6x6 One Sheet Wonder Video

Hello, Crafters.

Following on from yesterday's post, I played with creating a One Sheet Wonder using a 6"x6" sheet of Designer Series Paper (DSP).

I used out Notecards & Envelopes, and made six cards from one sheet. 

The first DSP I used was from the Serene Scenery DSP Stack, but I felt the designs were too bland for a One Sheet Wonder.

Once I'd made all six cards, I felt they needed extra embellishments e.g. flowers, butterflies, etc. 

The other problem was that I chose a design that had the sky on one side which resulted in having some pieces adhered vertically instead of horizontally. 

I certainly recommend avoiding directional patterns when using this technique, because it adds another factor to the

equation when working out where to make the cuts! 

I chose a Mint Macaroon sheet from the Blooms & Bliss DSP, and I cut all the shapes, and stamped all the sentiments. 

Then I adhered everything to the appropriate layer.

 For the video, I chose a Blushing Bride sheet from the Blooms & Bliss DSP, prepared all the Blushing Bride Cardstock (CS) layers, and the Whisper White CS for the sentiments. 

I prepared everything this way so I could show the process of cutting the DSP but without having to make my subscribers sit and watch me glue twelve pieces of DSP to their CS layers!  

After I'd finished the video, I started downloading it to YouTube. While I was waiting for this to happen, I went back to

the Blushing Bride DSP and CS, and finished making those cards.

Now I've successfully made a video showing a 6"x6" One Sheet Wonder, I'll go back and see if I can make one using a 12" x 12" sheet. 

My biggest concern is how long it would actually make the video as I made ten out of my first 12x12 attempt! 

This style of card is definitely best suited to a fairly busy design on the DSP. 

I feel it stands on its own much better than the DSP as shown in photographs 3 and 6, but could take extra embellishments if desired! 

I hope you've enjoyed seeing my experiments with One Sheet Wonders. I'd love to hear your feedback whether you feel this is a technique worth trying, or if you're like my hubby, you don't see the point! LOL!

I wish you a happy Mother's Day if you're in a part of the world that's celebrating today. Until tomorrow, happy crafting.

JanB.

Pop of Pink One Sheet Wonder - part 1.

Hello, Crafters.

Yesterday I was working on a One Sheet Wonder, using a 12" x 12" sheet of Pop of Pink Designer Series Paper (DSP).

I was hoping that I'd be able to make it into a video! Unfortunately, because I put lots of layers on my cards,  it would take far to long. I've decided to share it here on my blog instead. 

I don't think it'll be more than two or three posts to show all ten cards I achieved! It would have been more if I'd used our Notecards & Envelopes!

I've made all mine as Thank You cards, and they would make a lovely gift for someone if they were in a co-ordinating box! 

They would make great cards for other occasions if they were embellished with flowers, butterflies, bows, etc.

As far as a video is concerned, I'm now working on a similar idea but using a sheet of 6" x 6" DSP. I think for this I might use our Notecards & Ennvelopes so I can more out of the sheet!

The first two cards I'm sharing are the only cards that don't have squares or oblongs! 

The black and white diamonds and the pink and white dots are back to back on the same sheet. 

I cut the DSP to the regular size for a top layer - 5 1/2" x 3 7/8" - and cut it in half diagonally. 

I layered them on a piece of Whisper White Cardstock (CS) that I'd cut to the regular size I use for the middle layer - 5 5/8" x 4" - and cut it in half diagonally. 

If you choose to do this design, you'll need to do two. Once you cut the sheet in half diagonally, when you turn one half over, it'll be the same triangle as the first one.  

The sentiment is from the Thankful Thoughts Stamp Set. I used this on one of my recent cards and I explained how I'd cut my stamp in half. See the Thank You cards I posted on Tuesday, 9th May 2017.

I stamped one sentiment using Melon Mambo Ink and the other one using Basic Black Archival Ink. 

I die cut the sentiment using the no. 3 die from the circles Stitched Shapes Framelits, and adhered it to a no. 6 scalloped Layering Circle Framelits Die in Basic Black CS. Then I layered it onto a no. 7 straight cut circle die from the same die set. 

I finished it off by adding a strip of three Basic Pearls under the YOU. 

Inside the card I inserted a layer of Whisper White CS and decorated it with two strips of the same DSP that I found in my folder of scraps. 

This meant I went over the One Sheet Wonder but I could have stamped an image instead! I think I can be excused this little bit of cheating! LOL!

I hope you have a great weekend. Until tomorrow, happy crafting.

JanB.

Wild About Flowers

Hello, Crafters.

This is another stamp set I'm pleased to see is being carried forward to the new catalogue - Wild About Flowers! 

Out of the three different two-step flower stamps there are in this set, my favourite is the Cornflower, which means I have somewhat overlooked the other two! 

I'm not sure what this flower is, except to say it's very pretty in Blushing Bride! 
 
I used Pear Pizzazz for the stems and leaves. Although I've made mine a Thank You Card, it would be ideal as a birthday card, Mother's Day Card, as well as a Get Well Soon Card, too!
 
I decided to use our Shimmery White Cardstock (CS) for my card as the Doilies are very slightly off-white in colour and I felt they blended better than they did with Whisper White CS. 

Before I decided on Shimmery White CS, I checked the Doilies against Very Vanilla CS and found them to be far too white!

I chose Blushing Bride CS for the first layer, and then a top layer of Shimmery White CS. 
 
I repeated this for the layers inside the card, too. 
To create the image, I die cut a circle using the No. 3 circle die from the Stitched Shapes Framelits. 

The Wild About Flowers Stamp Set is photopolymer, so it made positioning the first stems and leaves stamp a breeze. 

I followed through with a second stamp, making sure I didn't overlap with the previous image.
 
Then I stamped the flowers using Blushing Bride Ink. 

I was so pleased with the result, I moved straight onto stamping the flowers on the top layer inside the card.

I allowed myself to get somewhat carried away with the amount of flowers I stamped on the inside of the card! 

I stamped the first stems and leaves image on the right-hand side, then I stamped the second stamp on the left-hand side of this first image but lower, and then the third one on the left-hand side of the second image! 

This left quite a large area of white to the right-hand side of the first image, so I stamped the fourth and final stems and leaves image to fill this in.

I finished off by stamping all the flowers in position. 

I adhered the flower image onto two Doilies - I couldn't separate them - using Tombow, and then adhered the Doilies to the card front. 

Using Blushing Bride Ink, I stamped the sentiment about 3/4" up from the edge of the top white layer.

I added three Basic Pearls underneath the sentiment which is from the Thankful Thoughts Stamp Set, which is also being carried forward into the new catalogue.

After adhering all the layers together, my final touch was to add small pearls to flowers on the card front.

Yesterday I received a lovely surprise in the post from Stampin' Up! It was my Five Year Anniversary Pin.

I've photographed the pin by the Stampin' Mist bottle to give an idea how big the pin is, which is the same as the base diameter! 

It really doesn't feel like I've been with Stampin' Up! that long - time has gone so quickly! 

Here's to the next five years and further!  

That's it for today. Until tomorrow, happy crafting.

JanB.

Artistically Asian Thank You Card

Hello, Crafters.

Sponging has never been a technique that I've liked but every now and again, a project just calls out for it! 

Today's card is one of them.

As I was working on this project, I remembered a video I made and called it Velvety Flowers.

I chose that name because I'd sponged the edges of the flower petals and it really did make them look like velvet! 

For today's card I've sponged the edges of the two layers for the flowers, the main two layers, the sentiment layer and the two coloured layers inside the card.

I chose the single flower stamp from the Artistically Asian Stamp Set and painted it with Marker Pens. 

For the two flower heads I used Sweet Sugarplum and for the stems and leaves I used Emerald Envy - both colours are from the 2016 - 2018 InColours. 

Before I stamped the image onto a piece of Whisper White Cardstock (CS), I huffed onto the stamp to make sure it was all still nice and moist. 

Then I repeated the process and stamped the second image off to the right but lower than the first one.

The sentiment is from theThankful Thoughts Stamp Set. 

Initially, I heat embossed it in black on the flowers, hence the cover up! 
 
Yes, I made such a mess of it! 

I also heat embossed the bee from the Touches of Texture Stamp Set. 

I coloured the body using my Crushed Curry Marker Pen, the Smokey Slate Marker Pen for the wings and then painted all over using my Clear Wink of Stella Glitter Pen.

Finally I fussy cut the bee, although if I did this card again, I'd do the bee straight onto the Whisper White Cardstock!

After having made a mess with the sentiment, I wasn't taking any chances with the bee!

I dry embossed the Emerald Envy top layer using the beautiful Petal Burst Embossing Folder. 

I finished the card with two Whisper White and one Emerald Green strips of ribbon wrapped around the lower half of the card. 

I experimented with adding some bows but decided against them, less is more! 

Inside the card I added a layer of Sweet Sugaplum, Emerald Envy and Whisper White Cardstock, but I didn't add any stamping.

All three stamp sets used are for this card are being carried forward into the new catalogue!

Looking at the finished card now, if I remade it, another change I'd make is to put the sentiment across the three strips of ribbon, not on the flowers!

That's it for today. Until tomorrow, happy crafting.

JanB.

Thank You Cards for my April Customers

Hello, Crafters.

Yesterday I finished making my thank you gifts for my April customers, and then started on my Thank You cards. Today I'll be ready to get all the happy mail packages prepared for posting on Wednesday. ☺

As usual, I've used our Notecards & Envelopes because I think they are an ideal size for Thank You cards. When the new catalogue goes live, these notecards will be available in Very Vanilla as well as Whisper White, but Crumb Cake Notecards are retiring on 31st May 2017.

For my colour scheme I chose to use Cucumber Crush, which is one of the five 2015 - 2017 InColours, all of which will be retiring on 31st. May 2017, and to complement the green, I chose Sahara Sand.

I based the design of my card on the Kitty on a Chair card I shared yesterday! The sentiment is from the Thankful Thoughts Stamp Set. 

The stamp should read THANK YOU SO MUCH but I cut the SO MUCH off because I knew I'd get a lot more use out of the stamp as a straight forward THANK YOU. I can always put both pieces together on a block if I want to use both parts together.

Please note that, by cutting my stamp in half, I've rendered my guarantee with Stampin' Up! null and void. As I have total confidence in the quality of SU products, I don't consider this to be an issue!

Frequently when I make my Thank You cards, I stamp directly onto the card front, and needless to say, I inevitably make mistakes! When this happens, I save the backs of these cards and any decent-sized pieces I can rescue from the front. These pieces are what I use when I make cards like today's card.

I started my card by stamping the sentiment in Cucumber Crush Ink onto white cardstock. Then I die cut the sentiment using a Stitched Shapes Framelits die. 

I inked the flowery stamp from the Timeless Textures Stamp Set in Sahara Sand Ink. I stamped off twice, and then stamped the third generation on the die cut oval. Both the stamp sets I've used today are being carried forward in the new catalogue! ☺

I used a scalloped oval die from the Layering Ovals Framelits to die cut a layer of Cucumber Crush Cardstock. I adhered the two layers using Tombow, and then onto the centre of the card. 

I played around with various embellishments for a while but evetually decided to leave well alone - clean and simple!

On Friday, I shared some photographs of my new Stampin' Up! Punch Storage Units. I bought them on Ebay from a company called Lasersmith, and paid £15.95 each, ready assembled, post free. 

They are also available from the company website www.lasersmith.co.uk for £12.95 ready assembled, plus shipping. I have emailed the company to find out if they ship outside the UK and am still waiting for a reply.

That's about it for today. Until tomorrow, happy crafting.

JanB.

Thank You

Hello, Crafters.

What a difference a day makes! 

Thank you for all your good wishes yesterday.

I went to bed for a few hours and woke feeling so much better. 

I decided to try a bit of gentle crafting and these are the results. 

The three cards are the same designs but different coloured Cardstock (CS) and Designers Series Paper (DSP). 

I already had four of these dragonfly "trail" die cuts but used only three of them! ☺
 
Card 1 - Delightful Dijon and Very Vanilla (CS), and Serene Scenery (DSP) Stack.

The dragonflies had been die cut using Gold Foil. 

I chose the sentiment from the Thankful Thoughts Stamp Set and heat embossed it using Gold Embossing Powder.

I die cut the sentiment using the second smallest Stitched Shape Oval Die. 
 
On the inside of the card, I heat embossed the little dragonfly from the Touches of Texture Stamp Set, using gold.

Card 2 - Rose Red and Very Vanilla Cardstock (CS), and Falling In Love Designer Series Paper (DSP). 

The dragonflies had been die cut using Rose Red CS.
 
I chose the sentiment from the Thankful Thoughts Stamp Set and heat embossed it using Rose Red Ink and Clear Embossing Powder.

I die cut the sentiment using the second smallest Stitched Shape Oval Die. 

On the inside of the card, I heat embosed the little dragonfly from the Touches of Texture Stamp Set, using in Rose Red.
 
Card 3 - Mint Macaroon and Very Vanilla Cardstock (CS), and By The Shore Designer Series Paper (DSP).

The dragonflies had been die cut using Silver Foil CS.
 
I chose the sentiment from the Thankful Thoughts Stamp Set and heat embossed it using Silver Embossing Powder.

I die cut the sentiment using the second smallest Stitched Shape Oval Die. 

On the inside of the card, I heat embossed the little dragonfly from the Touches of Texture Stamp Set, using Silver Embossing Powder.
 
I'm pleased to say that most of the products I've used here, are being carried forward to the new catalogue. The exceptions are all three DSP's and the Mint Macaroon and Delightful Dijon CS! 

I will always try to stay on top of what's staying and what's going, but I may not always be 100% on top of it!

I wish you all a very happy Easter.

Until tomorrow, happy crafting.

JanB.

 

 

Avant Garden

Hello, Crafters.

Just over 24 hours left and we say goodbye to Sale-a-bration (SAB) for another year! 

It's been a great time and the gifts this year have one of the best selections we've ever had!

While I'm disappointed to see SAB go, I'm a perenniel optimist so I always think that when one door closes, another one opens and Stampin' Up! is never short on surprises! 

I surprised myself yesterday working on my swaps - I've made a total of 67 so far! 

Two or three more days and I should be there, including the extras I'm making for my customers! 

I'm planning a video to show how I made my swaps, and if I have time, I'm going to make a stepped-up version to share with you.

I've already made part of it, I just need to finish it off!

The swap video should be uploaded on Sunday 9th April.

If you feel a sense of déja vu with today's card, you'll be right - it's based it on a card I shared here on 29th December 2014! 

Back then the card was my take on a make-n-take we made when we went to the Stampin' Up! 2015 Sale-a-bration Roadshow in Basingstoke in December 2014. 

The SAB stamp set I used back then was called Lotus Blossom, and today's SAB stamp set is Avant Garden. 

Like the 2015 stamp set, today's flowers had to be fussy cut but they were quite straightforward! 

I started my card with a base of Peekaboo Peach Cardstock (CS), with a layer of Whisper White CS and a top layer of Peekaboo Peach CS, which I dry-embossed using the Petal Burst Embossing Folder. 

I adhered all three layers together using Tombow. 

I took a 2¼" strip of Whisper White CS and, using the brush end of my Peekaboo Peach Marker Pen, "drew" some squiggle lines from side to side!

To create the flowers I stamped two stems and four leaves onto Whisper White CS using Old Olive Ink. 

Then I stamped two flowers using Peekaboo Peach Ink, and then again on top of each other! 

This is relatively easy to do because they're photopolymer stamps. 

The double stamping can be omitted; I did it because I wanted my flower heads to be darker than the rest of the Peekaboo Peach colours. 

The stamp set in 2015 was two step stamping so it was easy to achieve the darker colour.

Finally, I stamped the stamens inside the flower heads using Soft Suede Ink. 

Once I'd finished cutting out all the shapes, I adhered in place on the stripe Whisper White paper I'd created. 

I used some Peekaboo Peach Ruched Ribbon and tied a bow around near the base, and then I adhered the strip to the card front using Tombow. 

I took a strip of Whisper White CS that was 7/8" wide and stamped THANKS in Soft Suede Ink from the Thankful Thoughts Stamp Set. 

The design of this card would be suitable for most events e.g. birthdays, get well, etc.

I added three butterflies from the In the Meadow Stamp Set in Peekaboo Peach Ink.

I fishtailed the right hand side, rounded the left hand side, and then adhered it to the card front using Dimensionals.

My finishing touch was to add a piece of Whisper White CS inside the card and I stamped a flower head in the same colours as on the front of the card!

That's it for today! I'm off to my studio now to make the next batch of swaps! Until tomorrow, happy crafting!

JanB.