Mermaid Box Card - MFT Stamps

Hello friends!  I'd love to share with you another card that I made for the MFT Color Challenge #73.  For this card, I decided to make a box card featuring the MFT Stamps BB Mermazing, Seaside Seagulls and Ocean Pals Stamp Sets. 

MFT Color Challenge #73

I followed this inspiration photo (above) to choose my color scheme.  To start my card, I first created the box portion.  I usually follow THIS tutorial by Splitcoaststampers on how to create your own box card by hand.  I love having an open window covered with acetate in the front of my box cards.  It just gives so much more depth to your card.  If you're interested in seeing a few other box cards with a similar design, here are a few more examples that I've made in the past year or so.

Beach Box Card

Fishing Box Card

For the front of my box card (below), I used the MFT Die-namics Square Peek-a-Boo Window Die to die cut the window.  I love how the added stitches around the sides create the perfect frame for my underwater scene!

I stamped my images onto white cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and then colored them with Copic Sketch Markers.

The colors that I used are as follows: (Mermaid's Tail: YG01, YG06, YG17, G16; Mermaid's Hair: Y21, R35, R29, V15, R59; Mermaid's Top: V20, V04, V17, BV08; Mermaid's Skin: E0000, E01, E02, E13, E15; Clown Fish: Y15, YR04, YR07; Island: E31, E33, E35, E57; Crab:R17, R35, R59; Pelican's Bodies and clouds: 0, C00, C0, C1, C3).

I diecut all of the images with their coordinating dies and added some Clear Wink of Stella Glitter on the Mermaid's tail and bikini top for some added shimmer.

To go with my mermaid/beach theme, I added some dark grey scale-like patterned paper on the lower sides of the box and also stamped and added my sentiment "Sending You Oceans of Love" onto one of the box flaps.  In the background, you can see a small island with a crab and a fun palm tree.  I diecut the tree using the MFT Die-namics Beach Scene Builder and added some inks to the dicuts to give the pieces some shading.

I actually made this card for my Aunt's birthday.  She is an avid beach lover but sadly doesn't get to go except maybe once or twice a year.  My entire family goes on a beach vacation every summer (there are usually about 60 of us) and my Aunt is notorious for counting down the days for all of us on Facebook until the next vacation. :0)

Thank you all for dropping by!  If you liked this card and want some more crafty inspiration, don't forget to check out my INSTAGRAM feed!

Wishing you all a lovely day!

♥ Rachel

I will also be entering this card into the following challenges: 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

 

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #252: Make Your Mark

I Will Always Be Here For You - MFT Stamps "Adorable Elephants"

Hello!  I'd love to share with you today a card that I made for both the MFT Sketch and Color Challenge.  I made this for someone very dear to me who is going through a difficult time at the moment.

MFT Sketch Challenge #342

  

MFT Color Challenge #73

I followed these two inspirational photos to create my card.  To start, I first created the background of my card on Neenah Classic Crest 80lb Solar White Cardstock.  I began by simply blending some TSOL Sky Blue Ink onto my paper using a large Clarity Stencil Brush.  I then used the MFT Grassy Fields Die-namics and some Distress Ink (Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn and Forest Moss) to create my grass.  I followed THIS awesome video tutorial by Nina Marie Trapani to create my grass.  I love how it turned out!  The Copic Sketch Markers that I used to highlight my grass were YG07, YG09 and G09.

I then stamped and colored my images on a separate piece of paper using the MFT Adorable Elephants Stamp Set.  I have had this set for awhile now but have not had the chance to use them yet.  I was so excited to be able to do so since this set is one of my absolute favorites!

I once again used my Copic Sketch Markers to color my images.  The colors that I used are as follows: Elephant: C00, C0, C3, C5; Elephant's Ears: RV0000, RV10, R81; Butterflies: R11, R32, R22; Balloon: B000, B00, BG53, BG57.  I then used the coordinating dies to cut out my images.

I trimmed my background using the large stitched rectangle die that is part of the MFT Die-namics Blueprints 29 Die Set.  After adding some patterned paper from the MFT Proper Pinstripes Paper Pack, I then attached my background scene with a piece of foam.  Lastly, I added some white gel pen onto my images and background for some added accents.  For the "cloudy" border, I used the MFT Die-namics Stitched Scallop Basic Edges on white cardstock.  I stamped my sentiment using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and attached this scalloped border piece and all of my images to my card base with foam squares.

In addition to the challenges above, I will also be entering this card into the following challenge:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: You've Got The Edge

  

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today!  Wishing you all a lovely day!

Rachel


      

Beach Themed Die Sets - FLASH SALE - The Stamps of Life

It's already the 20th of the month and that means that new/exclusive dies are available at The Stamps of Life!  There are two new sets available.  The first one that I'd like to share with you is available today at a special 40% off flashsale price!

Summer4fun Die Set

It's called the Summer4fun Die Set and it's filled with so many cute tropical/beach-themed dies.  I paired these with the matching Summer4fun Stamp Set for my first card (shown above).  I first stamped my image of the sand castle on white cardstock and colored with Copic Sketch Markers.  (Colors used for both the castle and the sand: 0 - colorless blender, E31, E35, E57, E13, E29).

I used the Stamps of Life Stitched Rectangles to create the frame around my shaker and then stamped my sentiment with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink.  For the surfboards, I simply diecut some Stamps of Life Patterned Paper and solid Cardstock and then attached them with foam squares.   For more inspiration using this stamp and die set, check out TSOL Gallery Webpage HERE.

Island2visit Die Set

For my second card, I used the Island2visit Die Set and matching Island2visit Stamp Set to create my beach scene.

To be honest, I felt quite out of my element as I tried creating/drawing my own background for the first time.  I followed THIS TUTORIAL by Sandy Allnock to create my scene.  Sandy is amazingly talented!  I have a lot to learn, but it was fun (yet intimidating) to try this!  After I created my background scene and stamped my sentiment, I simply diecut my palm tree and blended a few inks to give the tree a little bit of shading and dimension.  (Inks used on the trunk: TSOL Gingersnap and Chocolate Inks; Inks used for the palm fronds: TSOL Kiwi and Green Apple Inks).  For more inspiration using this stamp and die set, check out TSOL Gallery Webpage HERE.

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today!  Feel free to leave any comments or questions!

Happy Stamping!

Rachel 

      

 

Happy Birthday Card - United We Flourish Stamp & Die Set

Hello crafty friends!  I'd love to share with you a card that I made for both the Ellen Huston/Lawn Fawn Mix-it-up Challenge and also the Lawn Fawnatics Color Inspiration Challenge.  I decided to combine the United We Flourish Stamp Set by Lawn Fawn with the Ellen Hutson Bear Ware and Lovely Stamp Sets.

I made this fun birthday card for my brother.  To start, I stamped my images with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink on white cardstock and then colored everything with Copic Sketch Markers (colors used listed below).  The balloons and party hat came from the Ellen Hutson "Bear Ware" stamp set, the sentiment from the Ellen Hutson "Lovely" Stamp Set and the cute little monkey came from the "United We Flourish" Set.  I used the coordinating dies to cut everything out.

  
For my background, I blended some Broken China Distress Oxide Ink onto a piece of Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80lb Cardstock and then spritzed lightly with water.  I then covered it with a piece of Essentials by Ellen 40lb Vellum and diecut both with Lawn Fawn Outside In Stitched Rectangle Stackables.

I then cut two pieces of cloud border using the Lawn Fawn Puffy Cloud Border Dies and then cut them again with the Lawn Fawn Outside In Stitched Rectangle Stackables to line up with the background.  Lastly, I used some foam squares to adhere my images to add some dimension to the card and then added some twine for the balloon strings.  I love those balloons from the Bear Ware Set!

I will be playing along and entering this card into the following challenges:

Essentials By Ellen Mix It Up Challenge: Lawn Fawn

Lawn Fawnatics Color Inspiration Board: Challenge #9

As promised, here are the Copic colors that I used for this card:

Pink Balloon: RV00, R81, RV55, RV66; Blue Balloon: B000, B00, BG53, BG57, Teal Balloon: BG10, BG11, BG23, BG13; Green Balloon: G00, YG41, G14, G17, Orange Balloon: YR00, YR02, YR04, YR18; Party Hat: B01, B12, B14 and C00, C02; Monkey Body: E44, E47, E49; Monkey Face: E33, E35, E37

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today!  Feel free to leave any comments or questions!

Happy Stamping, 

Rachel 

Birthday Box Card - Bouquet of Flowers

Hello friends!  I am so excited to share with you a Bouquet Box Card that I made for my Grandmother's 90th birthday.  My grandma is such an amazing woman (she wanted to go skydiving with my sister for her 90th but settled for parasailing instead).  I knew that I wanted something "big" to celebrate her on her special day and I thought that a card bursting with a bouquet of paper flowers would be perfect!  

For my card, I decided to combine the "Fab Flowers" Stamp & Die Set by Lawn Fawn with the Essentials by Ellen "Lovely" Stamp Set designed by Julie Ebersole.  I love both of these stamp sets.  The sentiments on the "Lovely" stamp set are absolutely wonderful and very versatile.

 
To begin, I first created my box card base.  To do this, I used a 12"x12" piece of white cardstock and followed THIS TUTORIAL by Splitcoaststampers.  I then used the Perfectly Plaid Rainbow Collection Patterned Paper by Lawn Fawn to decorate my panels. 

For the flowers themselves, I stamped everything onto smooth white Bristol Paper using all Lawn Fawn Inks.  If you've never tried the inks from Lawn Fawn, they're amazing!  At first, the images seemed a little splotchy, but as they dried, the ink smoothed out into beautiful images with bright and gorgeous colors.

To attach my flowers to the box, I simply trimmed some long strips of green cardstock (about .25" wide) and then cut each one to the length that I wanted for each particular flower.  So, the flowers in the back of the card are attached by the longest strips whereas the ones in the very front only have short strips to give the appearance of a large and layered floral bouquet.

As you can see in the photo above, this card collapses nicely for mailing.  Now, obviously, this won't fit into a standard sized envelope.  But, I simply placed it between two pieces of stiff but thin cardboard and then mailed it First Class in a padded envelope.  



I will be playing along and entering this card into the following challenges:

Lawn Fawnatics Challenge: Summertime Fun

 

 

Essentials By Ellen Mix It Up Challenge: Lawn Fawn

 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Use Plaid

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today!  Feel free to leave any comments or questions. Wishing you a wonderful day!

Happy Stamping!

Rachel

    

  
 

Unicorn Pudgie - The Stamps of Life

Hello!  It's finally Friday!  I don't know about you, but I'm definitely looking forward to a little bit of a break after such a busy week.  I'd love to quickly share with you a fun but simple box card that I made using the new Unicornpudgie Stamp & Die Set from The Stamps of Life.

Unicorn Pudgie Stamp & Die Set

I am really loving all of the new line of Pudgie Stamps & Dies designed by Stephanie Barnard.  This is the 5th one that has been released.  If you've missed the other Pudgie Sets, you can check them out HERE.  AND......this new set is available today at a special 25% off flashsale price (if you're a club member, you get an additional 15% off as well!).

For this card, I started off by using the SOL Exclusive Box Card Die Set and the Happy Collection Patterned Paper to make my base.  I then stamped my unicorn and rainbow on white cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink.  I colored these images with Copic Sketch Markers (Reds: R14, R46, R59; Oranges: YR04, YR07, YR18; Yellows: Y04, Y15, Y17; Greens: G02, G05, G16; Blues: B21, B24, B28, Purples: V15, V17, BV08). Although it's hard to tell in the picures, I used some Cool Grey Copics to shade the unicorn and the clouds of the rainbow.  Once I was done coloring, I added some Sparkle Embossing Powder by Hero Arts to my rainbow and unicorn's mane.  For my puffy white and shimmery clouds, I used the Sizzix Triplits Hello Sunshine Die Set with both white and silver shimmer cardstock. Once done, I simply attached everything to my box base. 

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Stamping!

Rachel
  

Rainbow2Stamp - The Stamps of Life

Hello friends!  For all of those of you who live in the U.S., I hope you had a wonderful Independence Day!  I'd love to share with you this month's "Stamp of the Month" stamp set that was released a few days ago from The Stamps of Life.  It's called Rainbow2stamp and it's so much fun!

Rainbow2stamp

Check out all of the fun sentiments (especially those written in bubble letters!).  This is a 4"x6" stamp set, so you can see just how large that beautiful rainbow stamp is.  And, for those of you that don't like to color, check back on the 7th of this month to see the other coordinating stamp sets that will be released!  There is also a set of coordinating dies that will be available on the 20th of this month for those who are not already Die Hard Club members.

For this card, I went with a simple rainbow ink-blended background on the outside.  I used to shy away from ink blending because I always ended up with ugly dark lines or ink smudges, but I took an online class on ink-blending last year from Altenew Academy that gave me a few tips that have helped me tremendously.  The biggest thing is the type of paper that you use.  It makes a HUGE difference!  For this card, I have used the Neenah Classic Crest 80LB Smooth Solar Paper in white.  It is so smooth, and the ink just glides on pretty easily.

For my colors, I used the following inks from The Stamps of Life in the following order (see above photo): Cranberry, Tangerine, Banana, Kiwi, Sky and Pixie.  I then spritzed it with both water and Tsukineko Shimmer Sparkle Spritz.  Pretty simple!

I just love the final look of that background panel.  It is simple yet so pretty and colorful.  I used the SOL Stitched Rectangles to create my both my white frame and red backing panel.  The sequin mix came from the Ivory Sequin Shaker Mix by Little Things from Lucy's Cards (sold in the U.S. by Simon Says Stamp). 

For the inside of my card, I created a fun pop-up element.  I didn't use any dies to create the pop-up element itself.  I simply used a pencil, ruler and paper trimmer (see photo below).

A quick tip: Any lines that were drawn in the photo above, I drew them lightly so that I could easily erase them once I didn't need them anymore.  The cloud patterned paper came from TSOL Happy Collection Patterned Paper Pad.  The scallop die is also from TSOL.

I will be entering this card into this week's Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Summer Sunshine.

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Summer Sunshine

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today!  Please feel free to leave any comments or questions!



Happy Stamping!


Rachel

Dream Statement Set & Sizzix "You Are Loved" 3-D Drop-in - The Stamps of Life

Hello!  It's the first of the month and some beautiful new stamps and dies have just been released over at The Stamps of Life!  The first set that I'd like to share with you is the Dream Statement Stamp & Die Set.  If you've been following my blog, you'll recognize that this is the fourth Statement Word Die with coordinating stamps that has been released from The Stamps of Life.  As you can see below, there are so many options to choose from, making this set very versatile.

Dream Statement Set

For my card, I first diecut a stitched rectangle using the SOL Stitched Rectangle Dies on white cardstock.  I then cut out a few stars using the Stitched Star Die Set.  Following this, I stamped my sentiment on the front of this panel and then added some pieces of foam adhesive to the back, specifically around the outline of my stars.

After adding my sequin embellishments, I attached my patterned paper panel (from the SOL "Darling" Patterned Paper Collection) to this piece, adhered a  piece of pink ribbon and then glued it all to an A2-sized card base of chocolate brown cardstock.  Lastly, I added some layers of the word "dream" to the front of my card, using various colors of cardstock.  I just love the font of this die!  So beautiful!

The second die set that I'd like to share with you today is the Sizzix "You Are Loved" 3-D Drop-in Dies.  This set creates a beautiful 3-D pop-up for the inside of your card (or you could simply use the word portion of the die on the front of your card without using the 3-D die).  For the inside of my card, I paired this die set with the Mini Flower Dies and the Quarter Flowers with Leaves Die Set.

For the base of my card, I used the Sizzix Flowers/Sentiments Scalloped Edge Drop-ins Die Set paired with the "Always" Word Die.  Very simple but also elegant.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today!  I will be entering these cards into the following challenge:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

   
Have a wonderful day and happy stamping!

Rachel