Generational Stamping Tip for Tuesday!

Time for another Tuesday Tip!

Have you ever heard of Generational Stamping?  Basically it means stamping an image multiple times without re-inking.  Have you ever tried it?  I made up a little graphic to show you just how many colors you can actually get out of just ONE dark ink pad...

I used the Hello Blooms My Acrylix set for this sentiment.

Pretty cool, huh?  It also has a nice effect for creating movement on your artwork and cards.  This is a great way to make your stamp colors go farther.  Not sure on which color to chose?  Pick the darker shade and you will have LOTS of options!  :)

Thanks for popping in today!  I'll be back soon!  Not sure if I will still have my sanity, but I will be back!  :)

Time to Bring on the Color Dare!

I cannot believe I haven't played along yet this year, but it is TIME!  What better chance to prove that I can overcome Sorbet than with a challenge, lol!  If you have been a follower for a while here, you know I don't exactly have the warm fuzzies for the CTMH color Sorbet.  It just isn't "ME."  Well, I think the time has come to say that I can definitely use it more easily now thanks to my time spent on the DT of the Color Dare!  ;)

Here we go again, so let's do it!  The colors for this week's Color Dare are Sorbet, Blush, and Juniper.

My inspiration for this card comes from another Amy!  You can see Amy O'Neil's card on her blog, Amy's Paper Crafts HERE.

I used the same basic elements in my version of the card for a whole new look.  My sentiment is from the Big Hug My Acrylix stamp set.  The flowers and Polaroid cut are found on the Close to My Heart Artiste Cartridge.

I also used a few My Acrylix sets to make the flowers and leaves:  Buttons, Bits, and Bobs, the retired Pemberley Workshop on the Go stamp set, and Hello Blooms. Those great sequins are from Studio Calico where I will be taking a color class soon!  :)

The Blush CS flower has a bit of extra flavor since I ran it through my Big Shot  with our brand new Dot Embossing Folder.  Take a peek at this amazing new video from CTMH as Jill explains how to use our white core cardstock with your embossing folders...

I never knew that about using the grain of the paper when embossing, did you?

Anyway, I sure had a great time with Sorbet this time by playing along with my friends at the Color My Heart Color Dare.  I dare YOU to play along too!  :)

Guess what!?  Now is the perfect time to stock up on your cardstock AND try out the new embossing folders...FOR FREE!!!  That's right...when you buy two packages of our bulk solid color cardstock, you can choose a FREE embossing folder while supplies last!  Don't wait to take advantage of this offer on my website HERE!  Simply add the two packs of cardstock to your cart, and then you will be prompted to add the free embossing folder.   Happy shopping!  :)

Choose Your Own! :)

Yes!  This should be fun.  Are you ready to choose your own colors for this one?  Color Dare #46 is all about choice, so pick your own shades of pink, orange, and yellow!  Woo, hoo!!!!

I chose Close to My Heart Colors Smoothie, Sunset, and Buttercup.  This is such a happy combination, that I wanted to do a happy card--and if you're happy, then you sparkle.  :)

LOTS of sparkle...in the form of Silver Shimmer Trim, Sparkles Black Flourishes, Sparkles Clear Assortment, and the Glamor Glitter Alphabet.

This button and acrylic flower on my card USED to be clear.  The flower is from the Clair Assortment and the button is actually on clearance for only $1.25 on my website in While Supplies Last!

I learned a little trick from my fellow Diva teammate Stephanie Davis at The Gypsy Chic to turn them any color I want!  You just tap, tap, tap on them with your little Mini Pigment Ink Pads until they are coated how you like...sprinkle them with Clear Embossing Powder, and hit them with a shot of your heating tool!  Walla! Coordinating colored embellies for any project!  ;)  You can see Stephanie's post HERE for details and to see her amazing creation. 

This pretty flower up above is made with cuts from the Cricut Artiste Cartridge and the Hello Blooms and Hooray Bouquet My Acrylix stamps. I used Smoothie, Sunset, and Buttercup Exclusive Dye Inks.

I combined the playful Buttercup and Smoothie retired Dotty for You paper and Chantilly Textiles with the elegant script B&T Duo of For Always.  Somehow, it totally worked!   The bottom front of the card is edged with the Martha Stewart Scallop Dot Edger Punch and trimmed out with a ruffle of the textiles.

 

Just in case you would like to give this ruffle a try, there are several consultants who have put together tutorials on the process.  There are probably tons of them on YouTube.  I used my ATG as the adhesive base for mine and proceeded like this:

Here is a look at how I covered up the rough edges of the ruffle on the inside of the card with a bit of heavily adhesived CS and some more shimmer trim...

So, which shades of Pink, Orange, and Yellow will YOU choose?  Play along with us at the Color My Heart Color Dare this week and link up to us by Thursday the 13th in order to be considered for the coveted Color Dare Diamond Blog Badge!  :) 

In Stitches at Heart 2 Heart

Ha ha!  I did it!  I used stitching on a card without stitching!  Did I loose you yet? 

Stay with me a little bit longer and I will show you!  Heart 2 Heart Challenges is having a Nip and Tuck challenge to get us all to incorporate some form of stitching in our project this week, so of course I am linking up.  Um, I feel like a stubborn 2 year old as I whine, stomp my foot, and say, NO, I don't want to stitch!  I papercraft--I do NOT sew!  My mother sews really well, but that gene seems to have skipped a generation.  So what's a girl to do? 

Stamp.  With Stitches!  ;)

I created a downpour with the Close to My Heart My Acrylix set C1459 Stitched Together.  The clouds are cut with my Cricut Artiste Cartridge and inked with Whisper a bit on the wispy/sloppy side. 

I used the Later Sk8ter Paper Packet for the plaid pattern in the umbrella...my favorite one in the pack!  

I made this sentiment using the C1494 Card Word Puzzle My Acrylix and the C1540 Hello Blooms My Acrylix.

I used a brand new toy for this card that I have been WANTING so badly to try.  It is a wafer die from My Creative Time.  If you look closely, you will see....MORE STITCHING!!!  I love it when a no-sew plan comes together!  ;)  Not sure if you can see it, but I also used a silver vinyl for the handle. 

So, about the time I was photo editing, I realized I had seen raindrop stitches before, but WHERE???  A quick glance back at the H2H April Challenges gave me the answer!  My crafty Diva friend, Jayma Malme had used hand drawn stitches in her DT example!  Go see it HERE.  LOVE!  Thanks for the awesome subconscious inspiration, Jayma!  :)

Assembling an Artiste Matchbox Gift Made with For Always

I have to admit that I should probably actually read the assembly guide that comes with the Close to My Heart Artiste Cartridge.  I came to this conclusion when I made my final version of the Matchbox Candy Box for my sister's Mother's Day gift.  I am not sure WHY I decided to look at it, but I did.  And I had assembled it WRONG in a different way than the directions showed, lol! 

First of all, here is my sister's finished gift...

The For Always Paper Packet is super-versatile.  My sister likes yellow, so added a Buttercup stamped flower that I made using my Cricut Artiste Cartridge and the Hello Blooms My Acrylix set.  The leaves are stamped on Pear cardstock using the Just for You My Acrylix.  I will be linking this gorgeous little flower up with the H2H Challenge, May Flowers.  Finally, the sentiment that I stamped in Lagoon is in the Perfect Fit--Mom My Acrylix.

Now, here is the little change I made accidentally in how I assembled the box, and how the handbook tells you to...I left these flaps UP, and the instructions show you to adhere them down...

like so...

I feel that the flaps left up kind of give the box a bit of a sturdier feel, but less of a "finished" look, so the choice it up to you!   Here are my previous two boxes with the sides left up...

What do YOU think?  Have you tried this matchbox cut yet?  Let me know!  :)  HERE is a link to my first matchbox that has all the measurements for you!  :)

Hello, Again!

Here is another card I made that started with inspiration from an embossing folder.  I saw this folder used on a beautiful card by my fellow Color My Heart DT member, Lela.  You can see her card  HERE.  I loved how it mimicked the little bird in the Hello Blooms My Acrylix, so reeeeealy needed to get my hands on it.  Lucky me, a little birdie helped me out with that!    ;)

Well, I had to use that folder asap, and here is my first card with it!  (UPDATE:  The name of the folder is Bird Scroll Frame by Darice.)

I had a little mishap with my Lagoon Ink in the bottom right corner right next to the little birdie, so kindly ignore that, lol.  Don't ask.

I cut the word Hello on my Cricut Expression 2 with the Artiste Cartridge at 1.5 inches.  I did this on White Daisy Cardstock.  Yes, I am sure.  ;)  Then I used my In the Background My Acrylix to stamp the pretty floral pattern.  It really didn't provide the contrast I was looking for against the white paper underneath, so I used my sponge to ink right over the entire word with Pear Exclusive Ink.  BINGO!  Just what I was looking for.  :)

I really like this flower stamp from Hello Blooms.  I rock and rolled this one again because I liked my first card so much.  First I inked it in Buttercup, and then I rolled it in Sunset.  Awesome!  The leaves are from the Girls Rock My Acrylix which I am also a huge fan of.  (Sorry, that's my second hanging preposition!)  I inked the leaves in Sweet Leaf and rolled in Pear.

Can you see the shimmer from my Sakura Gelly Roll Stardust Pen in the pic up above?  Gotta have some sparkle!  ;)

Here you can see the inside corner of the card where I added the cute little birdie from Hello Blooms as well as another Hello sentiment.  I stamped the little guy in Sunset first and then paper-pieced the Lagoon body portion on top.

You can see all of these complete stamp sets in my online store by clicking on the links.  They are some of my favorite new sets!  Thanks for stopping in today!  :)