VSN Again!

The Spring Virtual Stamp Night at Splitcoaststampers.com is this weekend. I amazed myself last night by completing all 5 Friday night challenges. Woo-hoo! There are 10 additional challenges today--starting at noon Eastern--and I've got some things going on, so I probably won't complete all the challenges. But I'll try my hand at a few more, for sure.

I'm loving the "Spring" theme, with so many challenges (so far, at least) focusing on cheery colors and happy thoughts. Especially with the unseasonably warm (forecast high of 62!!) weather here in MN, I'm feeling Spring!

Rules for VSN are simple. Create your card in 45 minutes or less, upload to the gallery (using the keyword), then browse the gallery and comment on others' submissions. Click on the links below to access each challenge post.

MAR12VSNA: Here Comes the Sun
Our challenge is to create a card using sunny colors. I went for the sunset look, mixing pink, orange and yellow.

The cute duckies are from the Barnyard Buddies stamp set, and I punched the borders with SU!'s Pinking Hearts punch.

MAR12VSNB: Love is in Bloom
Cards for this challenge need to have either a heart image or the word "love" somewhere in the design.

I had no problem finishing this CAS design in about 15 minutes. It is a baby card for a baby that will arrive this Spring (gender unknown).

MAR12VSNC: Spring Cleaning
I actually made this card first, using a couple of things I haven't used for a while--my Stampin' Pastels and the Chalkboard technique.

The Chalkboard technique is a fun and easy way to add a pop of color in an unusual way. I stamped the butterflies image from the current SAB stamp set Kindness Matters with Whisper White craft ink on Basic Black card stock. Then, while the ink was still wet, I used a small cotton pad to add some vibrant chalks. To clean up the images a bit, I just ran my eraser around the edges.

MAR12VSND: Spring is in the Air
Including something that can be found in the sky was the order of the day for this challenge.

Flies are in the sky, right? Heh, heh. I love this dude, from the Hoppy for You stamp set. I chose the color scheme based on the fact that I had one small piece of Old Olive 1/4" grosgrain ribbon sitting around. I used my Circles die and Big Shot to quickly cut the image panels, and both frog and fly are inked using the Rock and Roll technique.

MAR12VSNE: Rain, Rain, Go Away
The only challenge so far that calls for a sad theme--a sympathy or get well type card.

Just for something different, I made a 4 1/4" square card for this challenge. I added texture with the Lattice embossing folder, and sponged both Soft Sky and Chocolate Chip inks around the edge of the main image panel. I love those cute Mini Library Clips, and the images from D is for Dog are very versatile.

I encourage you to play along this weekend. Uploads must be completed by 7:00 PM (Eastern) Monday.

Wax Paper Embossing Folder Resist

Here is a quick tutorial for the Wax Paper Embossing Folder Resist technique that my Stamp Club practiced last weekend. At each meeting, we make several projects, including a 6" x 6" page with technique directions and an example.

The sample above uses Melon Mambo and Pretty in Pink. I chose Concord Crush and Wisteria Wonder for the tutorial example.

1. Place a piece of wax paper inside your Embossing Folder. (For both my projects, I used the very popular Vintage Wallpaper folder.) Make the Big Shot sandwich (platform tab 1 + cutting plate + folder (with wax paper) + cutting plate), and run through the BS.

2. Place the wax paper between two pieces of Glossy White cs (glossy side facing the wax paper). Using plain paper to protect your iron, heat the cs and embossed wax paper. This will transfer wax in the pattern of the embossed design to the Glossy cs. (Experiment to find the right heat setting and time. Too little will not transfer the design; too much will transfer all of the wax.)

3. Use Stampin' Sponges to add Classic ink to the Glossy cs. If using more than one color, work from light to dark. (For the sample above, I used both light and dark inks on the lighter squares, and only the darker ink on the darker squares. In this example, I used either light or dark, but did not mix.)

4. Trim your Glossy cs to the size and shape you want and finish your project.

The images and sentiments on this card are from the Love & Sympathy stamp set.

I hope you'll give this technique a whirl. I love the way the colors pop out when I'm adding the ink to the embossed image. The effect is especially dramatic with deep, rich colors. Enjoy your stamping time!

Wax Paper Valentines

I'll post a tutorial soon of the Wax Paper Embossing Folder Resist technique that my Stamp Club learned last weekend. I can't think of a better use for your iron!

Here are two Valentines I made with some scraps that were left over. I designed the card with the Easel fold, which has a unique look but is really very straightforward (not much harder than a regular fold-in-half card, really).

For this first card, I used squares of the Glossy card stock that I had doctored up with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, wax paper, ironing and sponging. I used two squares that are inked with Melon Mambo Classic Ink and two that have Pretty in Pink. The Full Heart Punch of Whisper White card stock with a sentiment from Grateful Greetings stamped in Melon Mambo ink completes the focal point and message. I added a little extra bling by dabbing the stamp with Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint before stamping.

Here's the card I made to take as my sample. Since I was concerned about running out of Glossy card stock, I used an odd-shaped piece and cut it into strips instead of squares. I like this look, too! I curled the edges with my Bone Folder, and secured the strips with Mini Glue Dots to make sure they weren't going anywhere. The heart on this card is punched from Shimmery White card stock, and the sentiment is pretty hard to see, because I stamped only with the Shimmer Paint. (It is better IRL.)

I hope you'll be inspired to make some of your own Valentines this year. If you see some products you like, please let me know, and I can help you order online or can place an order for you. Happy Stamping!

Garden Trio

Stamp Club this afternoon was really fun! Thanks, Brenda, for your heated floors and the addictive "Peanut Butter Blast." Did you know that there are over 70 Chex Mix recipes?

We learned the wax paper emboss resist technique today, but I'll post that later.

Here is one of the cards we made. It features Stampin' Up!'s From the Garden designer series paper. I was feeling the blue-green color combination, so we highlighted Pacific Point and Wild Wasabi, with splashes of Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo and Tangerine Tango.

(Not sure why my image is sideways...Sorry about that!)

I stole the layout for this card from the Idea Book & Catalog. Check out the sample for Sincere Salutations, and you'll be able to see that I simplified the design, and changed the colors and embellishments slightly.

The Wild Wasabi panel is textured with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder in the Big Shot. We also used the BS and Circles die to cut the large circles for the flower. We made "petals" by making small cuts all around the edge with the ever-faithful Paper Snips.

With all this texture and depth, I recommend using Sticky Strip, Mini Glue Dots and Stampin' Dimensionals to put this card together. The white card liner features a sentiment (from Sincere Salutations) stamped in Pacific Point as well as a trio of punched dsp squares. For an added touch, line your envelope with some dsp, too!

Don't forget that Sale-A-Bration starts on Tuesday (January 24-March 31, 2012). Now's your chance to earn FREE product with $50 purchase, or even more when you host a qualifying workshop. I have a few available dates, so contact me if you're interested in some free stuff!

Happy Stamping!

Polynesian

When I delivered these cards today, Janet described the look as "Polynesian." I hadn't thought of that, but I do think it fits.

The color combination is form the Well Worn designer series paper from Stampin' Up!. I added More Mustard and So Saffron to the Not Quite Navy, Crumb Cake and Cajun Craze. I copied the layout from some cards I made a while back, but for this rendition I went a lot fancier, adding the punched, creased, sponged and glittered flowers in place of a flat image panel. Each flower center has a secret, too: a tiny dot of Crystal Effects.

All the stamps I used for these cards are from retired sets. The flower is from Polka Dot Punches (an old Sale-a-Bration set). The stamps in this set each coordinate with a punch (this is the 5-Petal Flower Punch). For the sentiment, I used two different stamps from All Year Cheer I. I love how big and bold these sentiments are.

Don't forget that Stampin' Up!'s biggest event of the year begins on January 24: Sale-A-Bration! There are free product offers and incentives if you are interested in signing up to be your very own SU! demo! I would love to have you as part of my "downline." Contact me if you have questions or if you think you might like to host a workshop during Sale-A-Bration. It is a great time to earn lots of fun freebies.

(P.S. In case you are wondering, the grey fluffy thing behind my cards is Spalding the cat. He's always mugging for the camera.)

Color Challenge

Not that I haven't been stamping, but I've had a hard time following through with photographing and posting my cards. Tonight I'm feeling creative and energetic, and managed to finish the job. Yea, me!

I found this color challenge (Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade, Basic Grey) at Splitcoaststampers. I wasn't too jazzed about it at first, but I really like how my cards turned out.

I used the rock-n-roll technique (inked with Lucky Limeade and then rolled in Island Indigo)for the flower image from Close as a Memory. The white mat is embossed with a Texturz plate and then sponged with both colors. I used the Color Spritzer Tool with my Pear Pizzazz marker to add a little dimension to the image panel.

On the inside, I stamped the curlicue image from Baroque Motifs in Lucky Limeade, and then added the Mother Teresa quote from Butterfly of Happiness.

Old and New

I still have quite a supply of "old" card stock hiding in my file drawer, and I draw on it when I make cards to donate. I needed to make a few small sets of cards quickly this weekend, so out came the retired colors!

Here I mixed old card stock (Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Mellow Moss and Cameo Coral) with current shapes and styles. I used Blender Pens to watercolor the (retired) Hostess Set image stamped with Basic Brown on a circle I die-cut with my Big Shot and the #2 Circles die. The Top Note die is a quick way to infuse a little interest in the mat, too.

I used another Top Note die-cut on the inside, and stamped it with the elegant sentiment from Wellness Wishes ("Praying for you during your illness"). The other stamps in that set are more light-hearted, including a feverish puppy and a Band-Aid with a sad face. It is nice to have a mix of styles in one set.

A second set of four cards used more retired colors paired with a current stamp set (Thanks for Caring). While the sentiments in this set are designed for use with sympathy cards, they work well for general "thinking of you" type cards as well.

On the inside of these cards I used the longer sentiment from the set, "May you find peace and comfort in this difficult time and know that you are loved." One hidden feature of this set is that it doesn't use "I" in the sentiments. I am often making cards to be sent from a group (our church), so all my "I" sentiments just don't quite fit. This set is right on the mark.