Gratitude for Days, Part 2

Just wanted to share a couple of tips for masking and sponging. I am by no means an expert, but
these techniques seem to work pretty well for me.

This is the technique for the wreath card.  Cut out the large circle to make a template. I used the Circle Framelits from Stampin' Up! to make the circles.  Attach the template and the small inner circle to your card base using temporary adhesive.

I reuse my templates as you can see. They hold up well and I don't have to re-create the template for every card I make.

For the wreath card, I started with my largest images first. I did the long line first, then the swags, then the swirls and finally filled in with leaves and acorns.

Here is a card that I tried, but there was something about that reminded me of a donut with sprinkles. Not what I was looking for on a card.  Don't be afraid to work on design details until you achieve the result you are looking for.

The next card has a vertical panel of sponging for color and texture. To finish the card, the leaves and swirls are stamped after the sponging.

Here are some steps to get you started on sponging this card.  First, I placed vertical strips of paper on either side of the area that will be sponged.

I started with the lightest color which is So Saffron.  One of the best tips for sponging I have found is to start the sponging off of your finished area. To start sponging, I have the sponge inked and start inking on the mask itself. In this photo the sponge would move from left to right in a light circular motion. Starting off the finished area gives light coverage and more control over the ink.

The next step is to add another color. My second color in Tangelo Twist. Another tip is to sponge a few times on your scrap paper. This gets the sponge a little damp with the ink and evens out the ink on the sponge.

I am getting a little lighter coverage on my card and the darker sponging on my scrap paper. It will depend on how dark you want your colors and how much blending you want to achieve.

The third color is Old Olive. I used the same technique as I did with the Tangelo Twist.

 



One final step which worked really nicely on this card is to go over the entire area with a really light sponging of Crumb Cake. It helped to blend all of the colors together and fill in any white space with a light beige.

 

The final step is to remove the mask. Now you are ready to stamp.

 

It seems like a lot of steps, but once you get used to the technique, you will find your own favorite method.  As long a you like it, you did it correctly.

Have fun sponging.

Gratitude for Days

Hello stamping friends. I have been working with a new stamp set called Gratitude for Days. It is on page 38 of the new Holiday Catalog.

This is a photopolymer stamp set which makes it really easy to stamp things where you want them because you can see through the stamp and the clear block.  They also bend really nicely to create vines and arcs.

   

My goal this year is to be creative with the stamp sets and create at least five things from each stamp set I purchase.  This stamp set did not disappoint. So many possibilities and I haven't even made any tags or treats yet.

I was inspired by wreath Sara Douglas showed at Inspire, Create, Share this summer. I wanted to do a version on a card. The images are colored in with blender pens.

 

 



Here are two versions of the same card embossed in gold and colored in with Stampin' Write markers.

The next card has some simple sponging and stamped images.

One more card with simple stamping.  (Sorry, I can't get a good image on this one. The ribbon seems to be too shiny for the camera to focus. Ribbon is Very Vanilla seam binding rubbed over a Cajun Craze ink pad.)



I am running out of time for today. I will put up another post tomorrow about the techniques.

Enjoy!

Stampin' Addicts Holiday Catalog Blog Hop - Fall Edition

That's right, this is the Fall Edition of the Stampin' Addicts blog hop. That means there will be another blog hop featuring the winter items from the new Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog.
That blog hop will start on Friday, October 10th.

I hope you enjoyed Rhonda's blog where she featured For All Things.

I am showing the new Designer Series Paper called Color Me Autumn. It is absolutely beautiful.
The 12 different designs are a mix of water color solids and prints. Perfect for all of your fall projects and more.

It is easy to coordinate the different papers together to create a mix of table décor and
gift packages.  

The Petite Café gift bag in this photo is brand new and a great addition to the line of packaging options offered by Stampin' Up!.

The leaves on this card are hand cut from one of the papers. You can see more of this paper wrapped around the napkin jar in the previous photo.

If you are a Blackberry Bliss lover (I am), this paper pack has two great prints. Both are on this card.

I hope the Color Me Autumn paper inspires you to create your own autumn projects. Thanks for hopping with Stampin' Addicts.

The next stop on the blog hop is Tanya where she is featuring Four Feathers.

A complete list of the blog hop participants is located here.


     

Paper Pumpkin July 2014 Wish Big

I promised a follow up post and here it is . . .

I realized that I really like jars. Various sizes and shapes, old and new. They are welcome in my home. Here are two ideas for this month's Paper Pumpkin using jars.

The Blackberry Bliss "WISH" letters are cut from the brand new Perfect Print Alphabet Bigz die on page 232 of the new catalog. The 1 1/4" letters are perfect for all kinds of projects - tags, bags, cards and jars.

The first one is a Wish jar for extra coins.  Think of a wish and save up your extra coins. A new stamp set, dinner with a friend ... It's your wish.

The other jar is for giving thanks. You can put some of your coins in here to share with others. How about a jar of things you are thankful for. Keep slips of paper near the jar. How about a family challenge that everyone puts in one slip a week about what they are thankful for. At the end of the month you can read what everyone is thankful for.

                     I am thankful for:  my family
                     I am thankful for: wonderful friends
                     I am thankful for: a God that created beautiful flowers

There is so much to be thankful for.

Here is the gift box that comes with the kit and a variation of the card.

I removed all of the die cut stars that come with the kit and put them in an empty embellishment dish. My stars are all nice and safe and the background creates a perfect stencil.  I stenciled the stars on the card base using a sponge and Pool Party ink.

So much fun in one little orange box.

Paper Pumpkin Wish Big! July 2014

Just wanted to share what came in the mail today - Paper Pumpkin Wish Big!

I love the Paper Pumpkin kits that come in the mail every month. They have changed a lot since the beginning of the program. They include more fun things and bigger stamp sets!

This month includes the 10 stamps shown below, a Blackberry Bliss ink spot, ribbon, twine, stars, hearts, 6 card bases and envelopes, 6 gift boxes and 12 tags. I am not even sure I have it all listed, but it is all fun stuff.

Paper Pumpkin is fun just creating everything the way it comes in the kit. It is also fun to wait and see what everyone else creates and pick your favorite ideas.

I played with the stamp set for at least 20 minutes before I even opened the rest of the kit. I haven't decided what to make first. I promise another post with my creations.

For some reason the stamp set doesn't look clear, if you click on the photo, the larger image is clear. One of the great mysteries of my photography.

Everyday Occasions Card Kit, Part 3

The cards in the Everyday Occasions Card Kit come in 3 sizes 4 1/4 x 5, 3 1/2 x 5 and 3 x 3.

Perfect sizes for any occasion. Enjoy.

Everyday Occasions Card, Part 2

Here are some close ups of the cards I made with the Everyday Occasions Card Kit.  The next post will show the remaining cards.