Technique Play - Die Cut Inlay

Whew! I guess I should consider it a good sign when my life is so busy it's hard to find time to do some card crafting these days. I've been dying (no pun intended) to play with some new dies and stamps and today is finally that day. Since today is the first day of Online Card Classes "Clean and Simple One Layer Cards", why not combine my playtime with homework time? Ahhhhh... 

Last March, I took my first online card class and loved it. I still love them all and get so excited for new ideas and techniques. This technique has been around for a little while but I've never done it because it seemed like a lot of work. It actually came together a lot quicker than I thought it would, and it was fun. 

Below is a picture walk through of some of the steps in making this card (when I remembered to snap a picture). For the background, I used Simon Says Stamp new large dot stencil and went over some cardstock with first SSS Audrey Blue ink and then off set it a little with some Hero Arts Unicorn white pigment ink. I finished it off with my favorite Spatter stamp from Impression Obsession with Hero Arts Blue Corn flower ink.

Next I die cut the United States from Lawn Fawn's new stamp and coordinating die set using this fun paper from Pebbles. I thought it would be perfect to send a fun card from "all of us" to my son who is out of the country. I used Jennifer McGuire's recommendation to ink around the edges of the die cut to ground it a little to the project. I then die cut the United States out from the card base and substituted the other one in its place. 

Following the same process, I covered the back with typing paper and adhesive I die cut the "hello" out of the card and removed it, substituted a sunshine yellow version and very carefully replaced any little pieces that came loose during the process. I also die cut and replaced the red heart and covered it with a clear glitter pen and some glossy accents.

Two coordinating strips of paper on the side and it's finished. It's technically probably not a one layer card because it's adhered to a white card base but everything does lie flat. 

Here is a peak at the inside of the card as well:

Happy Stamping!!

*PRE-ORDER Lawn Fawn WISH YOU WERE HERE Lawn Cuts Dies	*Paper Smooches HELLO WORDS Wise Dies Kim Hughes	*Simon Says Stamp Stencil LARGE DOTS SSST121338	*IO Cling Stamp SPATTER Rubber Impression Obsession	*Pebbles Inc FAMILY TIES 6 x 6 Paper Pad	*Simon Says Stamp Premium Dye Ink Pad AUDREY BLUE ink018	*Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# AUDREY BLUE AB19
*Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# SUNSHINE SS9	*Hero Arts Shadow Ink Pad CORNFLOWER Blue Mid-Tone 2013 af235	*Tim Holtz DISTRESS Ink STAIN FADED JEANS Ranger	*Ranger Inkssentials MINI GLOSSY ACCENTS Glue Dimensional Adhesive .5oz	*ZIG Wink of Stella GLITTER CLEAR Brush Tip Marker 025320	03441 Fiskars PREMIUM CUT LINE Paper Trimmer 12 Inches	EK Success CRAFT TWEEZERS Precision Tip 54-04000
*Tim Holtz Sizzix VAGABOND MACHINE Die Cutting Embossing Alterations 656850

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Embossing with Pigment Inks

The name of my blog is Paper Crafting Sunshine. I live in the northwest where it the winter's can be long and the sunshine sparce. This winter especially has had a lot of rain and snow not to mention ice. Today I was in the mood for some sunshine so what better way then a bright cheery card?

I love pigment inks and find myself turning to them more and more often. One of the benefits of pigment ink is that it stays wet long enough to add embossing powder. For the background on this card I clear heat embossed over the top of these triangle banners. I love how it adds such a shiny, raised finish to any project.

These critters from Hero Arts are so fun to color and if you keep a stash of finished little guys then your card will come together fairly quickly. I used some dimensional adhesive to pop up the owls and also the sentiment frame behind them. I added some Glossy Accents to the eyes...and wah lah...done!

Here is a look at the finished card. Are you finding yourself pulling out spring colors in your crafting?

Happy Stamping!!

Technique Play - Happy Birthday Stencil Collage with Embossing Paste

It's been awhile since I took the time to work on collage techniques. Being snowed in last weekend gave me lots of time to spend crafting away. Though I combined several techniques, it came together much faster than it might seem.

I NEVER get tired of the look of resist with Distress Paint, and Antique Linen is my favorite. Notice the sun rays in the background, it gives such a subtle softness and you can keep playing over the top of it and the look will continue on through the several layers. LOVE!

The Heidi Swapp honeycomb stencil is just layer over the top of the rays and colored with Distress Inks and an Ink Blending Tool. The Happy Birthday was cut from white card stock and colored with a Copic Marker and blotted with some colorless blender on a piece of cloth. I never get tired of this gorgeous textured look. The Hero Arts bird I stamped in Cup O' Joe Shadow Ink. I stamped it on a scratch paper first to get a faded look on the card. 

To finish off background, I had to try Jennifer McGuire's idea of using glitter embossing powder over the stop of embossing paste. I used Simon Says Stamp Falling Stars Stencil for this.

This edge is done with the Hero Arts Five Line Background in Soft Pool and Impression Obsession "Spatter" in Soft Sand. 

Happy Stamping!!

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Easy Background Floral Stamping

I am absolutely in love with the new Basic Grey 6x6 paper pad called Fresh Cut in Simon Says Stamp's February Card Kit.  Maybe I am done with the cold weather and just ready for spring or maybe these papers are just beautiful…or maybe…both.  I loved this floral print so much I felt it deserved to be framed, so I did just that. 

I also love the coordinating flower stamps that came in the card kit and decided to stamp a tone on tone background in Hero Arts Soft Pool Shadow Ink. Below are a couple of pictures of the process. It's so easy to do with results that make me happy.

Once the background stamping was complete I die cut two of the Fresh Cut papers, one for the centerpiece and one for the frame. I am loving the detail on the die cuts that I am getting with the Vagabond. The metal shim from My Favorite Things makes ALL the difference. 

I added some stitching lines around the edges with a white gel pen (above) and then went to work on the inside of the card and the envelope (below).

What card would be complete without a few scattered enamel dots? 

Stay warm wherever you are. Happy Stamping!!

*Simon Says Stamp Card Kit of the Month FEBRUARY 2014 FLORAL FUN CKFeb14	*BasicGrey FRESH CUT 6 x 6 Cardstock Paper Pack FRS-4464	*Simon Says Clear Stamps THINKING OF YOU sss101393	*PRE-ORDER Lawn Fawn YEAR THREE Clear Stamps	*S5-077 Spellbinders LABELS 25 Twenty Five Nestabilities Dies NEW 2012	*Bazzill CANDY NECKLACE Card Shoppe Heavy Weight 8.5 x 11 Cardstock	*Hero Arts SHADOW Ink Pad SOFT POOL Aqua AF146
*Doodlebug SWIMMING POOL Sprinkles Assortment	*VersaFine ONYX BLACK Ink Pad Pigment	03441 Fiskars PREMIUM CUT LINE Paper Trimmer 12 Inches	Uni-ball Pen Signo Gel Pen WHITE Smooth Broad	*Tim Holtz Sizzix VAGABOND MACHINE Die Cutting Embossing Alterations 656850	*Memory Box METAL ADAPTER PLATE For Intricate Dies 981009	Martha Stewart MINI SCORING BOARD Score Craft Tool 42-05013

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