tea-drinking stamper

This is the first card I designed when I received my Beauty & Joy stamp set. I would have used it at my stamp class, but one of my regular attendees doesn't like to fussy cut, which is how I cut out the leaf after stamping with a retired stamp set.  I actually cut it from the Mossy Meadow piece that has only the edges showing. The way I cut things with scissors from the middle of a piece of card stock is to punch a hole first so I can insert my scissors without bending the card stock. I love the acrylic shapes we used to have that came in every color family. Since I still have some left, I had to use one on this card. Products Used: Beauty & Joy photopolymer stamp set (13), 150518, $16.00 Gently Falling retired stamp set Teeny Tiny Wishes retired stamp set Whisper White 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (40), 100730, $9.75 Mossy Meadow 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (24), 133676, $8.75 Terracotta Tile 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (24), 150884, $8.75 ...

Our world has been shrouded in cold weather and snowy landscapes, so I just had to create a winter scene. Yes, it appears the Spirited Snowmen stamp set has been discontinued, but winter is not over and I decided to use that set for one of our class cards anyway. These are long-standing customers, so they understand when I choose to use something that's been discontinued on occasion. I've seen variations of this card all over Pinterest, so I'm not sure to whom credit goes. I still haven't perfected the use of my embossing paste. I do have the decorative masks, so I'll have to play around with them and the embossing paste. But the Shimmery White Embossing Paste is perfect for snow banks. I stamped the trees in the background with Early Espresso ink. Obviously the moisture in the embossing paste caused the ink to run a little, but winter time has its muddy places anyway, so it still works. I then sponged on some Balmy Blue ink for a pond and surrounded it with emb...

I think this has been the busiest holiday season I have ever experienced; hence the limited number of posts. So while Christmas goodies are baking in the oven, I decided I would take the time to share some of my Christmas cards. I made and sent or gave over 100 cards this year. Hence the need to find some super easy designs I could just whip out. I found the Stamparatus extremely helpful with these cards. I was also using up old designer series paper, so you may or may not recognize it. I made a template by cutting a rectangle from card stock the size of the Whisper White card stock and then set up the Stamparatus with the card stock. This enabled me to be sure my piece to be stamped was not too close to the edges but would be placed exactly where I wanted it. I then added the "Rejoice" and "Christ is born" stamps, inked them up and started stamping. No mistakes, no smudges. For the other card, I was using a retired stamp set as well as colors (Baked Brown Sug...

I was so sad to see Island Indigo leave our color families, although I love all the new colors.  Since I also had a lot of very pretty designer series paper left from a couple years ago that included the returning Mint Macaron, I decided to design a card around those products. You'll see I used the pretty lacy ribbon from when Mint Macaron was one of our in colors. The dsp is used inside two of the jars while the butterflies are stamped and colored.  This card was my way of demonstrating the technique I shared in a previous post where I made a template by cutting shapes from a piece of card stock. I then cut the jars and lids for my class attendees so they could practice the technique. I placed the stamps in the cut-out spots and then picked them up with a plate on my Stamparatus. Each lady was then able to ink the stamps and stamp all items at once. The Mint Macaron jar lids had to be done separately. The butterflies and the lid with holes in the top came from the Ronal...

I enjoy birds almost as much as I love butterflies. Birds seem to love our pussy willow tree out front and we have a bird feeder next to it where we can watch the birds. Granted, I wish I could find a food that the big black birds would leave alone, but I love watching the cardinals, the sparrows, the finches and the occasional blue jay. I need to get my hummingbird feeder hung now that it's finally warming up. So when the Flying Home stamp set appeared in the Occasions Catalog, it was one of my first purchases. As I was designing cards with retiring stamp sets and colors, I decided I wanted to make a card that did not need to be colored, even though I do enjoy coloring. I just wanted something different from what I usually see on-line and from what I've done before. So gold embossing seemed like the perfect solution.  Plus I could use the retiring ribbon and doilies. And those Sweet & Sassy Framelits that I had just bought are being discontinued, so I had to incorporate ...

I'm still working with stamp sets and colors that are leaving our catalog. My go-to stamp set, Thoughts & Prayers, for sympathy cards is on its way out. I've used one stamp from the Work of Art stamp set to add color to the background. With the exception of the Very Vanilla card stock, all colors used on these two cards are being discontinued.   For the first card, which we made at my April stamp class, We inked the "brush stroke" with Wild Wasabi just once, but stamped it three times, thus acquiring the different tones. We added Soft Sky across the top.   The "paintbrush strokes" on this card are done, from bottom up, in Wild Wasabi, Marina Mist, and Soft Sky. The Chocolate Chip ribbon has been discontinued. Products Used: Thoughts & Prayers rubber stamp set (8), W 128751, $26.00; C 127805, $19.00* Work of Art rubber stamp set (11), W 134111, $30.00; C 134114, $22.00* Very Vanilla 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (40), 101650, $9.00 Ch...

I use the Thoughts & Prayers stamp set all the time, at least for the words. I love what they say. However, I haven't used the images as much as I did when I first acquired the set, which was a long time ago, back when it first came out and I had no choice but to order the wooden blocks. So I used the Wild Wasabi and Pink Pirouette with Very Vanilla when making this card. How I will miss those colors! One thing I like about the rubber stamps is how easily you can color the stamp itself and use more than one color for the image. Where I forgot to color one of the flowers, I added a Pink Pirouette Enamel heart. No one would ever know it wasn't intentional. Products Used: Thoughts & Prayers rubber stamp set (8), 128751, $26.00; 127805, $19.00 Very Vanilla 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (40), 101650, $9.00 Wild Wasabi 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (24), 108641, $8.00 Pink Pirouette -1/2" x 11" card stock (24), 111351, $8.00 Wild Wasabi Classic Stam...

Rose Red and Always Artichoke are two colors I am really going to miss. I've used them both for this card, along with Pink Pirouette and Soft sky. I really like having punches to coordinate with our stamps. They are so much more portable than the Big Shot and dies.  Both tools facilitate adding layers and dimension to your cards. The base of this card is Soft Sky, as is the embossed layer which is popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals. The flowers are also popped up with dimensionals. I used quite a mix of items when I designed this card. Products Used: Flower Shop rubber stamp set (6), W 130939, $24.00; C 130942, $18.00 Thoughts & Prayers rubber stamp set (8), W 128751, $26.00; C 127805, $19.00 Whisper White 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (40), 100730, $9.00 Soft Sky 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (24), 131203, $8.00 Pink Pirouette 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (24), 111351, $8.00 Always Artichoke 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (24), 105119, $8.00...

I had so much fun playing around with this Black Ice technique (details on previous post)! I just wish you could see the gleam from the layer of clear embossing.  Knowing my grandson would be graduating from community college this spring, I decided to use this technique on his graduation card. He loves his music and is especially into his guitars, although he also plays the violin. The background is accomplished by once again drawing the edge of the Basic Black ink pad across a piece of Smoky Slate card stock. I added three silver stars (Metallic Enamel Shapes) to the focal piece of this card. Because the card base is black, I decided the liner needed a little coordination with the card itself. So I added black streaks (a little grunge) and stamped another guitar in the corner. Products Used: Epic Celebration stamp set (SAB, discontinued) Basic Black 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (24), 121045, $8.00 Smoky Slate 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (24), 131202, $8.00...

I'm still designing thank you notes for the men who have filled in for our Adult Bible Fellowship this summer. This one was almost too easy, but it is so appropriate for a man who, with his wife, lives on the other side of Canandaigua Lake from us. Their cottage is right on the lake with a boat house in place of a garage. This just seemed so appropriate for him. It's another two weeks before he will be teaching, but I'm prepared! This card is simply one of our note cards with a piece of last year's Serene Scenery dsp backed with Bermuda Bay card stock. The Adirondack chair is cut from Chocolate Chip card stock using the Seasonal Layers Thinlits. The only stamping uses words from the Sheltering Tree set and the bird is from the Sitting Here stamp set.

I scheduled teachers for our Adult Bible Fellowship class during the summer so that we who rotate as teachers could have a break. As a result, I felt it would be nice to send notes of appreciation to them for filling in. For some, it was completely out of their comfort zone, so I especially appreciated their willingness to step up and help us out. Although I've passed some out already, there will be more to come. Glad this design is so easy to replicate. "In the Meadow" stamp set is no longer available, but I still love this set and continue to use it. I "colored" the image with stamps from the "Work of Art" stamp set, which is still available. The Garden Green adds that touch of color the card needed. And using our Note Cards and Envelopes is an inexpensive way to go for multiple cards. I would have used the Very Vanilla note cards if I had them but only had the Whisper White. Next order! Early Espresso and Crumb Cake are the other two colors us...

Here are two strawberry cards, one made with the Fresh Fruit stamp set and one using the Basket of Wishes stamp set, but both using the Fruit Stand Designer Series Paper from last year's catalog. Although both the dsp and the Fresh Fruit set are no longer available, you can still purchase the Basket of Wishes photopolymer stamp set (11 stamps, 142200, $17). Both these cards use the doily and punch design with the same dsp. Makes it simple!

Why, oh why didn't I use this stamp set more when it was still in our catalog? I designed a number of cards for my May stamp class using the Fresh Fruit stamp set and Fruit Stand Designer Series Paper and just love their fresh, happy appearance.

As I flipped through the Serene Scenery Designer Series Paper Stack, I decided that the sheet used on the card below reminded me of sand and sea and sky. So I grabbed a retired stamp set, Moon Lake, and set to work designing this card. I used "Celebrate You" from Birthday Blossoms stamp set because this was to be a belated card. The truth is, I was mailing it on the day of my son-in-law's birthday, so it would arrive late. This year we are celebrating all three family January birthdays on one day, so I wanted to send the card before our gathering. After all, we celebrate birthdays because we are celebrating the very existence of that special someone! The bow, consisting of Early Espresso Baker's Twine and a thread from our burlap ribbon, was added because I had some Early Espresso ink on the edge of my stamp, leaving a mark. The bow looks like it belongs and covers the mishap perfectly!

I was wowed by this technique! In fact, I had a hard time believing it would really work out the way it was supposed to. But it did and my stamp class attendees just loved it. More time consuming than some techniques, but definitely worth it. First we sponged fall colors all over a piece of Very Vanilla card stock. Then we stamped leaves with Versamark and embossed with clear embossing powder. Finally, we used our brayers to roll Early Espresso ink all over the surface, wiping off excess ink with a tissue. Then our images were ready to cut out with framelits. [Admittedly, I used our old style brayer instead of the new sponge brayers.] It is very difficult to see your stamping with VersaMark and therefore easy to overlap your images. Here's a trick I thought of after the fact: Use your large acrylic block and place all the stamp images you wish to use on the same block. Proceed with the technique. Just make sure you apply pressure all over the surface of your block. I have two...

My oldest grandchild decided it was time to leave the nest. He had been attending college and working part-time nearby. Since he's just not sure what he wants to do with his life, he decided to take time off from studying and work full-time while living away from home. Before he left (he's moving out of state to be near friends), we went to see him. I wanted to be sure I had a card for him to send him off with support and good wishes. I combined techniques, using dry-embossing, fussy cutting and water coloring. The embossing folder and the stamp set for the plain and the words are no longer available. The land formations are from the "In the Meadow" stamp set (page 129 in the core catalog). My colors were Soft Sky, Tip Top Taupe, Pool Party and Wild Wasabi. Water coloring was done using my Aqua Painters. I love those brushes because they are always wet—as long as you keep them filled with water.

I have hung on to so many great stamp sets. I'm am concluding my burst of sales for now. I have more that I should sell and quite a few older sets that need to go, but this week of posts is enough for now. "Timeless Talk" (now $8.00) was one of those fun sets that worked for both genders. "Kind & Cozy" is so much my style! But I'm selling it for $8.00. Since I'm known for my love of tea, these next two stamp sets received a great deal of use. "Tea Shoppe" can be yours for just $14.00. Finally, "Tea Party" is going for $6.00.

Sometimes a little simplicity is all we need for a great card! This is another card featuring the Wildflower Fields dsp and Flowering Fields stamp set. Products Used: Flowering Fields stamp set (7), W 141300; C 141303, SAB, free with $50 purchase Gifts of Kindness stamp set (8), discontinued Whisper White 8½" x 11" cardstock (40), 100730, $8.50 Old Olive 8½" x 11" cardstock (24), 100702, $7.00 Wildflower Fields 12"x12" Designer Series Paper (12), SAB, free with $50 purchase Basic Black Archival Stampin' Pad, 140931, $7.00 Old Olive Stampin' Write Marker, 100079, $3.50 Calypso Coral Stampin' Write Marker, 131902, $3.50 Banner Triple Punch, 138292, $23.00 Ovals Collection Framelits (7), 129381, $27.00

Whenever I have leftover pre-cuts from a class, I like challenging myself to design something different using the same pieces. So, with my Big Shot and the Botanical Builder Framelits Dies, my card is completely revamped! The stamped butterfly is from the Flowering Fields stamp set (Sale-a-Bration catalog) and the Blackberry Bliss butterflies are cut from the old scoring and cutting folders, the name of which I have forgotten. Actually, I was making two of this same card but managed a large Blackberry Bliss curve from the edge of the butterfly stamp. I covered that with a mini Hello Honey flower like the center of the Lost Lagoon flower, although my original intention had been to cover it with a butterfly. None quite fit, so... I used two of the group on the front of this card. I also chose to use some of my old brads on these flowers. Products Used : Gifts of Kindness stamp set, retired Lost Lagoon 8½" x 11" cardstock (24), 133679, $7.00 Whisper White 8½" x 11...

I've been super busy trying to sort through unused cards (I have to admit I have more than any one person can possibly use) in hopes of selling some of them at the Christmas Bazaar. And in the midst of all that, I've been stamping and punching and threading more gift tags to sell. Here are a few of them: They are all using retired cardstock. The wisemen are from a discontinued stamp set, but the snowmen are current. The stars are Gold Glimmer Paper cut with framelits.  Such fun! I've made so many Christmas gift tags that if they don't sell, I'll be set for years!