Valentine's Day Card

YAY!!! My new laptop is finally up and running! Well, I haven't resolved my e-mail issues yet, but that will happen soon. And in the meantime, I have my blog to update! I plan to add lots of projects this weekend . . . starting with the fun Valentine's Day Card we made at January Stamp Camp West and my January Workshops.

The background piece for this card was done with the Big Shot Die Cutting Machine and the new Heart Pressed Letterpress Plate. I tried it on Whisper White cardstock first, but it didn't make an impression and, since the instructions suggest using Craft Ink, it left a lot of really wet ink on my paper! Blech! But when I tried it with Watercolor Paper, what a difference! Because the paper is so thick and porous, the ink was quickly absorbed into the paper and the Letterpress Plate made a nice textured impression.

Materials:

Stamp Set:
* Filled with Love Stamp Set*

Paper:
* Regal Rose cardstock (8-1/2" x 5-1/2")
* Melon Mambo cardstock (5-1/4" x 4"; 3-1/4" x 1-7/8"; about 2" x 2" for heart embosslit
* Whisper White cardstock (3" x 1-5/8"; about 3" x 2" for 3/4" circle punch and full heart punch)
* Watercolor Paper (5" x 3-3/4")

Ink:
* Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad
* Regal Rose Classic Stampin' Pad (optional -- See Step 3 below; all stamping is actually done with Melon Mambo)
* Regal Rose Craft Stampin' Spot

Accessories:
* Pretty in Pink 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon (about 15")
* Big Shot Die Cutting Machine (with cutting pads and multi-purpose platform)
* Heart Pressed Letterpress Plate **
* Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit
* Full Heart Punch
* 3/4" Circle Punch
* Mini Glue Dots
* SNAIL Adhesive
* Stampin' Dimensionals

Notes:
* This stamp set was featured in the 2010 Holiday Mini Catalog and as part of the Filled With Love Stampin' Up! promotion that ended January 24, 2011.
** Available in the 2011 Occasions Mini Catalog (January 25 through April 30, 2011)

Instructions:
NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, I used SNAIL Adhesive to adhere all pieces.
1. Score and fold Regal Rose cardstock at 4-1/4" to create card.
2. Adhere 5-1/4" x 4" Melon Mambo cardstock to front of card.
3. Apply Craft Ink to Letterpress Plate; place ink-side up on Tab 1 of Multi-purpose Pad; place Watercolor Paper on top of Letterpress Plate; place Cutting Pad on top of paper; roll through Big Shot. Wrap ribbon around Watercolor Paper from back to front and tie in a knot as shown. Adhere Watercolor Paper to front of card over Melon Mambo cardstock. (Optional: Distress edges of Watercolor Paper before adding ribbon by scraping edges across Regal Rose Classic Stampin' Pad.)
4. Adhere 3-1/4" x 1-7/8" Melon Mambo cardstock to front of card as shown.
5. Use Melon Mambo Classic Ink to stamp LOVE on 3" x 1-5/8" Whisper White cardstock. (Optional: Distress edges by scraping edges across Melon Mambo pad.) Adhere to Melon Mambo cardstock.
6. Stamp circle of hearts image on scrap Whisper White cardstock; punch with 3/4" Circle Punch. Adhere to inside of "O" on "LOVE" image with a Stampin' Dimensional.
7. Use Heart of Hearts Embosslit and Big Shot to cut a heart from Melon Mambo cardstock. Adhere "bumpy" side to front of card over ribbon with Mini Glue Dots.
8. Stamp large heart image on scrap of Whisper White cardstock; punch with Full Heart Punch. Adhere to Melon Mambo heart.

Optional: Stamp a greeting on a piece Whisper White cardstock and adhere to inside of card. I usually cut this piece 5-1/4" x 4".

That's it! It's easy to make fun cards like this when you're a gadget junkie like I am!!!!

Cathy ;D

Stamp Camp West Saturday, January 22

For those of you who had planned on making the cute little round birthday card at my table on Saturday, there's been a slight change of plans. That card will be made at my February 12 workshops, and the LOVE card from this past Saturday's workshops will be the card featured at my table this coming Saturday.

See details about Stamp Camp West in the column to the right under Upcoming Stampin' Events.

Cath ;D

Projects 2 and 3 for January Workshops

These are the second and third projects we'll be making at the January workshops (Saturday, 1/15/11). The first uses the stamp set from the Filled with Love bundle (available through January 24) and the new letterpress stamping/embossing plate. Hope you enjoy these fun projects! Join us on Saturday and make these fun projects, and/or check my blog next week for complete instructions.

Workshops are 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday; RSVP now to make sure there's space for you.

Cath ;D

January Workshop Project -- Black Magic

Here's a fun card I found somewhere online . . . I'll find the name and give the artist who created the original design proper credit when I post the instructions. But for now, I just wanted to give you a sneak peek of one of the cards we'll be making in the January 15 workshops.

The technique is called Black Magic . . . basically, you stamp a design on black with Whisper White Craft ink, dry it with a heat tool, color it in with a watercolor pencil, and then stamp the highlight stamp over the whole thing with Whisper White Craft ink. At this point you can allow it to air dry or hit it with the heat tool again. Once it's dry, you can go ahead and assemble your card!

Very easy and very cool!

Cath ;D

Holiday Thank You Card

Happy New Year!!!!!

I needed several simple thank you cards, so I came up with this quick and easy idea. I think it's kind of festive and wintery, but not necessarily Christmasy.

Materials:

Stamp Sets:
* Season of Joy (wood only 110384, $26.95; set of 8)
* Fabulous Phrases (wood-117002, $37.95; clear-120501, $26.95; set of 30)

Paper:
* Whisper White textured card stock (6" x 6")
* Basic Gray card stock (2-3/4" x 5-3/4")

Ink:
* Whisper White Craft Stampin' Pad
* Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad

Stampin' Up! Accessories:
* Embossing Powder: White and Iridescent Ice mixed together
* Heat Tool
* Stampin' Sponge
* Smooch Spritz (I used Frost White that I had left over from a previous mini catalog, but Silver Foil or Vanilla Shimmer would also give a nice effect)
* SNAIL Adhesive

Other Materials:
* Stickles - Cherry Ice (See Step 6 below for other alternatives if you want to stick with Stampin' Up! accessories.)

Instructions:
1. Score 6" x 6" cardstock at 3" and fold away from scoreline to create 6" x 3" card.
2. Stamp images on Basic Gray card stock with craft ink; emboss with heat tool and embossing powder mixture.
3. Sponge Basic Gray ink randomly on front of Basic Gray card stock; also apply to edges of Basic Gray card stock and to edges of card front.
4. Spray Basic Gray card stock with Smooch Spritz and set aside to dry.
5. When dry, adhere Basic Gray card stock to front of card.
6. Apply Stickles to small flowers and center of large flower and side aside to dry. Alternatively, color in the small flowers and center of large flower with a Two-Way Glue Pen and sprinkle with glitter; when dry, remove excess glitter. Or another alternative would be to mix some glitter with some Crystal Effects, and apply mixture to small flower petals and center of large flower with a toothpick.

It's really cold and snowy here, so I just added a kind of rosy glow to what I saw outside my window when I made these yesterday. Hope you enjoy!!!!

Cath ;D