail. I heat embossed the sentiment, which is also from the World's Greatest Stamp Set, and then cut it out using the World's Greatest Sentiments Die.

I particularly love that you can fluff up the petal of the flowers for realism and dimension.

My next project is a planner for the grad using the new Dreams and Plans Stamp/Die set paired with the Sweetest Corners Stamp/Die set and the new Sweetest Frames Stamp/Die set. I've also created a bookmark using the darling new Bow Bookmark! 

You can see the bookmark tucked into the top of the planner on this photo! It's seriously so cute!

To begin, I cut a cover from Grapefruit cardstock from Concord & 9th and used ScorTape to secure it to the planner. I die cut the largest frame included in the Sweetest Frames Die and then stamped it with the coordinating stamp set using gold pigment ink. I also stamped the "it's time for making plans and dreaming dreams" sentiment, which is also included in the Dreams and Plans Stamp Set, using the same gold ink.

The 2025 was die cut from Antique Gold cardstock using the new Dreams and Plans 2025-29 Die and then glued them to the front. The corners are die cut from the Sweetest Corners Die and then stamped using the Sweetest Corners Stamp Set. The bow on the zero is also from the same stamp set.

The "Planner" sentiment is heat embossed using gold powder and then die cut using the Sentiment Suite Basics Die. I added it to the cover using foam squares.

I thought it would be fun to add some corners using the same Antique Gold cardstock. I used the Romantic Corners Die and then adhered them with liquid glue.

Up next is a graduation card and bookmark using the same products! I had SO much fun working on this ensemble! I pulled out my beloved Martha By Mail envelope stencil and cherished paper that was included in the kit to create the envelope for this special card.

As you can see, I used the leftover pieces of paper for the card for a perfectly coordinated ensemble! For the card, I die cut the numbers using the same die as the planner. The lavender paper is very thin because it is designed to be used for the envelope liner, which I did, so I die cut a few of the numbers from the Powder Green cardstock the "class of" portion is stamped on. I glued them together and let them dry while I got to work on some of the other details.

As you can see, I used both sizes of the Sweetest Frames for this feminine card. I just love how cute they are!

The sentiments are from the Dreams and Plans stamp set, which DOES include stamps for the numbers if that's more your style. 

The Sweetest Corners Stamp/Die set are easily stamped in three easy steps for each style of corner and then there are stand-alone bows for accents.

As you can see, I had to make another bookmark for this project! I want bows sticking out of all of the books I'm currently reading! ha ha!

I also included one of the smaller die cuts from the Sweetest Frames so I could heat emboss a sentiment for the inside OR use it as a tag for a gift!

Switching gears now for something a little bit more bright and bold! These two cards feature the new Big Yay! Stamp/Die/Stencil suite of products!

In anticipation of this release, I did a big order from the Cardstock Warehouse and this blue variety turned out to be one of my favorites!  For this card, I used the Big Yay! Stencil for the "rays/sunburst" portion of the design and then cut it out using the Big Yay! Die. I die cut the stars, which are also included in this die set from silver cardstock and then glued them to the rays.

I die cut the shadow "Yay" portion from light blue cardstock and then glued the main Yay sentiment. I stacked those letters three times and then added glitter to the top.

There are quite a few companion sentiments to finish off the Yay! I chose a generic "congrats on your big news" and I can use it for quite a few different occasions. For the background of both cards, I used the Ticker Tape Hot Foil which turned out so great on this sparkly cardstock! 

My other card is almost identical, but I did use the stamp set for the "rays" rather than the stencil so they are just one color!

The stars for this one are die cut from glitter cardstock, but I actually used them after I die cut the Star Struck piece which you can see to the left of this card. I didn't end up using it, but the stars came in handy! ha ha!

For this card, I used glossy accents and glitter on the Yay! die cuts.

I chose a birthday sentiment for this one and of course the same background!

For my last project, I created a set of notecards using the Best Bouquet Details Die, the Best Bouquet Stamp Set (I'm obsessed with the sentiments" and the new Sweetest Frames Stamp/Die.

I die cut all of the pieces for the bouquets from white cardstock and then colored them with distress oxide ink and finger sponge daubers.

I die cut the frames using the Sweetest Frames Die and then stamped the border using the Sweetest Frames Stamp set

I stamped each of the sentiments from the Best Bouquet stamp set with the exception of one sentiment using black ink.

I glued the bouquets to the panels using liquid glue.

I adhered the frames to Kraft Grey A2 card bases and then grabbed a few Nouveau Notes A2 Envelopes to coordinate! 

This concludes today's post and everything will be available for purchase tomorrow at 10 am EDT. Don't forget to  stop by the other designers' blogs to leave a comment to be eligible to win one of the TWO entire Jubilee Collections!!!!

Dana Kirby

Dawn McVey

Kelly Lunceford (you are here)

Laura Bassen

Laurie Willison

Lea Lawson

Melissa Phillips

Wanda Guess