Cut 'n Paste

Thinking of you | Spellbinders, Jan 2019 Die of the Month

After a difficult past 6 weeks health wise, I'm finally beginning to feel like myself and get back to some Paper crafting!

Did you know that each month Spellbinders has a Die of the Month Kit club? I was kindly invited to play with the Jan 2019 Amazing Paper Grace kit, featuring the Lacework Finery Slip-In Card Die Set. What I loved, is that this set can be incredibly intricate and delicate, such as the samples shown on the Jan webpage, or, you can make it work with a more modern style, such as the card I made! There's just a few more days until the set is gone, if you're interested, be sure to snap it up soon!

Here's the supply list for today's card:

Dies: January 2019 Amazing Paper Grace Kit 
Stamps:  #95291-N by Inkadinkado
Patterned paper: Magnolia Jane paper pad by Heidi Swapp
Cardstock: Ranger Watercolor paper, green cardstock by Bazzill.
Distress Markers to watercolor with:  Peeled Paint, Bundled Sage, Stormy Sky, Shaded Lilac
Embellishment: Phrase Tags by Jen Hadfield for Pebbles
Other: Water Mist bottle Ranger or Hero Arts, Vintage ledger paper

The magic of Christmas

Are you in the holiday spirit yet? I have been battling the flu lately and yesterday playing Christmas music all day was a huge mood lift. There's something about listening to the songs I sang along to as a child that just elevates the spirit!

Last month I was sent the kind invitation to celebrate the launch of Fun Stamper's Journey Products joining the Spellbinders website, which means now you can load up on products from both of these creative companies in one place! I must admit, I'd heard of Fun Stamper's Journey, but never purchased/used any of their products before. I was offered the choice of any set from their holiday mini-catalog and immediately chose their Nutcracker set as I have indelible memories of my parents taking me to the Toronto ballet to see The Nutcracker several times as a young child. 

Once I received the set, I was thrilled. The stamps are crisp red rubber and make beautiful impressions. As I experimented with the set, I quickly decided that I wanted to watercolor this cute guy and make a card that had a masculine color theme. I used the Distress inks as my watercolor medium and chose a striking navy paper from the "Pick me Up" paper pap by Pink Paislee as the background that the Nutcracker is placed upon. I think it really sets off the soft red of his uniform.

Before I sign off, if you haven't entered the workshop giveaway on yesterday's post, CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Here's a link to the supplies - please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions.

SUPPLY LIST:
Stamps: Nutcracker Suite by Fun Stamper's Journey
Dies: Nutcracker Suite by Fun Stamper's Journey
Patterned paper: Pick Me Up 6x6 pad by Pink Paislee
Inks: Ranger Archival in Jet Black,
 Distress inks in the following colors: Brushed corduroy, Pumice Stone, Gathered Twigs, Evergreen bough, worn lipstick, festive berries
Cardstock: Ranger Watercolor paper, Neenah Solar White, scraps of red and kraft paper
Button embellishments: Holiday Mix and Match by Fun Stamper's Journey
Other: page from an old ledger, Paintbrushes to watercolor with

Holiday cards blending old with new

 

Holiday crafting is in full swing here so that I'm ready for Christmas when it gets here. Today I wanted to combine something old with something new. The new? The Snowman and Reindeer Spellbinders Die sets from their new Holiday Die D-lites 2018 Collection, the old? The stamp I used for the greeting and the patterned paper base. It's always a great feeling to break out some of the older supplies and put them to use. 

Let's talk about this wee snowman for a minute. Could he be any cuter?! I decided that instead of dressing him in classic colors, I would experiment and put him in a shabby chic color scheme... and, it worked! I loved it! So, meet Frosty, the Shabby Chic Snowman, lol!

SUPPLY LIST FOR BOTH CARDS:
Dies: Die D-Lites Snowman Etched Dies 2018 Holiday, Die D-Lites Reindeer Etched Dies 2018 Holiday, Nestabilities Scalloped Ovals Lg
Patterned paper: Cardmaking Pad 1 by Pebbles
Stamps: Most wonderful time of the year is from an old Studio Calico monthly kit
Catherine Pooler Inks: Midnight
Cardstock: Neenah Solar White, scraps of green, pink, aqua, taupe, brown cardstock
Other: old mother of pearl and plastic buttons, page from an old ledger

After making the snowman, I moved onto the Reindeer Die set. Oh my, is he ever adorable too!

Each card has the identical design, the only difference is which character is in the center of the card. I had so much fun making these and foresee making a few more to give out this holiday season.

Thanks for your visit!

You are a blessing to me - Cuppa Coffee, Cuppa Tea by Spellbinders

Hi Friends! I hope this first week of September is treating you well. I found a bit of time to escape to my studio earlier this week and I whipped up this card for a friend. She is the kind of person who is always encouraging me, both personally and in my business. Her loving care reminds me that I need to step up my encouragement game too and bless others the way she has blessed me.

I was kindly sent the new Spellbinders Cuppa Love etched dies to join the launch party for this new collection. It is so cute and I love how my card is completely different in feel from the one that they have as a sample on the Spellbinders website. Isn't it cool the way different cardmakers can use the same dies in yet have a totally different feel to their project?!

SUPPLY LIST:
Die: Die d-lites Cuppa Love Etched Dies
Patterned paper from the following 6x6 paper pads: Blush by My Mind's Eye, C'est La Vie by Pink Paislee, Wonder by Crate Paper.
Stamps: Singnature Greetings by Papertrey Ink
Catherine Pooler Inks: Midnight
Cardstock: Neenah Solar White, green cardstock (I'm sorry, I can't find the name/brand)
Other: sewing machine with white thread, page from an old book page

In the image below you can see that I stacked the foliage spray and hearts to give them dimension. For the greenery I cut, then stacked two green cardstock pieces directly on top of each other. Then, I cut a white piece and offset it so that the white became a shadow to the green. For the heart, I stacked 4 layers of the white cardstock ontop of each other. This is a simple, and quite effective way, to create faux chipboard accents!

Thanks for your visit today. As usual, please feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

Happy 70th Birthday

This month my Dad celebrated his 70th birthday, and so I made this card for him. I loved taking a die set that has a distinctly feminine feel, and by simply leaving off the last step, which is the filigree cut, it allowed the numbers to work perfectly for this masculine design. I have also been saving that scrap of antique ledger paper with the "Dr." on it forever. My Father has his doctorate, so I knew that it would be awesome to use it someday on a project for him, and this was that project! The birthday greeting was simply done by using my computer and printing the word onto cardstock.

Here's the supply list for his celebratory card:

Die: Shapeabilities Filigree numbers etched dies by Spellbinders, Oh Happy Day Elegant 3D Vignettes by Spellbinders 
Patterned paper: Strips of patterned papers are from the following 6x6 paper pads: The Pier by Crate Paper, Everyday by Jen Hadfield, Wonder by Crate paper, Antique ledger paper
Cardstock: Neenah Solar White, Bazzill Candy Buttons, Bazzill Banana Split, Platinum pack poster board by Spellbinders
Other: sewing machine with white thread

Thanks for visiting!

Sending good Vibes

We all need a little encouragement from time to time - a little note to let you know that you're thought of and appreciated by a friend. That's what this card was all about, letting a friend know that I wished good things for her. And, I used beautiful vintage inspired products to tell that story, including the beautiful Spellbinders Tiara Rondell die, United we Flourish floral stamps and the perfect greeting by Pretty Pink Posh. In fact, I think that stamp set (link below) is one of current favorites. While it's not brand new, it's timeless and has a wide range of greetings. If you have a current favorite greeting stamp set, feel free to drop it in the comments as I'm always on the look out for great, classic designs.

Here's a closer look at the supply list for today's encouraging card:

Die: Shapeabilities Tiara Rondelle Etched Dies Elegant 3D Vignettes by Spellbinders
Stamps: Poppy Fields by United We Flourish: Altenew and Essentials by Ellen, Encouraging Greetings by Pretty Pink Posh
Ink colors: Sugared Lavender, Sweet Sixteen, Midnight - All Catherine Pooler
Velvet Flowers: Prima
Patterned paper: Basics Cardmaking pad #1 by Pebbles, scrap of striped paper by Basic Grey
Cardstock: Neenah Solar White, Bazzill Sour Grape
Other: 3D foam dots (regular or small will work), MISTI Stamp positioner (large or small, either will work for cards), sewing machine with white thread

Thanks for your visit. I always appreciate your visits!

Sending my love

Happy Valentines Day! Are you spending the day with your sweetheart? Mine is working, so we're going to take a rain check. Instead of sharing a Valentine for my hubby, here's a card I whipped up for one of my galentines. It uses one of my very favorite techniques, watercolor stamping, and combines it with a beautiful, intricate Spellbinders die cut for a soft and shabby-chic style greeting.

First, the Supply List: 
Distress markers, used to color the stamp: Worn Lipstick, Spun Sugar, Shabby Shutters, Mowed Lawn and Fossilized Amber
Rubber Stamps: A Real Violet (F2621) by Hero Arts, Sending my Love (B412) by Memory Box
Die Cut: Spellbinders Eau de Lavande Label Etched Dies S5-321
Other: Pink seam binding and and old button, pop dots, vintage ledger paper, spray bottle, white cardstock, pink patterned paper.

If you've never tried watercolor stamping, it is my absolute favorite technique - especially with floral stamps. Simply take your markers, color directly onto your rubber stamp, then holding a water mister about 8 inches away, gently mist it with a few pumps of water and stamp it directly onto cardstock. If you want the colors to run into each other even more, spray more water next time. 

For today's card, I stamped directly onto this beautiful Spellbinders Die cut. It is so ornate, that I only needed to add ribbon/button to finish off the look.

Have a wonderful day my friends - may you know that you're loved and appreciated!