Magical Birthday!

My daughter loves ponies.  She is practically obsessed with them.  Nothing unusual for a three-year-old, I suppose.  So, when I first saw the Magical Ponies stamp set by Your Next Stamp, I knew that I had to have them!  I fell in love with this adorable set right away and I knew that my daughter would too.  In fact, this is how I actually discovered Your Next Stamp, and I am so glad that I did!  They have so many adorable stamp and die sets!

I created this card for my daughter's 4th birthday which is later this week.  I'm pretty sure that she's going to love it.  Although, I don't think it matters to her what the card looks like, as long as it has a pony on it!

I also decided to play along with the Your Next Stamp Sketch and Color Challenge #48.  You can choose to either use the basic sketch, the challenge colors or both for your inspiration (see below).  I decided to use only the sketch because as much as I love fall colors, I didn't think they would go very well with the pony birthday card that I had in mind. (Although, I suppose the rainbow technically does have four of those colors 😉).

Basic Sketch

Challenge Colors

I first created the outer frame of my card using the All Prettied Up Die Set by Mama Elephant.  I also partially die cut the inner stitched circle on the bottom portion of my card.  I then used the Rainbow Fun Die Set by Your Next Stamp to die cut the rainbow and the clouds.  I cut the rainbow on white cardstock and colored each piece with my Copic markers.  I then embossed the rainbow pieces with some Hero Arts Sparkle Embossing Powder to give them some shimmer.  Before I attached my clouds, I glued a piece of clear acetate on the bottom half circle of my card.  I then added my clouds behind the acetate and then put some 3D foam adhesive on the back panel of my card to make room for my shaker embellishments.  For this, I used both 3mm Sparkling Clear Sequins by Pretty Pink Posh and Caribbean Dream Sequin Mix by Clearly Besotted.  I then attached that entire panel to a piece of shimmery blue cardstock.

 
I then stamped, colored and die cut my unicorn using the Magical Ponies stamp set and coordinating dies.  I also added some more sparkle embossing powder on the unicorn's mane, wings and hooves.  I lastly added a tag using Sizzix Tags Stamps & Dies and a small bow from Lawn Fawn's Put A Bow on It die set.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today!  I love to hear from you so please feel free to leave any comments or questions!

Also, if you get a chance, check out these biweekly Sketch and Color Challenges by Your Next Stamp!

I will also be entering this into Simon Says Stamp "Anything Goes" Wednesday Challenge.

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: "Anything Goes"

Happy Fall!

I wish I could say that "fall is in the air" here in Florida, but it's over 90 degrees today, super sunny and humid.  Mind you, I'm not complaining, but I definitely miss the seasonal climate changes that I grew up with in Pennsylvania.  So, I was pretty psyched when Stephanie Barnard came out with these super cute Pilgrim stamp sets (pilgrimGIRL2stamp and pilgrimboy2stamp) this past month over at The Stamps of Life.  I had so much fun working with these sets!

For my first card, I decided to make another Z-fold card since I really enjoy making them.  For easy instructions on creating a Z-fold card, you can check out my my last blog post and scroll to the bottom.  After stamping the Pilgrim boy and girl, I colored them with Copic markers and then die cut them using the coordinating dies.  For the background panels, I used the yellow watercolor wash paper from My Favorite Things.  The cute white picket fence came from the Sizzix Flowers & Fence Stamps & Dies.  For the background trees and leaves, I used the Sizzix Birds & Trees Stamps & Dies.  I diecut two trees from heavy white cardstock and then colored them with various shades of brown Copic markers.  I then die cut a number of leaves from fall-colored carstock.  I then used the grass die exclusive to The Stamps of Life to die cut the grass in front of the fence.  For my pumpkin patch, I stamped, colored and die cut pumpkins from both the pilgrimboy2stamp stamp set and also the pumpkins2cut stamp set.  For the pumpkin vines,  I actually used the balloon string dies from the Sizzix Balloons Step-ups Card Die Set and added some leaves that I die cut using the Sizzix Owls Stamps & Dies.

The nice thing about Z-fold cards is that you can add so many elements and dimension to the card, yet it can still collapse nicely into an A2-sized card when folded.

My second card also used the same Pilgrim stamps and dies as mentioned above.  For the largest frame of the card, I used the stitched scalloped frame from Mama Elephant's All Prettied Up Creative Cuts.  I then used both The Stamps of Life Stitched Rectangles and the Large Stitched Rectangles by Lawn Fawn to add the next two layers.  I then used the Mini Scallop Oval Stax by My Favorite Things to cut out the scalloped center of the card.  For the background, I water colored a "fall sunset" and then stamped my sentiment.

 
Lastly, I made this little dog card using the super cute friends4cookie stamp set (a favorite of mine!) and coordinating dies.  I stamped and fussy cut the dog bowl from the treats4cookie stamp set and added the turkey using the same pilgrim stamp and dies from above.

I will be entering these cards into the Simon Says Stamp "Anything Goes" Wednesday Challenge.

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "Anything Goes"

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today!  I hope you've been inspired!  Please feel free to leave me any comments or questions.  Have a wonderful day!

Rachel

 

     

Hog Heaven

Hello fellow paper crafters!  I'd like to share with you a Z-fold card that I created for the "My Favorite Things" 2016 Card Design Superstart Contest.  I have had this idea in my head for weeks now, but I wasn't quite sure how to execute it.  Honestly, it took some trial and error but I was pleased with the end result.  For those of you interested in creating a card like this, I will post some quick instructions and photos below.

I just love 3D cards!  To me, they seem to tell a story.  For this card, I used all products from "My Favorite Things".  They have a huge selection of super cute stamps and amazing dies!

After I created my card base (details below), I added some layered paneling in the background.  For the sky, I water colored with some white, yellow and pink inks. The pigs came from the BB Hog Heaven stamp set.  I stamped their images on white cardstock, colored with Copic Markers and then cut them out using their coordinating dies.  To go along with my sentiment, I decided to add angel wings on all of the pigs.  For this, I used the image of the pig who has the wings, and stamped it four times.  Twice facing the way the image is, and twice as a reverse image.  I then colored, fussy cut the wings and then added some Hero Arts Sparkle Embossing Powder to give them some iridescent shimmer. 

I then added some grass using the Grassy Fields Die-namics.  The beautiful stitched field of flowers were die-cut using last month's Sensational Stitched Flowers Card Kit.  I then attatched them along the two small fence sections in the center of the card that are able to collapse when folded.  I used the MFT Die-namics Spring Garden to create the potted flowers and bird house that are in front of the fence.  The fence itself was cut using MFT Woodgrain Fence Die-namics which is retired.  Also retired, I used the smallest cloud from the Jumbo Cloud Stax Die Set.  The stitched tree in the front came from the MFT Die-Namics Tree-mendous die set.  Lastly, I stamped the butterflies using the MFT BB Adorable Elephants stamp set.  I colored, fussy cut and then adhered them to the card with 3D foam squares.

Even though there are a lot of elements to this card, it can still fold easily and fit into an A2 sized envelope (see pic above).  I will most likely create my own A2 sized envelope with some added depth to protect my card when mailing just to be sure.

So, how to make a 3D Z-fold card?  I will try to (hopefully) quickly show you with some images below.  First, you need to cut a piece of standard carstock in half.  You should then have a piece that is 11" x 4.25" (the same size as when creating an A2 sized card)

You will then score that piece at 5.5" inches and 2.75" inches.  Once finished it should look something like this (below).

This is where it got a little bit tricky for me because I wanted to add the fence and not just a flat paper strip.  So, I cut two thin pieces of white cardstock that were the same length as my card.  The reason I made the pieces thin was that so you could see through the slats of the fence as it would look in real life.

I then scored them at the same lengths as my base, 5.5" and 2.75".  However, when attaching them, they are attached opposite of the folds of the card (see below) so that they "pop out" when opened.  It was to these long pieces that I added my straight fence segments.

I also added two small fence segments in the center of my card to which I adhered my stitched flowers.  The fold on these two segments looks like this (below).  This enables the fence to fold and open easily with the base of the card.

After that, the rest is easy!  You just need to add whatever die-cuts or embellishments you want to use and you will be left with a fun, 3D Z-fold card!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!  I love to hear from you!  Please feel free to leave me any comments or questions!

Rachel :0)

p.s.  Even though the deadline is tomorrow, if you can, check out the 2016 Card Design Superstar Contest by My Favorite Things!

2016 MFT Card Design Superstar Contest

Fresh Freesias

Hello!  I wanted to quickly share with you today a card that I made using some more wonderful Altenew stamps and dies.  I decided to keep this card very clean and simple.  The flower (from the Altenew Fresh Freesia Stamp Set) is so elegant that I wanted it to be the primary focus of the card.  I chose these particular colors based on this month's Altenew Inspiration Challenge Photo (below).

Altenew September Inspiration Challenge

I went with some of the more subtle colors (the purple and green) shown in the inspiration photo and also added some background stripes using the Die-namics Striped Sentiment Cover-Up Die by My Favorite Things.

After stamping the flower, I used Copic Markers to color it and then cut it out with the coordinating Fresh Freesia Die.  I then stamped the sentiment with clear VersaMark Ink onto heavy vellum paper and heat embossed it with Super-Fine Black Embossing Powder.  Lastly, I added a few small Sparkling Clear Sequins by Pretty Pink Posh.

In addition to the Altenew September Inspiration Challenge, I will also be entering this into the Altenew Ultimate Challenge and Simon Says Stamp "Clean and Simple" Challenge.

Altenew Ultimate Challenge

Simon Says Stamp "Clean and Simple" Challenge

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! I love to hear from you so please feel free to leave any comments or questions!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Rachel

Make a Wish!

Hello!  I'd like to share with you today a card that I made using these adorable penguin stamps by Your Next Stamp.  I recently stumbled across this company and instantly fell in love with all of their adorable stamp sets and matching dies.  This particular set is called "Waddles - Happy Brrr-thday!".  Every two weeks, Your Next Stamp offers a fun Sketch and Color Challenge in which you can enter your project.  The current challenge was based off of the photo below.  More information can be found HERE.

YNS stamps are not necessary!  And you can either participate based on the sketch, the colors or both!

Since I loved the color scheme shown,  I decided to try both.  I started off by creating my layout similar to the sketch shown.  For my "splattered" background, I painted some Broken China & Peacock Feathers distress ink on water color paper and then added some splatters of the same colors.  I also added some splatters of Picket Fence distress ink but they are not quite noticeable in the picture.  I then sprayed some Frost Sheer Shimmer Spritz once the ink had dried to give my background some sparkle.  I stamped my images with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and then colored with copics.  I added some Hero Arts Sparkle Embossing Powder to parts of my banner, hats, and balloon for added shimmer.  I seriously love that stuff and the effect that it creates!  Lastly, I added some Glossy Accents on the penguins beaks, feet and bellies.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today!  I love to hear from you!  Feel free to leave any comments or questions!

Rachel

 

Christmas Cards! (In September)

Hello!  I wanted to share with you a few cards using this month's new Club Stamp and Die Set from The Stamps of Life!  It's Santa Claus!  Although it's still technically summertime, Christmas is right around the corner!  I love Christmastime.  I'm not one for going out and braving the stores during this crazy time (I do most of my Christmas shopping online), but I love the decorations, the smells, the sounds and the meaning of Christmas!  I'm one of those crazy people who will listen to Christmas music any time of the year if I'm having a rough day or feeling homesick.  Growing up in a large Italian and Slovenian family, Christmas was a fun week-long celebration!  So, I was pretty excited when these new set of stamps and dies came out.

"Santa2stamp" by The Stamps of Life

"Santa Dies" by The Stamps of Life

 
The dies this month are so versatile.  The designer, Stephanie Barnard, created them in such a way that you can "build" Santa without any coloring if you decided not to or if you wanted to make a card in a jiffy.  This makes it super easy for anybody to create great looking Christmas cards, tags etc without too much troubleshooting!

This first card that I created is a pop-up card!  For my square stitched frame, I combined the stitched square, square, and stitched ONLY square dies from the Stamps of Life.  For all of my cards, I used the "Ho Ho Ho Collection" patterned paper, also by The Stamps of Life.

For the inside of my card, I stamped, cut and colored my Christmas tree from the "trees4Christmas" stamp and die set.  The presents came from the "birthday4Cookie" stamp set.  You don't exactly need pop-up dies to create pop-up tabs, but I used the "everyday-pop-ups" by Lawn Fawn.

I also used the "wavy dies" set to create a separation between my patterned paper at the bottom of the card.  The "Merry Christmas" Die Cut also came from the Stamps of Life.

For this next card, aside from using this month's club stamp and die set as mentioned above, I used the Sizzix Playful Flip-its Card Die Set for my base.  I added some Christmas trees and some white ribbon for embellishment.  My "Christmas Wishes" sentiment came from the "ornaments4Christmas" stamp set by The Stamps of Life. 

I absolutely love shaker cards!  I decided to do a "snow theme" shaker card above.  I didn't have a window die that would fit, so I measured and drew light pencil lines for my window and used the smallest die from the stitched rounded rectangle STAX by My Favorite Things to cut out each panel.  For my "snow", I added some white/clear sequins and also Marshmallow Seed Beads by Pretty Pink Posh.  The base of my card was cut from the Sizzix Flowers/Sentiments Scalloped Edge Drop-ins die set. The sentiment came from this month's club stamp set, "santa2stamp" and was stamped on a stitched label, also by Pretty Pink Posh.

I just love these cute little Christmas stockings by The Stamps of Life!  I stamped and cut them using both the "stockings4Christmas" stamp set and the coordinating stocking dies.  I used Copic markers to color them and, (although you can't see it in the photo), I added sparkle embossing powder by Hero Arts to the top and bottom of the stockings and the white parts of Santa's hat.  For the base of my card, I used the Sizzix Friends Forever Step-ups Card Die Set.  I used the stocking die set to die cut some candy canes for the middle portions of my card.  I also used both the stitched oval  and oval dies to get a layered "label" on which to stamp my "Christmas Wishes" sentiment.

  
Lastly, I created another "flip-its" card.  Sweet and simple.  For the base of my card, I used the Sizzix Triple Fancy Frame Flip-its Card Die Set.  I also used the Sizzix Fancy Labels #4 Framelits Die Set to create a green frame around each of my sentiments.  For my sentiment, I used the "ornaments4Christmas" stamp set and simply masked off part of the "Ho Ho Ho" sentiment while stamping.  Lastly, I stamped, cut and colored a Christmas tree using the "trees4Christmas" stamp and die set.

Thanks so much for looking!  Feel free to leave any comments or questions!

Rachel

 

   

You Make Me Smile

Hello! Altenew is hosting their "September Inspiration Challenge"!  If you would like to play along, you can find all of the challenge info HERE.  I have made the card above, based on the inspiration photo below.

I decided to use the three main colors from the photo above (yellow, blue and red) and also the circle elements to create my card.  For my background, I blended some red and yellow distress inks on watercolor paper and then sprayed it with some shimmer spritz to give it a bit of sparkle. Although using Altenew products is not required, I used their gorgeous "Beautiful Day" stamps and dies for the flowers and leaves.  I stamped both the flowers and leaves on vellum paper using clear VersaMark ink and then heat embossed with white embossing powder.  I then colored the back of the vellum with Copic Markers for a more subtle look.  I used the MFT Die-namics stitched circle frame dies to cut a black circle for the center of my card.  For both my "Hello" diecut and stamped sentiment, I used the "Stamp and Cut Hello Stamp with Matching Die Cut Set" by Hero Arts.

  
The challenge ends on Friday, September 30th, so there's plenty of time to enter!  Again, you can check out more information about the challenge HERE.

Thanks for looking!  I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!  Feel free to leave any comments or questions!