Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Don't be Afraid of the Dark

When most people start making cards, they use a white card base and build from there.  While that is perfectly fine and lovely, it can also be a rut you get stuck in.  I use colored card stock for my base just as often as white and I love the look I get with that.  Today, I’m going to show you that dark colors as a card base can look awesome and often, richer and more attractive than a white or light colored card base.

 

I first made a lovely snowflake card using Rich Razzleberry and Blackberry Bliss on a white base.  This is what I teased you with at the beginning of my video.  Now, let’s go over to the dark side, and by that, I mean to say let’s make a card with a Rich Razzleberry base.

Gather your supplies:

  • Cardstock:  Rich Razzleberry 8-1/2" x 5-1/2"; Basic White 2-1/2" x 3-3/4", 3-1/2" x 4", and 4" x 5-1/4"; Blackberry Bliss 2-3/8" x 3-5/8"
  • Stamp Bundle: Merry Snowflakes
  • Ink:  Rich Razzleberry and Versamark
  • White Stampin' Emboss Powder
  • Clear Wink of Stella
  • Heat Tool
  • Adhesive and Tools

Fold your card base in half and crease with your bone folder.  Stamp the three sizes of snowflakes in Rich Razzleberry ink all around the outside of the card front.  You won’t need the middle since it is covered up with our sentiment.  


On the small piece of Blackberry Bliss paper, use versamark ink to stamp the season’s greeting sentiment.  (If you have an embossing buddy, go ahead and rub that over the paper first to help reduce stray bits of embossing powder sticking where you don’t want it.). Add white embossing powder and set with the heat tool.  Mat this piece with the slightly larger white layer.  Pop this up in the middle of the card with Dimensionals.


Cut out three snowflakes with the matching dies on the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss machine.  Use Wink of Stella to add sparkle before adhering them to the sentiment label.  I used Multipurpose glue to stick down just the portions that overlap the popped up layer.  The rest of the snowflake will stay elevated off your card without any Dimensionals to support them. 





For the inside of the card, you will need a white layer in which you can add your sentiment and any personal message.  I added a few stamped snowflakes with stamped off Rich Razzleberry to jazz it up.  I really love the dark version of this card!  I find the non traditional color is an unexpected twist and the richness of Rich Razzleberry is simply delicious.





In my next pair of cards, I used the Peaceful Place paper, which is stunning all by itself.  My two cards use one section of the paper that has silver flecked trees at the bottom graduating up to a silver speckled sky.  The light version is done on white with a Smoky Slate belly band to hold the gate fold card together.  I adorned the band with an iridescent Wonderful Snowflake and added a small, simple greeting from A Wish for Everything.  The dark version is nearly identical - I switched to a black card base and black belly band and stamped the greeting in black rather than gray ink.  Most people don’t think of using black as their base, but the dramatic effect it gives is perfect.



The last pair of cards have such a different vibe from each other.  The accordion folds have identical papers from Painted Christmas DSP and In-Color Shimmer Vellum - the only difference is the color of the card base and the color of the “interior” panel.  Which one do you prefer?  While I love the white one, I think the card made on the Evening Evergreen paper with the Soft Succulent interior panel is my favorite. 



One last thing before I set you off to the dark side - thanks go to my adult daughter Kristin who came up with the idea for this video and helped me design my third pair of cards.  She likes to give me a challenge - and I love taking the challenge and making it something that will help you improve your card making skills.  If there is ever something you want me to present in a video, let me know!


Karen


ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

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Wednesday, November 3, 2021

Pretty Pillow Boxes and Gift Card Holders

When I first saw the Gingerbread and Peppermint Suite from the July - December mini catalog, I knew I had to get it!  Everything in this set of products is adorable and you've already seen some cards I've made with those products.  Today I am focusing on the Pretty Pillow Box Dies.  Making pillow boxes is super easy because the score lines are part of the die.  




In my video, I show several pillow boxes and describe the other components on the die set.  The pillow boxes can open from the sides (I found that adding a notch with a small circle die on the inside flap makes the pillow box easier to open), or from the front.  These pouches are quick and simple and they can be filled with little candies, earrings, money or chocolates.  As I show you, they can be made with any paper and for any theme.




One thing I found disappointing is that a gift card does not fit into the pillow box as is.  But don't you fret! I have a way to add two additional score lines and turn them into an adorable gift card holder!  For these, I do recommend printed paper because the curved score lines that we don't use are less visible with paper that has designs on it.

Gather your supplies:

  • Cardstock:  Painted Christmas DSP 41/2" x 6"; Evening Evergreen 1" x 5-1/4"; Basic White 2-1/4" x 2-1/4"
  • Stamp: Encircled in Warmth
  • Dies: Pretty Pillow Box and Layering Circles
  • Ink:  Real Red
  • Adhesive and Tools
Cut out the pillow box from the DSP.  I recommend using a pattern of paper that is not directional.  We have to add score lines on each side going from point to point of the curved flaps.  In the video, I show you how to do this with the personal trimmer, but you could just as easily do it with a ruler and a scoring tool.  

Start with the folds along the top and bottom.  I find it easier to gently crease the lighter weight DSP with my fingers, then go over the crease with the bone folder.  Next, crease the sides where you scored, folding the curved portion inward.  Glue the front flaps to the front inside - this makes it easier to slide the gift cards in and out.  When they are set, glue the back flap to the front panel (there will only be glue on the small flaps that we folded in.  Slide the gift card in and make sure the top flap folds over nicely - the extra thickness of the gift card may impact the fit.

To close the gift card holder, I chose to use a belly band.  Place the holder in the middle of the strip of Evening Evergreen paper and fold the bottom up - crease.  Now fold the top over to the front, making sure it is not too tight.  Before you glue the flaps together, slide the belly band off and on to make sure it's easy to move.

Stamp the sentiment onto the white square with Real Red ink and cut with the third smallest circle die.  Add this to the belly band with Mini Dimensionals.  That's all there is to it! 

Use the different ideas here for you as a starting point - the dies in this set make it easy to dress them up, or keep them simple and elegant.  Have fun!


Karen



ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

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Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Custom Ink Pad with Baby Wipes

I've seen many people do this technique but have never tried it until recently.  I watched a demonstrator friend of mine (thanks Kelly Acheson!) do it and I loved her cards so much, I took the plunge and did it!   My baby wipes were nearly dry, but I moistened them and added my ink drops.  The results were beautiful!  So that is what I want to show you how to do.  As you can see in the video, I did get new wipes before filming (no dried out wipes for my customers!).

Gather your supplies:

  • Cardstock:  Thick Basic White 8-1/2" x 5-1/2"; Basic White 2-1/2" x 4-3/4"; Regals 6"x6" DSP 1" x 5" (Crushed Curry), 1" x 3-3/4" (Cajun Craze) and 1/2" x 4-3/4" (Pumpkin Pie)
  • Stamp Bundle: Pretty Pumpkins
  • Ink Refills: Old Olive, Pear Pizzazz, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry and Real Red
  • Ink:  Pear Pizzazz and Real Red
  • Neutrals Stampin' Write Markers (Soft Suede)
  • Bakers Twine Essentials Pack
  • Adhesive and Tools
  • Baby Wipes
To make your custom ink pad, take two baby wipes and fold them in quarters, then stack them on top of each other.  Add drops of ink as shown in the video large enough to cover your entire stamp.  The inks should be close to each other so there are no gaps.  As you press your stamp into the wipe, each color will tend to expand into the one next to it.  That is why you don't want colors that will blend and give a gray or brown combination.

Stamp your pumpkin into the baby wipe ink pad and then onto the white rectangle.  You may want to wiggle the stamp a little for the first stamping to assist with the blending of the ink drops.  As I mention in the video, the stamps that work best with this are bold images, not outline images.  It is also good to plan ahead and have extra paper and additional stamps that can be used with your custom ink pad - no need to let all that lovely color go to waste!

On your rectangle where the pumpkin is, stamp the leaf with Pear Pizzazz.  Use the coordinating dies to cut out these two images (you can always fussy cut them if you don't have the dies).  Now we are ready to assemble the card.

Adhere the strips of DSP in the following order - Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze and Pumpkin pie.  On top of that, place the pumpkin using dimensionals.  Cut a slit in the leaf so that it can tuck around the pumpkin stem and add a mini dimensional on the portion of the leaf that sits on top of the pumpkin.  This will hold it in place.

Take your thumb and forefinger and "curl" a few inches of twine (like you would do with curling ribbon).  The twine on my sample card really curled nicely, but the one in the video had a mind of its own!  Isn't that the way it normally goes?  Make a glue dot log to adhere both ends to the pumpkin and trim as needed.  Add your sentiment with Real Red ink and lastly, spritz with a Soft Suede Stampin' Write marker.



I used this color mixture to stamp other images too.  Like I did in the video, I stamped a lot of maple leaves from Gorgeous Leaves.  This first card is clean and simple, which puts the focus on the colorful leaf and sweet sentiment (from Inspired Thoughts).  I layered the leaf on two labels from the Hippo & Friends dies.

The next two were made with the Beauty of Friendship bundle.  A simple design and coordinating DSP set off the tree stamped with all the fall colors.  Customers are always looking for masculine cards and this would be perfect!

The four seasons card uses panels about 1" wide cut from Kraft 6" x 6" paper.  I stamped the tree in Whisper White ink on each panel.  This is best done with the Stamparatus because all trees will be in the same position.  I added little lines with a Stampin' Write marker to make the tree look like a birch tree.  Then each season was stamped with leaves to match spring, summer and fall.  I matted these with basic white and popped them all up on a Early Espresso card base.  A little piece of the Faux Suede ribbon sets off the sentiment perfectly.


I hope I have inspired you to make your own custom ink pad and give this technique a try.  Enjoy!

Karen


ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

Etsy Shop: The Power of a Card

https://karensliwinski.stampinup.net 

Images Copyright Stampin’ Up!®


Join my Facebook Group (The Power of a Cardmaker):  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1042676296088278/?ref=share


My current host code for October is: MGFRSYNY

Please use this for orders less than $150 and you’ll get a special treat from me.

For orders over $150, you will qualify for host rewards from Stampin’ Up! (plus a treat from me!).




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Christmas Cards in Unexpected Colorways

I love Christmas.  I love making Christmas cards.  I love decorating for Christmas.  And I loved making this video for you!  (Please note, ...