Grand Maple Frame, Snowberry Sprigs, and Holiday Twigs in Fall Colors by Anne Thompson

Yesterday I got out my box of alcohol inks, some Ranger Alcohol Ink Cardstock, and got busy.  The card I came up with is the result of some experimentation between inking the cardstock first and then die cutting it and die cutting the cardstock first and then inking it up.  This was the first time in ages that I'd used my alcohol inks.  And I LOVE the results!!!

The first thing I did was to drop a bunch of fall colors of alcohol inks onto a sheet of the alcohol ink cardstock.  I then ran it through my die cutting machine with the GRAND MAPLE FRAME 94079.  I thought I'd better use the metal plate but the result was that the outside frame popped out of the die just fine but the maple leaf part stuck to the die and came out in pieces.  Lesson learned--I don't need to use the metal plate when die cutting this cardstock.  I used a glue pen to attach the frame to a bright yellow notecard.  I love the way that the alcohol inks on this paper make the die cut look like it's enameled.

I decided to use the SNOWBERRY SPRIGS 94021 and the HOLIDAY TWIGS 94016 as fall foliage for the center of the circle.  This time I die cut the paper first and left the die cuts in place, carefully removing the dies.

I then went to work with the alcohol inks, dropping on lots of fall colors.

These inks dried really quickly!  I popped the images out and adhered the stem ends with the glue pen to the top left corner of the Grand Maple Frame.

 

I added a brown satin ribbon bow in that corner to cover the stem ends.  I then used my paper cutter to trim the card down into  a square.

I do love the way this turned out.  And I can use this for any fall occasion, either adding a sentiment in the frame or tucking it inside the card.  

What are your fall cards looking like?  Have you tried alcohol inks on YUPO or alcohol ink cardstock?  Have you got a project to enter here in our "Falling for You" monthly challenge?

 

Happy Crafting!

Cool Cat and Looking For Mr. Right Triangles by Jean Okimoto

Cool Cat poses among a trio of Looking For Mr. Right Triangles on an any-occasion card today.  The Kaleidacolor-ed background anchors the stamped triangle diecuts and gem stickers add a bright touch.    Hi there - Jean Okimoto here with another triangle card - I  love these new stamps and coordinating dies from the 2018 Holiday Happenings Collection...hope you do too!

Here's an easy way to create a background in about a minute -

Press Dessert Heat Kaleidacolor onto an acrylic block - keep the colors separated as though the inkpad is in storage.  Quickly paint watercolor paper with wide streaks of each color.  Let the colors blend randomly where they overlap - don't try to paint beautiful bands of color.  Set it aside to dry.

Cut it with the 2-¾" x 4" Wrapped Stitch Rectangle die.

Stamp the smoother side of watercolor paper with the big solid triangle from the Looking for Mr. Right Triangle set three times.   I've used VersaFine Clair Glamorous and Charming Pink and VersaFine Habanero.  Don't forget to clean - and dry - the stamp when switching colors.  Dry the inks.

Stamp them with the small lined triangles and VersaFine Clair Nocturne.  Dry the ink.  Cut them with the 1-¾" die from the coordinating set.

Cut Cool Cat from charcoal glittered paper.  

Attach the diecuts to a dark gray A-2 card.  Add pale orange gem stickers.

Know someone who loves cats - and is looking for Mr. Right?  Send her a card - in her favorite colors - and brighten her day!  There are so many ways to use the new triangle dies and stamps with all of the great inks and papers available right now.  Enjoy!

Thanks for visiting - see you again next week...

 

Supplies

 

32231 Looking for Mr. Right Triangle die set

CL5231 Looking For Mr. Right Triangle clear stamp set

94087 Cool Cat craft die

30094 Wrapped Stitch Rectangles

Feathered Friends and Stitched Bump Border by Jean Okimoto

The sweet owl from Feathered Friends rests comfortably on a branch layered over the Stitched Bump Border on a fall card.  It's a mix of favorite dies, Scotch 3M washi and duct tapes - and some Tape Too Challenge inspiration.  Hello, Jean Okimoto here with a combination of great dies from my Memory Box stash.

Attach the duct tapes, dotted washi tape and striped washi tape to white cardstock.  Attach the pink and orange patterned washi tape to pale gray cardstock.  Diecut the border, owl, eyes, beak and wing.  Assemble the owl - add movement to the wing by attaching it with a tiny gold brad that will allow it to move up and down.

Attach the border to a top-folded 5-¼" light gray square card.  Trim the right edge.

Cut the branch from the Swooping Branches and Leaves set from dark kraft cardstock.

Stamp the greeting - from the Spring Lilacs Clear Stamps Set - on light gray cardstock with Summertime VersaFine Clair.  Quickly emboss it with detail clear powder. Trim it with the 1" x  2" Stitched Rectangle Layers die.  It's a great match for the Stitched Bump Border - the stitches are hard to see on the black duct tape here,  but they're there!

Attach the diecuts to the the card - use foam dots for the owl.

Write a short note on the inside, sign it, and send it to someone awesome!

Stitched Bump Border can be used in so many ways - here's a snowman from an earlier post...

Use Stitched Bump Border for snowdrifts, beachy waves, sandbanks or rolling hills too.  It's also great for cutting a scalloped edge for stenciling.

If you're in the Seattle area - join us for the PAPERSTYLE 2019 - CALENDAR OR NOTECARDS class at Impress on September 30th.  We're layering 3-½" x 5" calendar pages or notecards with great seasonal and holiday icons and beautiful artpapers.  Keep the calendar or notecards for yourself - or present them as thoughtful gifts and a bit of year-round design inspiration. 

Thanks for visiting...see you again on Saturday!

 

 

 

 

Supplies

 

30102 Feathered Friends craft die

99708 Stitched Bump Border

30107 Swooping Branches & Leaves craft die

30009 Stitched Rectangle Layers

CL5199 Spring Lilacs clear stamp set

Peace by Melissa Rusk

Happy Friday! Today I have a clean and simple card that is perfect for the rush of the holiday season.

I started with a navy blue card and added three strips of silver washi tape, leaving a little space in between each piece of tape to create the background of my card.

Then I die cut the Winged Dove in a white card stock and I used some foam tape to glue it to the card over my washi tape stripes. I then cut the Peace Cheshire Script in white and glued it to the card under the stripes of washi tape.

This clean and simple design could be used with a variety of Memory Box dies. Switch out the dove for a snowflake and change the sentiment to Merry Christmas. You could also change up the colors and make birthday cards or thank you cards with the same design. Make a few cards with different sentiments and this same simple design to make a cute set for a gift. The possibilities are endless!

Thanks for stopping by the blog and have a wonderful weekend!

 

Supplies

 

94017 Peace Cheshire Script craft die

94037 Winged Dove craft die

A New Watercolor Background Technique for the Countryside Fence Frame by Anne Thompson

I made two cards for today using a new-to-me watercolor background technique called Sgraffito.  Sgraffito is a a form of decoration made by scratching through a surface to reveal a lower layer of a contrasting color, typically done in plaster or stucco on walls, or in slip on ceramics before firing.  For the two cards below I used a common sewing pin to scratch the surface of watercolor paper before applying one color of paint to get a similar effect.

For the card on the right I used a pin to scratch random lines into the watercolor paper before adding paint.

In this close-up  you can see the detail of the scratches once watercolor has been added.  That one layer of paint pools in the scratches to make darker lines against the background color.

For the card on the left, I used a ruler to help me scratch straight parallel lines at an angle to represent rain before adding the blue watercolor paint.

Now let's look at how I finished each card.  Since the rain is right above this, let's look at that one first.  

• I cut the piece of rain paper into a square that would fit behind the frame I wanted to use.
• I chose the COUNTRYSIDE FENCE FRAME 94034 and cut it from some lime green cardstock.
• While the paper was still in the die I applied double-sided Scor-Tape to the frames to keep them together.
• I removed the tape backing and applied the frame to the rain paper.
• I cut the Countryside Fence Frame again, this time from white cardstock.  I snipped off the fence and used a glue pen to adhere it on top of the green fence.
• I cut the VINTAGE WATERING CAN 99956 from silver cardstock and popped it onto the frame at an angle to look like the rain was coming from it.
• I then added some tiny flowers with glue dots to fill the bottom of the frame and spill over onto the card front.

For the second card, I used most of the same procedures.  The green scratched paper had me thinking about the deep woods, so I die cut the DELICATE PINE FRAME 94031 from dark green cardstock and snipped off the tree.  I adhered the tree to the left of the Countryside Fence Frame.

This is another fun and easy technique for backgrounds as it also adds texture as well as color.  These two cards will go into my all-occasion box with appropriate sentiments to be added as needed.  

Happy Crafting!

Tape Too Challenge Inspiration with Studio Hexagon Layers and Awesome Jotted Script by Jean Okimoto

 

Bright washi tape-covered Studio Hexagon Layers create a quick card for someone who's simply awesome.  A change of colors would make this a guy-card too.  Hi everyone, Jean Okimoto here with a Tape Too Challenge inspiration card today.

Unlike everyone with bins full of washi tape - my entire washi tape stash barely fills a little 8" square cakepan. That doesn't stop me from designing cards with them - I love their bright colors and convenience.  Mix, match and layer strips of tape over white cardstock.  The pink and orange patterns are Scotch Expressions tape.  The wide pink tape - also used for the greeting - is Scotch Expressions masking tape.

Cut three hexagons from the taped cardstock using the three smallest Studio Hexagon Layers.  Diecutting creates those smooth, crisp edges we love - and presses the tapes firmly onto the cardstock.  

Attach a strip of pink masking tape to a scrap of white cardstock and diecut the delicate "awesome."  Cut the bold "awesome" background from light gray cardstock.

Stamp "you are simply"  - from the Birch Press Design Best Friend Clear Stamps Set - onto a side-folded white A-2 card with VersaFine Clair Nocturne.   Quickly emboss it with detail clear powder.

Assemble the card.  Add pink gem stickers.

Thanks for visiting - hope you're entering our September "Tape Too" challenge.  Details are listed here.  

We've added another GREETINGS FROM BIRCH PRESS class on Saturday September 8th - hope you can join us if you weren't able to attend the previous class.  We're making 3 holiday cards and 3 any-occasion cards featuring Birch Press Design dies and stamps, and artpapers from Shizen Design.  

 

 

Supplies

 

94015 Awesome Jotted Script craft die

30073 Studio Hexagon Layers

 

Be Cool with the New Sunburst Stripe Circle and the Sweet Seal by Jean Okimoto

 

The new Sunburst Stripe Circle sets a summer scene for the Sweet Seal and offcuts of the Wave Ribbon Collage.  Hello, Jean Okimoto here with a friendship card I've created for you today.  

Cut Sunburst Stripe Circle from yellow cardstock.  Trim it with the 2-¼" Rectangle Basics die. 

Cut   Sweet Seal from gray cardstock.  Attach a scrap of black cardstock behind his face.

Cut Wave Ribbon Collage - we'll just use the offcuts here today.  Attach the offcuts - staggered and in wonky order -  to an A-2 card of textured white cardstock.  The top two offcuts are from the top and bottom of the die.  Their straight edges are partially concealed by the seal.  

Stamp the greeting - from the Wirework Hearts Clear Stamp Set - on smooth white cardstock - with Summertime VersaFineClair.  Love that great orange!  Trim the greeting with the smallest Rectangle Basics die.  Attach it with foam dots.

Attach the sun and seal to the card - then add some orange gem stickers.

If you're in the Seattle area (or nearby!)  - save Saturday the 18th for the Impress Holiday Kick-Off.  Great displays, the latest holiday products, inspiring samples - and a Birch Press Design trunk show too!  The first 25 people at each store receive an Impress  goodie bag - and everyone gets a 10% shopping discount.  Make a Memory Box/Poppystamps/Birch Press Designs  wistlist and bring it with you!

Join us for my the first Birch Press Design class at 1:00 pm on the 18th (a new time) too.  Make 6 cards - 3 for the holidays and 3 for any occasion -  using the latest and greatest dies and stamps from Birch Press,  and beautiful artpapers from Shizen Design.  Birch Press steel dies - like those from Memory Box and Poppystamps - are original designs by Dave Brethauer and they're made in the USA.  

Thanks for visiting.  See you again on Saturday - here on Outside the Box - or at Impress in Tukwila, WA.

 

 

Supplies

 

94048 Sunburst Stripe Circle craft die

99906 Sweet Seal craft die

94005 Wave Ribbon Collage craft die

CL5218 Wirework Hearts clear stamp set

30087 Circle Basics Set

30086 Rectangle Basics Set

Holiday 2018...Running Elk, Holiday Twigs, and Snowberry Sprigs by Anne Thompson

Here's another combination of dies that works well together to make great cards for guys:  RUNNING ELK 94051, HOLIDAY TWIGS 94016, and SNOWBERRY SPRIGS 94021.  I made four cards using these dies in different color combinations.

And here's a closer look at the dies.

These are fairly simple quick and easy cards to cut and assemble.  Let's look at the one in browns first.

• Die cut the Running Elk, Holiday Twigs, and Snowberry Sprigs from medium brown cardstock.
• Add a panel of Vanilla Bean Distressed Dots paper to a kraft notecard.
• Use Scor-Tape to attach a doily to the top of that panel.
• Use a glue pen or fine point glue applicator to secure the Running Elk to the doily circle.
• Place one of the Holiday Twigs and one of the Snowberry Sprigs to the left of the center at the bottom of the elk circle and the other two to the right.  Secure them with glue dots or other adhesive.
• Add a pretty satin ribbon bow to cover where the ends of the twigs and sprigs meet in the center.
• On the inside of the card, add another panel of the Vanilla Bean Distressed Dots paper topped with a square or rectangle of kraft paper where you can write your message.

I made the blue one in the same way, using Bluebird Distressed Dots paper for the panel and the twigs and sprigs and a solid light blue for the elk on top of white and blue doilies, finished with a blue satin ribbon.

For the red one I used a small red doily in the center of a white one and white and red cardstock layered for a red shadow on the elk.  I cut the Snowberry Sprigs from white cardstock and the Holiday Twigs from red/gold printed handmade paper and topped everything with a white satin bow.

The greens card was just a tiny bit more involved because I cut all of the dies from watercolor paper, left the sprigs and twigs in place with their background paper, and painted the berries in shades of red and the stems in shades of green before popping them out.  I used handmade paper from Birch Press Design in Ziggy Stripe for the panel, a light green doily and a bright red satin ribbon.

Four more cards for my holiday stash!  And lots more color combination ideas!  This card design would also work well for almost any occasion when you need a guy card in a hurry--birthday, anniversary, get well, congratulations, thinking of you, etc.  And if you didn't want to use doilies, any patterned or plain paper circle a little larger than that of the elk would also work.  

Happy Crafting!

 

Supplies

94051 Running Elk craft die

94016 Holiday Twigs craft die

94021 Snowberry Sprigs craft die

Floating Swan by Melissa Rusk

Happy Friday everyone! Today I have a fun card using the Floating Swan die to share.

or they background I had some fun with liquid watercolors. I used a sheet of photo paper and placed a few drops of two different blue liquid water colors. Then I sprayed the paper with water and watched the colors move on the paper. I added a gold shimmer spray on top to make it sparkle. Once everything was dry I die cut the Floating Swan in order to get the ripples on the water I created.

Then I die cut the swan in a white paper and used some Copic markers to color it in. I glued it all to a dark blue card and then added some sequins to finish it all off. 

If you have some liquid watercolors give them a try on photo paper, super fun way to use them!

 

Supplies

 

94012 Floating Swan craft die

Summer Meadow Collage, Cascadia Butterfly Trio and Leavenworth Butterfly Trio by Jean Okimoto

 

Watercolors create a soft background for the Summer Meadow Collage and a trio of vellum butterflies.  Add a greeting from the Sentimental Iris Clear Stamps Set, gold-glittered accents and turquoise gem stickers.  Hi everyone, Jean Okimoto here with a thrifty design using the remainder of yesterday's watercolored background.  

Kaleidacolor dye ink refills are great as liquid watercolors and come in a wide range of beautiful colors.  

Cut Summer Meadow Collage from white cardstock - leave a generous  border of cardstock.  

Place the watercolored background behind it and tape everything securely so it doesn't shift.  Diecut through both layers at once.  The resulting background wasn't a complete rectangle because portions of it were used on another card - but it won't show.  Optional - trim a tiny amount from the edges of the background so the colors won't be visible from the side.  

Cut Cascadia Butterfly Trio from lime, purple and turquoise vellum.  I cut all three sizes of each so I could try different color and size combinations.  If you don't have colored vellum,  diecut the butterflies from white vellum,  then sponge them with Brilliance Pearlescent Purple, Lime and Jade inks. Yes, Brilliance metallic inks dry on vellum!   Air-dry the butterflies - heat-setting them may cause curling.

Cut gold glitter cardstock or heavy paper with the antennae/centers from the Leavenworth Butterfly Trio.  

Attach the diecuts to a top-folded 5-½" square card of textured white cardstock.

Stamp the greeting - from the Sentimental Iris Clear Stamp Set - on white cardstock with Verdant VersaFine Clair.  Dry the ink, then cut then cut it with the ¾" x 2" Rectangle Basics die.  Attach the greeting - use a foam dot on the right edge.

Add turquoise gem stickers.

Enjoy a 25% shopping discount at the Impress 31st Birthday Celebration this Saturday, July 21.  Yes, 31 years of creativity, inspiration and one-stop shopping for the latest papercrafting supplies.  Bring your Memory Box and Poppystamps wishlists and add some great designs to your personal collection!  The birthday discount code for your online shopping on July 21 is 31st birthday.  

Thanks for visiting - see you again on Saturday!

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies

 

99095 Cascadia Butterfly Trio

99098 Leavenworth Butterfly Trio

94013 Summer Meadow Collage craft die

30086 Rectangle Basics Set

CL5202 Snetimental Iris clear stamp set