Falling Leaves

October 7, 2009 By Connie | 1 Comment

This card uses Stampin’ Up!’s Falling Leaves stamp set. It is heavily inspired by a card I saw by (I think) Lynn Put. My Stamp Club made this last month for one of their projects.

The base card is Always Artichoke with a layer of More Mustard on top. I randomly stamped the leaf images with More Mustard over the background. I used a strip of Autumn Traditions Designer Paper (love those pinecones) and layered it on Always Artichoke. The inside medallion was stamped on Naturals cardstock, punched with the 1 1/4 circle, layered on a More Mustard 1 3/8 circle, then on a Scallop Oval. I added two gold brads on the side. I love that look! I used the Paper Piercing tool on the top and bottom. Finally, I added the greeting in Soft Suede ink at the bottom.

If you need more details, leave me a comment and I’ll get back to you! Have a great day!

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Stamping 411 Sketch Challenge

September 26, 2009 By Connie | 7 Comments

Today’s Stamping 411 is a fun sketch…I bet you see all kinds of interpretations of it, though. Now remember, I’m working without measurements when I see the sketch, so I decided to make it into a regular sized card.

Doing yesterday’s Bloggers Challenge with Designer Paper, I realized how much I have come to depend on using it! I remember when I first started stamping, Designer Paper wasn’t popular to use on cards…just in scrapbooking. Times have changed! It is an easy way to tie colors together. But, I went back to the basics when making this card and didn’t use Designer Paper. It also fulfills the LateNightStampers design team challenge to dust off those chalks!

Poppin’ Pastels was one of the first techniques I learned. It still gives me a WOW. First stamp the images with Versamark on your cardstock, then rub your chalk over the Versmark. The images will POP off the page!

I used Real Red, More Mustard, Really Rust and Garden Green colored Stampin’ Pastels with the Falling Leaves Stamp set on Very Vanilla in my background. Plus, I got out my speckle stamp from Itty Bitty Backgrounds to add some added interest and texture with Close to Cocoa ink. The edges were sponged with Close to Cocoa ink, too. I used my Circle Scissors Tool to make the two different sized circles. I stamped the Leaf image inside the Very Vanilla circle with Really Rust, then the word Gratitude with Close to Cocoa , I used a Q-tip to highlight the word Gratitude with Garden Green chalk. Then I added two Always Artichoke mini brads on each side. I also used my Piercing tool and Mat across the top and bottom for some extra interest. The base card is Really Rust with a layer of More Mustard on top. The Chocolate Chip 5/8 Grosgrain ribbon hides the seam at the top, too.

I hope you check out what the rest of the Stamping 411 Operators did this week! Also, play along and show us what YOU did by adding your photo to Mr. Linky.

Sets: Falling Leaves, Itty Bitty Backgrounds

Inks: Versamark, Really Rust, Close to Cocoa

Cardstock: Really Rust, More Mustard, Very Vanilla

Accessories: Piercing Tool and Mat, Stampin’ Pastel Chalks, Circle Scissors Tool, Always Artichoke Mini Brads, 5/8 Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon

Tour de Freaks Tour

September 19, 2009 By Connie | 25 Comments

Wow! The Tour de Freaks Blog Tour starts today! You’ve probably just come from Melanie’s Blog if you are going in order of the tour.

I’m so excited to see what fun things the Control Freak swappers have done this month! Make sure to hop on the Tour and check them out for yourself! You’ll have 15 stops this month to enjoy. At the bottom you’ll see how to click to the next stop!

My first card uses Eat, Drink & Be Scary…truly one of my FAVORITE Halloween sets. Those of you that know me, know that I’m a Halloween stamp NUT! I can’t stop buying them and making cards! I wanted this to look like the witch had hung up her hat for the night. So…I have it resting on a fence post (Frightful Fence Jumbo Wheel) with the full moon behind it.

I started with a base card of Sahara Sand and layered on Pumpkin Pie cardstock, then added some Cast A Spell Designer Paper to the left side. The new 5/8 Black Grosgrain ribbon hides the seam. I wheeled the Frightful Fence Jumbo Wheel on Sahara Sand cardstock with Whisper White Craft Ink, let it dry, then cut it out with my Stampin’ Up! Hobby Blade. I stamped the hat from Eat, Drink & Be Scary in Basic Black on Whisper White, cut it out and added a Pumpkin Pie band of cardstock. Finally, I stamped the spider from Eat Drink & Be Scary in Basic Black in the upper left corner. I think it makes a FUN card!

My next card uses the stamping set, Falling Leaves and a layout Mary Brown and I found a LONG time ago…we actually did a challenge with it. So, I decided to recreate it here with new products! I love this set…the images are small enough that they fit in a lot of punches. I started with a base of More Mustard and wheeled Bright Blessings Jumbo Wheel in More Mustard Ink all over it. I used a piece Autumn Meadows Designer Paper and layered it on Chocolate Chip Cardstock and used the Corner Rounder punch on both layers. I added a strip of Taken with Teal cardstock along the right edge and a strip of Chocolate Chip cardstock, wrapped with Kraft Taffeta Ribbon along the bottom of the Autumn Meadows Designer Paper. I stamped one leaf with Taken with Teal on Very Vanilla and punched with the 1 1/4 circle punch. This was layered on a 1 3/8 circle of Chocolate Chip and then a Scallop Circle of More Mustard, pierced with the Piercing tool. The other leaf was stamped with More Mustard on Very Vanilla and layered on 1 3/8 circle of Taken with Teal. Both were popped up with Dimensionals. Finally, I stamped Grateful from Falling Leaves in Chocolate Chip on Very Vanilla and punched it with the Modern Tag Punch.

Next, I made a set of frosted glass coasters using the Falling Leaves stamp set. I kept them simple…I couldn’t use a lot of thickness. I found the coasters at my local K*** Department Store. They are a nice, heavy weight set of 4 coasters with a black stand! I’ll be using these in my Family Room and change out the inserts for each holiday! Wouldn’t they make a nice gift for your holiday hostesses?

The opening is a 2 x 3 size, so I cut a piece of Sage Shadow cardstock to that size, then wheeled Bright Blessings Jumbo Wheel over each one with Sage Shadow ink. I punched Scallop Squares of Creamy Caramel cardstock, each one was sponged with the same ink as the leaf. I stamped the different leaves in Ruby Red, Pumpkin Pie, Elegant Eggplant and Bravo Burgundy Classic ink on Very Vanilla cardstock and cut them out. Each leaf was popped up with Dimensionals on the Scallop Square punched piece. That’s it! Pretty simple, but I think they make a WOW!

Next up is my good friend, Mary Brown! I’m sure she has some FABULOUS projects, so check her blog and continue the tour!