Dreamy Freesia on a Slim Diagonal Collage by Jean Okimoto

A bold Slim Diagonal Collage creates an ink-blended background for the detailed Dreamy Freesia.  Coordinate the background with matching colors from the 6x6 Collections, then add a simple greeting and custom-colored jewels.  Hello, Jean Okimoto here with a summer-into-fall slimline design.  

A strip of ink-blended cardstock from the stash was used here.  It's sprayed with a light layer of Imagine's Gold Sheer Shimmer Spritz and air-dried while I worked on the rest of the card.

Cut white cardstock to 8-½" x 7-⅝".  Score it lengthwise at ¾" and 4-¼".  The ¾" section forms a tab to attach the back of the card. Diecut Slim Diagonal Collage about 1-¾" to the right of the ¾" scoreline.  Cut it lengthwise for best results.  

Cut another piece of cardstock to 3-½" x 8-½".  Attach it to the ¾" tab.

Attach a strip of the ink-blended cardstock behind the Slim Diagonal Collage.  Fold the cardstock to the inside on the 4-¼" scoreline and tape the edges.

Cut Hello Cursive Script Circle from the turquoise 6x6 sheet in the Fresh Aqua Collection.  Leave the diecut in the die and remove the offcuts with a piercing tool.  Cut a circle of white cardstock with the 2" Circle Basics die.  It's smaller than the script circle  so the background is visible.  Dot the greeting with tiny amounts of glue then press the greeting onto the white circle.  Push it out of the die with the piercing tool.

Cut Dreamy Freesia with the green 6x6 from the Lush Green Collection.  Cut the flower and 2 buds from the dark yellow 6x6 from the Sunny Orange Collection.  

Attach the diecuts to a white slimline card (3-½" x 8-½"). 

Color Clear Jewels with an emerald green Sharpie or Copic Marker.  Color a medium-sized Fairy Drops Jewel with a yellow marker.  

Attach the diecuts to the card - use foamtape for the flower and buds.  The layers, foamtape and yellow jewel create a card requiring additional postage.

If you love the bold, crisp look of stripes too - join September's Stripes Challenge for a chance to win great Memory Box products.  View the Challenge details here.  Stripes aren't just straight vertical or horizontal designs - they can be wavy, diagonal, jumbled, arched or angled - we have great striped designs in our collage collection.

Thanks for visiting - have a great weekend!

Supplies

 

94476 Dreamy Freesia craft die

94521 Hello Cursive Script Circle craft die

94555 Slim Diagonal Collage craft die

SP1002 Sunny Orange 6x6 pack

SP1003 Lush Green 6x6 pack

SP1004 Fresh Aqua 6x6 pack

JWL001 Clear Jewels

DRP101 Fairy Drops

30087 Circle Basics Set

Multi-colored Jumbled Line Collage Stripes by Jean Okimoto

Create a multi-colored striped background quickly - without gluing all 21 colorful strips. The Jumbled Line Collage die, paired with a striped 6x6 from the Garden Folly pack makes it quick and easy!

Hi, Jean Okimoto here with a striped-striped backdrop for the Layered Cosmos and Layered Fresh Flowers.  It's a bit of inspiration for September's Stripe Challenge too.

Cut white cardstock with the second-largest Wrapped Stitched Slim Rectangles die.  Cut it with the Jumbled Line Collage.  Attach a strip of the Garden Folly striped 6x6 behind the cutout - align it so the green stripes are positioned to resemble flower stems.

Cut two sets  of Layered Cosmos and the small Layered Fresh Flower from the dark peach Berry Red Collection sheet.  Cut the Cosmos centers again from a yellow 6x6 sheet in the Sunny Orange Collection.  Punch one of the yellow Cosmos centers with a ¼" circle punch.  Cut the Layered Fresh Flower center from the yellow sheet too.

Assemble the flowers.

Cut the medium strip from the Banner Sentiment Trio set from a lighter peach 6x6 in the Berry Red Collection.   Stamp the greeting - from the new

Deep Blue Ocean Clear Stamp and Die Set - with Pinecone VersaFine Clair.  

Attach the diecuts to a white slimline card (3-½" x 8-½") - attach the greeting with foamtape.

Color Clear Jewels with orange and pink Sharpie or Copic Markers.  Dry the ink and add the jewels to the card.

The Jumbled Line Collage is great with a wide range of prints, watercolored backgrounds and glitter.  Top it with related diecuts and your card is done!

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

 

Supplies

 

94560 Jumbled Line Collage craft die

94474 Layered Fresh Flowers craft die

94473 Layered Cosmos craft die

94580 Banner Sentiment Trio craft die

SP1001 Berry Red 6x6 pack

SP1002 Sunny Orange 6x6 pack

CL5268D Deep Blue Ocean clear stamp and die set

94554 Wrapped Stitched Slim Rectangles craft die

PP1005 Garden Folly 6x6 pack

JWL001 Clear Jewels

Thanks Balloon from a Cursive Script Circle by Jean Okimoto

Create a thanks balloon with a mix of dies, a few snips, and glitter.  The Balloon Bunch is a versatile must-have die waiting to be transformed.  Hi, Jean Okimoto here with another idea to repurpose a basic design with a new favorite die.

Cut Thanks Cursive Script Circle from the lime green Twinkling Jewel Glitter Pad.  Wiggle and pull the offcut areas away from the diecut - that's easier than vice-versa.  Cut the bottom section of the large Balloon Bunch balloon from the lime green glittered 6x6 too. Cut the yellow-green 6x6 from the Lush Green Collection with the 2-¼" Circle Basics die.  Attach the solid circle behind the Thanks Cursive Script Circle.  Attach the glittered bottom piece behind the solid circle to form a thanks balloon.

Cut the two smaller balloons from 6x6 sheets in the Berry Red Collection.  Attach the thanks balloon to the smaller balloons with foamtape.  Tape white twine behind the balloons and tie them together near the bottom.

Cut the dark green 6x6 Lush Green sheet with a portion of the 2"x7" Slim Basic Rectangle Layers die.  Cut the 6x6 Madras Plaid Coral and Green sheet with a portion of the 1.7" x 6.7 Slim Basic Rectangle Layers die.  Cutting precise rectangles with the Slim dies - or portions of the dies - is easier than measuring and cutting rectangles with a paper trimmer.

Cut the pale orange 6x6 from the Sunny Orange Collection with the smallest Wrapped Stitched Slim Rectangles die.  

Attach the diecuts to a vertially-grained slimline card of Cream Woodgrain cardstock - use a double layer of foamtape at the top of the thanks balloon.  The Woodgrain cardstock adds texture but doesn't overwhelm the other design elements. 

Color Clear Jewels with pink and orange Sharpie or Copic Markers and attach them to the smaller balloons.  5 of them instead of my usual 3!

Special thanks to everyone who bought all of last week's BLOOMERS Card Kit from Impress - I appreciate your support!  Stamps and Memories in Hawaii ordered kits too. Hope you'll experiment with beautiful Memory Box colors and papers to create unique cards inspired by the cards.  Thanks for ordering the kits Ann and Roxy!

Thanks for visiting...see you again this weekend!

   

Supplies

 

94522 Balloon Bunch craft die

94516 Thanks Cursive Script Circle craft die

30087 Circle Basics Set

94554 Wrapped Stitched Slim Rectangles craft die

94556 Slim Basic Rectangle Layers craft die

PP1013 Madras Plaid Coral and Green 6x6 pack

JWL001 Clear Jewels

GP1003 Twinkling Jewel Glitter Pad

SP1003 Lush Green 6x6 pack

SP1002 Sunny Orange 6x6 pack

SP1001 Berry Red 6x6 pack

SH44002 Woodgrain Paper Pack Cream

Streamlined, Delicate Slimline Thank You by Jean Okimoto

Say thanks with Sunset Blush Wide Washi Tape , a Vibrant Violet 6x6 and the new Delicate Wreath.  Add tiny blossoms from the Willow Globe die set and custom-colored Clear Jewels.  Top it off with the new Streamlined Thank You Script.  Hi, Jean Okimoto here with a quick washi-taped thank you.

Sunset Blush Wide Washi Tape is great for summer cards - just attach it to one of the 108 colors from our 6x6 Collections.  

Chosing the right color for the background can be a little challenging and very sticky.  Here's a tip - attach the tape to a transparency or acetate sheet.  Or the clear poly bags that our dies and stamps are packed in.  Then just lay it over the background color choices to pick the best shade.

Attach the tape to the chosen color, then diecut it with the 2.75" x 4" Rectangle Basics die.  

Cut Delicate Wreath and Streamlined Thank You Script from the dark green 6x6 in the Lush Green Collection.  

Cut three tiny flowers - from the Willow Globe set - from a pink/violet 6x6 in the Lush Violet Collection.  

Attach the diecuts to a white slimline card (3-⅝"x 8-/1/2")  Color Clear Jewels with a violet Sharpie or Copic Marker.  Dry the ink and attach the gems.

Sunset Blush Wide Washi Tape is great with 6x6's from the Berry Red and Sunny Orange Collections too.  Experiment with the different papers and add custom-colored Clear Jewels for a quick card. 

Thanks for visiting - see you on Thursday!

Supplies

 

94475 Delicate Wreath craft die

94559 Willow Globe craft die

94541 Thank You Streamlined Script craft die

JWL001 Clear Jewels

SP1007 Vibrant Violet 6x6 pack

SP1003 Lush Green 6x6 pack

30086 Rectangle Basics Set

WT502 Sunset Blush Wide Washi Tape

Willow Globe Floral Greetings by Jean Okimoto

Extreme paper hoarding revealed...with my favorite print from 2020's Garland 6x6 set!   Hi, Jean Okimoto here with a mix of old and just-released designs.  I love combining dark florals and bright colors - and the new Willow Globe with its own sweet hummingbird was a great reason to break into my stash of hoarded papers.

Cut the Garland 6x6 print with the largest Rectangle Basics die.  Attach the print to a top-folded white A2 card.  It's easy to find - and cut - the best part of the print using the die vs. measuring and guessing.  

Cut Willow Globe from a matching 6x6 Lush Green Collection sheet.  Tie a gold cord through the precut slot.  Curl the cord with the side of a bonefolder or plastic flower burnishing tool.

Cut Hello Streamlined Script from the glittered light yellow-green 6x6 Frosted sheet.

Cut the flowers from the Willow Globe set from two shades of pink 6x6 sheets in the Berry Red Collection. Cut the hummingbird from the pale khaki 6x6 Earth Neutral Collection sheet. 

Here's a tip that's almost too basic to share, but I'll explain anyway!  Leave the diecut in the die and color the eye by gently tapping the tip of a black Sharpie through the "push-out" hole on the die.  The hole pressure-embosses a teeny little bump that's easy to color with the marker.  Clean the ink from the die.

Cut another bird from cardboard and layer it for dimension.

Attach the diecuts to the card.

Color 3 Clear Jewels with pink and orange markers.  Attach them to the 3 light pink flowers.

The 2020 Garland 6x6 pack is currently available - but products from previous releases sell out and are replaced by new items.  Hope your favorite Retailer has a chance to reorder it before it's gone!

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

Supplies

 

94559 Willow Globe craft die

94540 Hello Streamlined Script craft die

30086 Rectangle Basics Set

PP1010 Garland 6x6 pack

JWL001 Clear Jewels

GP1004 Frosted Glitter Pad

SP1001 Berry Red 6x6 pack

SP1009 Earth Neutral 6x6 pack

SP1003 Lush Green 6x6 pack

Sand(paper) Sandcastles by the Sea by Jean Okimoto

Build sandpaper sandcastles by the sea with the new Fantasy and Stone Keep Castle Collages. Trim the bottom edges and take them from collage designs to freestanding diecuts on beachy summer cards.  Hi, Jean Okimoto here combining the Under the Sea and Summer Daydreams Collections - and transforming castles from royal residences to sandy architecture.

Prep the Fantasy and Stone Keep Castle Collage dies by rubbing them briskly with scrunched waxed paper to help release the tiny pieces.  If your sandpaper starts to curl, attach it to adhesive label paper or a sticker sheet to stabilize it.  Diecut 100- and 150-grit sandpaper for a slight variation in color and texture.  No mass-produced sandcastles here!  Trim the bottoms.

Paint watercolor paper with diluted refill inks in blues, teals and greens.  Air-dry it,  then spritz it with Imagine's Gold Sheer Shimmer Spritz. Air-dry it for a few minutes, then heat-set it.  Cut it with the 3" x 4.1" Nested Globes die.

Cut Graceful Ocean Birds from the pale blue-white Delicate Pastels 6x6 Glitter sheet.  Save the 3rd bird for another project.  Cut the birds again from a dark gray 6x6 in Earth Neutral Collection.  Trim the glittered legs and tip of the beak. Layer the glittered diecuts over the black diecuts - slightly offset for a shadowed look.

Cut the teal 6x6 from the Fresh Aqua Collection with the 4-¼" x 5-½" die.  Attach it to a side-folded white A2 card.  Attach the diecuts - use foamtape for the standing bird. Add the medium-sized Fairy Drops. 

Thanks for visiting...see you on Sunday!

 

 

 

Supplies

 

94510 Fantasy Castle Collage craft die

94512 Stone Keep Castle Collage craft die

94576 Graceful Ocean Birds craft die

30086 Rectangle Basics Set

SP1004 Fresh Aqua 6x6 pack

SP1009 Earth Neutral 6x6 pack

94532 Nested Globes craft die

GP1001 Delicate Pastel Glitter Pad

DRP101 Fairy Drops

Layers of Ocean Sights and Sounds by Jean Okimoto

Imagine the sound of waves on the shore - or echoing in a pearly seashell - and create a slimline card of sunwashed pastels.  Hi, Jean Okimoto here with some inspiration for July's Nautical Challenge.  There are many more layers than usual - hope you like the composition, textures and soft colors.   

Cut the solid Grand Spiral Shell from watercolor paper painted in watery overlapping layers of pink, teal, cream and lavender.  Pressure-emboss the diecut with detailed Grand Spiral Shell die.  Cut the pale aqua Polished Foil 6x6 sheet with the detailed shell die.  The pressure embossing adds subtle shadows and debossed areas to secure the foil diecut.

Rub the Wood Grain Planks die briskly with scrunched waxed paper to help release the diecut.  Cut the planks from White Woodgrain cardstock

Cut the pale smokey blue 6x6 from the Stormy Blue Collection into 2 strips - 2-½" x 6" and 1-½" x 6".  Tape them to form a single strip.  Attach it - angled - to a White Woodgrain slimline card (3-⅝" x 8-⅝") so the spliced section will be covered by the tallest plank.  

Cut the straight rope from the End of My Rope Set twice from White Woodgrain cardstock.  You could cut just one and cut it in half - but that would involve too much thinking for me!  Just wanted it to look like posts tied with ropes, like down at the pier.

Color three Clear Jewels with a violet Sharpie or Copic Marker.

Attach the planks, ropes, and Grand Spiral Shell to the background - use foamtape for the plank on the right. Stamp the greeting - from the new You Anchor Me Clear Stamp and Die Set - on a light lavender 6x6 from the Twilight Purple Collection with Fantasia VersaFine Clair.  Attach it with foamtape.  Add the jewels.

Hope you're enjoying the Summer Daydreams Collection!  Thanks for visiting...

 

 

Supplies

 

94546 End of My Rope Set craft die

CL5269D You Anchor Me clear stamp and die set

94565 Wood Grain Planks craft die

94567 Grand Spiral Shell craft die

SP1008 Twilight Purple 6x6 pack

SP1006 Stormy Blue 6x6 pack

FP1001 Polished Foil Pad pack

JWL001 Clear Jewels

SH44001 Woodgrain Paper Pack White

Create a Paper-pieced Floral Chain Slimline by Jean Okimoto

Celebrate summer with our newest collection - Summer Daydreams!  Combine the castles, botanicals, words and stamps with our 6x6 papers and jewels on fresh colorful cards, layouts and decor projects.

 

Hi, Jean Okimoto here and I've already discovered two new favorites - Floral Chain and the Signature Greetings Clear Stamp and Die Set.  

 

Cut ¾" wide strips of 5 coordinating colors from the 6x6 Berry Red Collection - this card uses about 2-⅜" inches of each color but I wanted to paper-piece a 6" square to use for future projects.  Cut a 2-⅜" wide strip of the lighter pink sheet.  

 

Cut a 6" square of adhesive label paper or a sticker sheet and attach the 5 narrow and 1 wide strips.  Adhering the different colors to a backing sheet makes it a lot easier to handle.  Cut it with the 2-¼" x  7-¼" Slim Basic Rectangles die.  

 

Attach 3" x 6-¼" strip of white cardstock to adhesive paper and cut Floral Chain.  The extra layer adds dimension without having to glue each petal.  Punch or cut a ⅜" circle stencil from scrap paper.  Daub Morocco Memento Luxe onto the flower centers through the stencil.  Emboss them with detail clear powder.  

 

Stamp the greeting from the new Signature Greetings Clear Stamps and Dies Set on white cardstock with Morocco and emboss it with detail clear powder.  Cut it with the coordinating die.  Cut another greeting outline from the bright red 6x6 and attach it behind the stamped greeting for extra dimension.

 

Attach everything to a white slimline card (3-½" x 8-½") - use foamdots for the flowers and greeting.

 

Color the medium-sized clear Fairy Drop jewels with pink and orange markers.  Dry them, then attach them to the card.  The card may require special handling and extra postage.  

 

The Summer Daydreams Collection has something for everyone.  Hope your favorite Retailer

 has ordered these great new stamps and dies!

 

Thanks for visiting - see you on Saturday!

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies

 

94542 Floral Chain craft die

CL5272D Signature Greetings clear stamp and die set

SP1001 Berry Red 6x6 pack

94556 Slim Basic Rectangle Layers craft die

DRP101 Fairy Drops

Double Stitch Rectangle Floral Treat Wrappers by Jean Okimoto

 

 

Thoughtful departure treats add a special touch to any event - especially after social-distancing and hunkering-down for more than a year.  Create these with the Double Stitch Rectangle Cut Out dies and layered blossoms from the Spring Collection.

Hi, Jean Okimoto here with an alternative way to use this versatile die set.  A Double Stitch Rectangle Cut Out die cuts the basic folded shape - and pressure-embossing with the 2 smaller dies adds the details and scorelines for the bottom.  Cut 8-½" x 3" strips of white cardstock.  Score and fold them at 4-¼".  Place the 4.3" x 3.1" die (3rd largest) so the bottom inner cutting edge is about 1/16" below the folded edge.  Cut the folded cardstock.

Pressure-emboss the folded cardstock with the 2.6" x 3.8" and 2.1" x 3.3" (the next two smaller sizes) dies - tape the larger die along the fold and tape the smaller die inside and adjacent to the larger die.

Unfold the cardstock and reverse the original fold - changing it from a valley-fold to a mountain-fold.  Fold the left and right sides of the cardstock on the innermost scored lines to form a peak.  Fold both sides up against the peak.  Spritz the front side with Imagine's Gold Sheer Shimmer Spritz.  Air-dry it for a few minutes, then heat-set it.

Diecut Layered Fresh Flowers and Layered Daisies from two shades of the Berry Red 6x6 Collection.  Cut the Dreamy Freesia, then cut the small 2-petal section again for paper-piecing.  Cut the flowers again from a light blue Stormy Blue 6x6 and a medium blue Ocean Blue 6x6.  Punch holes for the cord.

Mix, match and layer the flower diecuts.  Attach them to the treat wrappers.  

Add ¼" dots punched from the red and gold Holiday Glitter Pad 6x6 sheets.  Use doublestick tape to attach packaged treats inside the wrappers.  Ghiradelli chocolate squares are used here.  Tie the wrapper with gold cord and use the edge of a bone folder or the flower burnishing tool to curl the cord.  For best results follow the curve of the cord and pull the curling tool quickly and firmly along the cord. 

It's a lot easier than it sounds!  Vary the size of the treat packet by using different die sizes - there are 7 dies in the set.  

Thanks for visiting...have a safe and Happy 4th if you're celebrating this weekend!

Supplies

 

94360 Double Stitch Rectangle Cut Out

94472 Layered Daisies craft die

94476 Dreamy Freesia craft die

94474 Layered Fresh Flowers craft die

GP1005 Holiday Glitter Pad

SP1001 Berry Red 6x6 pack

SP1005 Ocean Blue 6x6 pack

SP1006 Stormy Blue 6x6 pack

A Little Sparkle Project by Donna Sledzik

Happy 4th of July weekend!  Today's project is a fun way to use leftover scraps of paper that we all have!

I started by going through my scrap basket and pulled some red, white and blue papers. 

Next, I tore them into strips, added some ink and stamping accents to give them some interest.

I cut a 5" x 7" background piece of cardstock to get an idea of how big to make my woven piece. Once I created the piece, I glued it to the background paper and spattered it with white and black inks.

Next, I die cut the solid stars and frame using the Shining Star Die set.  I inked the large solid star with Faded Jeans Distress Oxide ink. 

I glued some black thread to the back of the large solid star and used foam tape to adhere it to the background. Next, I glued the other stars to the project.

To finish the project I stamped and white embossed the sentiment on a strip of black cardstock and used foam tape to glue it to the background. 

Since I don't really send out 4th of July cards, I thought I would turn this into a home decor item.

I hope everyone has fun 4th!  Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

 

Supplies

 

94321 Shining Star Set

CL5241 Rose Bouquet clear stamp set

CL5266 Joyful Moments clear stamp set

PP1001 Dashing Holiday 6x6 pack

PP1009 Christmas Plaid 6x6 pack

PP1006 Springtime Bouquet 6x6 pack

PP1004 Cottage Stripes and Dots 6x6 pack