Outside The Box

Stamp a Quick Card with Layered Inks

Quick-drying layered inks - and Memory Box stamps - are the perfect solution for the "I need a card RIGHT NOW!" moment.  Stamp a subtle background with Vintage Dreams G1838 and frame it with Leaf Canopy F1430.  Add Crafty Birds D1431 - and a felt diecut of Perched Reedbird 98160.  Send a greeting with Very Best B1359.  That's it!

I love how Memory Box products - classic favorites and recently-released - work together so well.  Add some great diecuts, and you'll have a set of basic, timeless design elements for any occasion.

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Whimsy Blossom Birthday

The intricate Whimsy Circle 98154 - cut twice - blossoms into a bright red flower with the Brioche 6x6 print.  The Delicate Vine 98120 - cut in half - creates a stem.

They're just two of the hundreds of ways to use your Memory Box Dies.  Sometimes they're circles and vines...sometimes they're a flower on a birthday card!

And here's another trick to make life easier - stamp a greeting diagonally on Gingham Cardstock.  It'll always look straight and be easy to trim into a strip.  My family thinks I spend way too much time trying to save time, but if it saves all of us a few seconds it adds up to many minutes!

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Spring Time Beauty!

Julia Quinsey has done it again! She has created another fun filled class featuring Memory Box Papers, Stamp and Dies here at The Stamp Addict in San Diego. Here are a few of the 7+ cards she will be teaching on May 19th and 21st.  Call 619-667-5060 to sign up and reserve your seat!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Garden Serenade

A pair of songbirds  - cut from felt with the Poppystamps Nestled Bird Die 817 - perch on the diecut branches of the Orchard Tree Frame 98300.  

The Memory Box Metal Adapter Plate makes it quick and easy to diecut delicate designs like this.  Add it to your usual stack of plates for thin metal dies - I like to place it between the Sizzix Multipurpose Platform and the cutting plate, then add the die (cutting side up), cardstock, and the final cutting plate. This helps keep the Metal Adapter Plate flat, and it won't conform to the shape of the cutting plate when it starts to curl.  Everyone has their favorite stacking sequence - this works for me and the many, many sheets of cardstock and felt I've diecut for classes.

Memory Box and Poppystamps Dies and papers will be the featured products at 2 classes at the Tukwila Impress on April 29.  First it's Home-Grown and Handmade with our dies and papers - and accents from Clearsnap -  on 6 cards.  Here are 3 of them:

Then, it's Beyond the Box - creatively repurposing  our dies, papers and stamps and taking them beyond everyday designs, including a textured faux-washi tape technique: 

Be sure to stop by the 3 Impress stores for their big annual Spring Sale - it starts tomorrow, April 19th. Special discounts, prizes - and the perfect time to stock up and fulfill your Memory Box and Poppystamps wishlists!  

 

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Sweet Spring Treats

Celebrate Spring with sweet little treat-totes made and decorated with Memory Box dies, stamps and papers. The Distressed Tag Die 98244 is the perfect size to wrap around a little polybag of jellybeans, chocolate eggs or cookies.  

Just diecut two tags for each bag, score and fold them 3/4" from the bottom, then overlap the folded areas and glue them together.  Fill a little bag (about 2" x 4") with treats, trim it a bit shorter than the folded tags, and punch a hole thru the holes on the tags.  Tie it with tulle and snip the ends at a sharp angle.

Make the treat-totes from Pool Dots, Bubblegum Distressed Dots, Snapdragon Dots, Squash Moroccan and Key Lime Gingham. Use the Metal Adapter Plate in addition to the plates used with thin metal dies when cutting the intricate dies and the felt Perched Reedbird. Here are the directions, from left to right:

• Diecut Poppystamps Grassland Border 825 from Parsley,trim it to fit.  Diecut Classic Egg 98305 from the Viola 6x6 print.  Attach Scor-Tape to a scrap of purple cardstock and cut Filigree Egg 98306.  Press Grape Fizz Glitter onto the adhesive, then attach it to the egg.  Stamp Easter Joy B1763 on Key Lime with Golf Course .

• Diecut Spring Border 98115 from Parsley, trim it to fit.  Diecut Fancy Blossoms 98312 twice from Mango Dots.  Layer the flowers for dimension and attach them to the border.  Attach Scor-Tape to orange cardstock and brush Sweet Orange Glitter onto the adhesive.  Punch three 1/4' circles and attach them to the flowers.  Attach Scor-Tape to yellow cardstock, then attach yellow felt to the tape.   Diecut Perched Reedbird 98160 and remove the tail and trim his feet.   Color his beak, eye and feet with Sharpie markers. Stamp Miracles of Springtime on Sunflower with Grasshopper.

• Diecut Grassland Border from Parsley and trim it to fit.  Diecut Classic Egg from the Viola 6x6 print.  Attach Scor-Tape to green cardstock and diecut Filigree Egg.  Press Peridot Glitter onto the adhesive and attach it to the egg.  Stamp Easter Joy on Wisteria with Grape Slushy.

• Diecut Amana Circle 98215 twice from Pool Distressed Dots.  Punch a 1" circle of Mango Dots and attach it between the two Amana Circles, offsetting the Amana Circles.  Attach Scor-Tape to a scrap of orange cardstock and press Sweet Orange Glitter onto the adhesive.  Punch a 5/8 circle of the glittered cardstock.  Stamp the greeting, from the bottom section of Springtime Wishes Block E1335, on Key Lime with Golf Course.

• Diecut Poppystamps Gentle Leaf 807 twice from Parsley Cardstock.  Diecut Scalloped Posie 98269 from purple felt.  Starting at the outer tip - and using tweezers or a chalk applicator tool - twirl the felt into a loose circle.  Secure the posie by gluing the rolled edges onto the center circle. Stamp Miracles of Springtime on Wisteria with Golf Course.

Have fun with this project - lots of details here - but it's easier than it sounds!

I've added the spring and early summer classes that Theresa Laurent, Memory Box Design Editor, and I will be teaching at Impress - view them here.

 

 

 

 

Wishes from the Heart

Did you see the wonderful Glittered Ombre Heart video on Dave's blog ?  It also includes great music - by Emma and Cooper Brethauer - in addition to the beautiful project!

That's what inspired this card - which features the ColorBox XOXOXO Multi-Colored Inkpad - instead of different colored glitters.  

Brayer XOXOXO onto cardstock.

Diecut Cupid Heart 98281 from a doublestick tape sheet and attach it to the cardstock.

Diecut Serafina Heart 98278 from Current Cardstock and attach it to the tape, starting at the bottom point and moving counter-clockwise.

Brush Winter Frost Glitter onto the remaining exposed adhesive, then trim the cardstock.  

Stamp Valentine Duo B1424 on Bubblegum Moroccan with the Peony and Chianti inks from XOXOXO, emboss it the Opalescent Clear Powder.  Attach a strip of Bubblegum Distressed Dots.  Add three circles punched from Cotton Candy-glittered cardstock. Attach everything to an A6 card of Bubblegum Cardstock, tuck your special card into a coordinating Mars Shimmer A6 Envelope, and send it to someone special!

Here's a similar card - featuring the Quinn Flourish 98267 and Heart Chain Border 98277 Dies - on the Clearsnap blog:

While you're there, enter to win a drawing for a generous giftpack of some great new products they're releasing - details are at the top of the of the post.  Or, if you're headed to CHA, stop by Booth 847 to meet the Clearsnap team, see their latest/greatest products and the samples we've created for the tradeshow.

My last two Valentine classes are at the Bellevue Impress (phone 425 453.2748) on Saturday January 28th - Valentines by Design from 11:00 to 1:00,  with layered, artsy techniques:

Then it's LoveNotes from 2:00-5:00 - making 8 cards or a chipboard book of the 8 designs featuring old and new favorite stamps and dies, including many from the Love and Kindness Collection:  

 

Sorry to be so wordy today...there's just so much to say and do!

 

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Spring Card!

Hello!

Today, I am sharing with you a card I will be teaching on Tuesday February 14th at The Stamp Addict in San Diego. 

It uses Memory Box Stamp - D1831 Oak Leaf and

Memory Box Dies: Oak Leaf (98243), Small Pinwheel Posie (98271), Scalloped Posie (98269), Pinwheel Posie (98270) plus several different Memory Box papers.

I hope you enjoy and if you would like to make it with us on Valentine's Day call us at 619-667-5060 to reserve your spot!

 

HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!

Some of my favorite memories are of the Fourth of July block parties in our Portland, Maine neighborhood on Wellington Road. The police always put up barricades for us and blocked off the street for the day. The kids had a bicycle parade from one end of the street to the other. Everyone brought their picnic tables, grills, and folding chairs to the biggest yard. In the event of inclement weather, we took over someone's garage. There was music on boom boxes, sparklers, good conversation and lots of laughs. There was always badminton, woofle ball, bocce, croquet, and other games. We usually started around noon and hung out all day into the evening when we would walk to the end of the street to the Cheverus High School athletic fields to watch the fireworks over Casco Bay and Back Cove. The two cards I made first were ones that I thought would work as invitations to a block party and a BBQ.  

CARD #1  BLOCK PARTY   JULY 4th  Wellington Rd.  12 noon--?

Stamps

• A1797 Little Banner
• D1289 Neighborhood
• B1731 Fence with Little Cloud on the side
• B1209 Bright Sun
• B1079 Come Rain or Shine

Inks

• Archival Jet Black
• Memento Dandelion
• Memento Danube Blue (third stamping to get a lighter blue for the clouds)

Other suppiles

• gold Mizuki cord and Diamond Glaze for adhering it
• Brioche 6X6 paper
• Bluebird Moroccan and Gingham papers
• white cardstock
• Hyacinth notecard
• blue Prismacolor pencil for drawing the rain drops
• black pen for lettering

 

 CARD #2  BBQ invitation

Stamps

• A1797 Little Banner
• B1731 Fence with Little Cloud on the side
• B1209 Bright Sun
• B1079 Come Rain or Shine

Inks

• Archival Jet Black
• Memento Dandelion
• Memento Danube Blue (third stamping to get a lighter blue for the clouds)

Other suppiles

• gold Mizuki cord and Diamond Glaze for adhering it
• Brioche 6X6 paper
• Current Distressed Dots paper
• white cardstock
• Hyacinth notecard
• blue Prismacolor pencil for drawing the rain drops
• black pen for lettering

I made this card, too, so I could play with this Bitsy Branch C1703 stamp as a tree.

Stamps

• C1703 Bitsy Branch (leaf on the side)
• B1731 Fence with Little Cloud on the side
• B1209 Bright Sun
• B1079 Come Rain or Shine

Inks

• Archival Sepia
• Archival Olive
• Memento Dandelion
• Memento Danube Blue (third stamping to get a lighter blue for the clouds)

Other suppiles

• Bluebird Distressed Dots paper
• white cardstock
• Hyacinth notecard
• blue Prismacolor pencil for drawing the rain drops

Hope you have a happy holiday!!!

Happy Stamping!

wishing you the very BEST

For today's card I had in mind that I would create a card (or two) that would be appropriate for a young woman who is celebrating a graduation, an upcoming wedding, a new baby, a sweet sixteenth birthday, or some other special occasion. I chose to work with pinks and layers of coordinating papers, embellished with a dimensional Pearl Pen and ribbon.  With a different sentiment, this format could be used as an invitation to an event honoring a young woman such as a bridal shower or luncheon, a baby shower, or a birthday party. 

MATERIALS

Memory Box stamps:

• B1359 Very Best (bird on the side)
• C1370 Tiers of Cupcakes
• C308   Pile of Gifts
• A1707 Little Banner

Cotton Candy notecard (Memory Box)

Bubblegum Distressed Dots and Gingham 8 1/2 X 11 papers (Memory Box)

Archival Jet Black Ink

Pink/cream dotted ribbon; black twine

Viva Decor Cream Pearl Pen

 

To create Card #1

Measure, cut and adhere a piece of Bubblegum Distressed Dots paper to a Cotton Candy notecard.

Measure and cut a smaller piece of Bubblegum Gingham paper, and  using Archival Jet Black ink, stamp C1370 Tiers of Cupcakes, C308 Pile of Gifts, and five of A1707 Little Banner. Adhere this layer on top of the Distressed Dots layer.

Stamp C1370 Tiers of Cupcakes, C308 Pile of Gifts, five of A1707 Little Banner, and B1359 Very Best on scraps of the Bubblegum Distressed Dots paper using the Archival Jet Black ink. Cut out these images, using just the base of the cupcakes stand and omitting the scallops on the Little Banners.  Adhere pieces on top of the stamped images on the Gingham paper.  Layer "wishing you the very BEST" on Gingham on top of Distressed Dots and add this piece between the two stamped images.

Glue on a piece of black twine to connect the Little Banners. Use the Viva Decor Pearl Pen to add icing to the cupcakes. Tie a bow from a dotted pink ribbon and adhere with a glue dot near the corner of the sentiment.

I added an extra layered piece at the end of the banner for the recipient's name. I may also decide to write something on the banner as well before sending this card.

 

Card #2 is similar.  I eliminated the banner, moved the sentiment to the top center, and tied a ribbon around the base of the Gingham piece. 

 

Orienting these cards so that they open at the bottom allowed for a more interesting and less crowded use of the images I chose.  "Icing" the cupcakes added a nice dimension to the card.  I'll think I'll decorate some more cupcakes with Stickles or with Glossy Accents!

Happy Stamping!

Which Birthday Bubba?

Can't decide which Bubba is better Belated or Birthday Balloons.  When I saw the Bubba stamp and die and the paper with clocks from the Valise 6x6 paper pack, I knew I had to make a belated birthday card.  Then I wanted to try cutting Bubba from gray felt to see how that would look.  He's adorable both ways.

Here's Belated Bubba

and here's Birthday Balloons Bubba

Just to let you know, I ironed fusible interfacing onto the back of the felt before stamping and cutting with the die and I ran the die through with wax paper - it cut through the felt perfectly.

Belated Bubba Instructions

Stamp Elephant on Parchment, cut with die, color with Copics

Stamp Scalloped Circle with Stormy Sky, cut with die

Cut note card to 4-1/4 square and emboss right side with Dot Matrix

Sand embossing and sponge on Antique Linen

Attach strip of 6x6 Valise paper to left side add bitty scallop border, punch three clocks attach to bottom right

I used a retired stamp for the oops (you could print on computer) stamp and punch with small label

Finished card is 4-1/4 x 5-1/2

Ingredients:

Mocha Note Card

Valise 6x6 Paper pack

Soiree Truffle Cardstock

Parchment Cardstock

G1434 Scalloped Polkadot and 98109 die

D1741 Bubba Elephant and 98113 die

98116 Bitty Scallop Border Die

Copic W1, W3, R30

Dot Matrix  Embossing Folder, EK Success Label Punch, Distress Antique Linen, Distress Stormy Sky, Memento Tuxedo Black, Jute, Circle punches

 

Birthday Balloons Bubba Instructions

Stamp Elephant on Felt with Jet Black Stazon (I ironed fusible interfacing to felt before stamping.) and cut with die (place wax paper under bottom side of felt before running through machine)

Trim balloons with 2x2 cutting die from patterned cardstock

Trim edge of lime gingham with bitty scallop border, ink edge with lime ink

Stamp sentiment and Marquis border and trim around marquis border

Attach elephant, balloons, and grass onto Blue Poppy panel

Add black layer under Blue Poppy and wrap with black floss and add sentiment

 place all on a Cranberry note card and add jewels

Ingredients:

Cranberry note card

Blue Poppy panel

Key lime distressed dots and gingham, Cranberry distressed dots, squash gingham

D1741 Bubba Elephant and 98113 die

B1705 Marquis Border

C1373 Happy Birthday Candle

Balloon die, black floss, gray felt, fusible interfacing, wax paper, jewels

Hope you have a chance to try the new dies, they're so much fun to play with.

Have a great day and thanks for looking!