Holiday Tags Card Class

 I am holding a "Holiday Tags" class on October 17 at 6pm. Participants will make 4 of each, with their choice of what shape and sentiment to use from their stamp sets. They will take home the "Holiday Tags" stamp set.

 The first one used Sarita paper along with, Holiday Tags and Geometric Backgrounds. I've added some Baker's Twine and metal flower.

The second card has a flourish image from, Swirls Around along with Holiday Tags. The gorgeous patterned paper is from Laughing Lola. I've added Sparkles and Silver Glitter paper.

The third card uses Babycakes paper along with, Holiday Tags and Love Life stamp sets. I've added some square Durables to finish off this card.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.

Paper: Sarita; Laughing Lola; Babycakes

Stamps: Holiday Tags; Geometric Backgrounds; Swirls Around; Love Life

Ink: Chocolate; Black; Lagoon; Creme Brule; Sunset; Gypsy

Cardstock: White Daisy; Colonial White; Gypsy; Black; Lagoon; Chocolate; Sunset; Buttercup

Embellishments: Sparkles; Grey Wool Baker's Twine; Durables; Silver Glitter paper; Base & Bling Floral Accents

Tools: Artiste Cricut cartridge

Embossing Double Double

In Canada, eh, we love our coffee "Double Double" from Tim's! I also love my embossing double double!

This is the final card in my August Embossing & Die cutting class. I used Diffusers from Tim Holtz to achieve this double embossing look. I embossed first with the outer pattern and the diffuser with the circle cut out of the middle. Then, I embossed a second time with just the circle and this bird embossing folder.

I inked the birds with some Sweet Leaf ink, then added some Ruby Glitz to the berries. I stamped in Black ink with a sentiment from Fringed Phrases and tied up some Cranberry Baker's Twine.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Stamp: Fringed Phrases
Cardstock: White Daisy; Crystal Blue
Ink: Sweet Leaf
Embellishments: Ruby Glitz; Cranberry Bakers Twine
Other: Tim Holtz Diffusers; Embossing Folders

In the weeds!

Here is the second card my Embossing & Die cut card class created, with Diffusers.

I used a White Daisy card base, then added Pacifica and Autumn Terracotta cardstock. I used the Diffuser with the small oval removed, with this embossing folder. It left the oval shape, without embossing, on the bottom as I placed it.

I took Creme Brulee ink and gently rubbed it across the cardstock, after it was embossed. I swiped some Pacifica ink across the bird, then stamped the sentiment with Saddle ink.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Stamp: Always Grateful
Ink: Pacifica; Saddle; Creme Brulee
Cardstock: Pacifica; Autumn Terracotta; White Daisy
Embellishments: Bitty Brown Sparkles
Other: Embossing folder; Tim Holtz Diffusers

Fall Splendor "Diffused"

My August Embossing & Die cut class was a wee bit different than others, for a few reasons. First, the registered gals could not make the class, but wanted kits. I was scrambling as our family was going on their 2 week vacation at the end of August. Therefore, while I had the cards in mind, they did not make it to kit until September.

The theme for August's class, was "Diffusing". I used Tim Holtz's Diffusers. The first card used the circle diffuser with, Always Grateful, new stamp set.

Diffusers are easy to use. I chose this swirly folder first, then decided if I wanted the entire surface of cardstock embossed, except for the circle. Or, emboss just the circle and leave the rest without embossing. So I chose the diffuser with the circle cut out of it. A "Diffuser" is really the same material as a cutting plate for your manual die cut machine. If there is no cutting plate pressing on the embossing folder, it will not emboss.

After embossing, I stamped this tree with Garden Green and Saddle ink. I added a curve to the sentiment, so it hugged the unembossed middle. I only added a small piece of Bronze Shimmer Trim, so as not to take away from the focus of this card.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Stamp: Always Grateful
Cardstock: White Daisy; Saddle
Ink: Garden Green; Saddle
Embellishments: Bronze Shimmer Trim
Other: Embossing Folder; Tim Holtz Diffusers

Fall BEAUTY

I have been a bit of a slacker on my blog lately as it seems I can not get a regular schedule established for myself. I aim to get back on track NOW!

This is the third and final card design that was made at my September Embossing & Die cutting class. We used the gorgeous Happy Autumn stamp set along with some patterned paper from Babycakes. The shape was cut from Autumn Terracotta cardstock; embossed; then sanded.

We stamped flowers with second generation Autumn Terracotta ink, then stamped the sentiment over top, in Saddle ink. We added Chocolate striped grosgrain ribbon and Bronze Shimmer Trim.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Paper: Babycakes
Stamp: Happy Autumn
Cardstock: Chocolate; Autumn Terracotta; Colonial White
Ink: Autumn Terracotta; Saddle
Embellishments: Bronze Shimmer Trim; Chocolate striped grosgrain ribbon
Tools: Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge
Other: Embossing folder

An Embossed Birthday

I love using embossing folders and picked up 50+ of them on my recent Oregon vacation. I used this Lifestyle Crafts one for my sentiment shape, for a card made for my Embossing & Die Cut card class.

I started with some beautiful retired, patterned paper on a Goldrush cardstock mat. I used Close To My Heart's new scallop border punch to punch this Pacifica cardstock. I cut the sentiment shapes and flourish with Art Philosophy and Artiste Cricut cartridges.

I stamped the sentiment from Fringed Phrases with our Black pigment ink. Once it dried, I embossed the shape. Then I rubbed Crystal Blue ink around the sentiment. I added a few Sparkles to complete this card.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Paper: Dreamin'
Stamps: Fringed Phrases
Cardstock: Colonial White; Goldrush; Pacifica
Ink: Crystal Blue; Black Pigment
Embellishments: Clear Sparkles
Tools: Art Philosophy and Artiste Cricut cartridges
Other: Lifestyle Crafts Embossing Folder

You Light Up My Life

Yikes, the time since school started has gotten away from me. I hope this post will get me back on track.

I created this card for my recent Embossing & Die Cutting class. I wanted to include embossing, but not as the main focus. I started with the amazing and colourful Sarita paper from Close To My Heart's Fall/Winter Idea Book.

I embossed some Goldrush cardstock, then sanded it to expose the white core of the cardstock. The tags were cut with Art Philosophy, then stamped with this sweet image from, Puns of Praise. I coloured them with Gypsy and Crystal Blue alcohol markers. I tied things up with a new favourite of mine, Hemp Baker's Twine.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamp: Puns of Praise
Paper: Sarita
Cardstock: Colonial White; Goldrush; Lagoon
Ink: Outdoor Denim
Alcohol Markers: Gypsy; Crystal Blue
Embellishments: Hemp Baker's Twine
Tools: Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge

Buzz and Bumble with Blooms

This card is one of 3 designs I used for my last Hostess Card Club. I used Buzz and Bumble patterned paper and Hello Blooms stamp set, from Close To My Heart.

This card is just so simple, yet sweet. The coloured cardstock is Sunset stamped in coordinating ink and the sentiment in Cocoa ink. the flowers are stamped with Sunset and Goldrush ink. I added Bamboo coloured buttons with the Buzz and Bumble paper in the the background.

All supplies are Close To  My Heart.
Paper: Buzz and Bumble
Stamp: Hello Blooms
Cardstock: Sunset; White Daisy
Ink: Sunset; Cocoa
Embellishments: Bamboo buttons
Tools: Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge

Just Because

Here is a simple card created with Hello Tweety and some of my horded Dotty For You paper.

This was a quick card using Slate and Whisper cardstock, combined with polka dots from Dotty For You and stamp set, Hello Tweety. I stamped the flourish/butterfly image with Lagoon ink to match the patterned paper. The sentiment is from Fringed Phrases, stamped in Black. I added Sparkles to complete this card.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamp: Fringed Phrases; Hello Tweety
Paper: Dotty For You
Ink: Lagoon; Black
Cardstock: White Daisy; Whisper; Slate
Embellishments: Sparkles

Cherry Blossom die cut card

I have just returned home from a little over 2 weeks of vacation. I am exhausted, yet inspired and will be creating like crazy in the coming weeks. This is a card I created with the new Susan Tierney Cockburn, Flowering Quince die set, from Sizzix.

I started with some Smoothie cardstock and patterned paper from retired Lucy paper pack. The flower petals were cut from Blush cardstock; the stamen from White Daisy; and the branch from Saddle cardstock. 

You can't really see the branch too well, but I discovered how to make a very realistic branch. I took a 1" x 6" piece of Saddle cardstock and crumpled it up; then opened it up; then crumpled it up again. I did this until it was fairly soft and well wrinkled. Then I started twisting it upon itself from one corner, until it was like a twisted strip that I folded into a "V" shape. It was ready for flowers to be glued upon it.

I coloured the tips of the stamen with a yellow marker before rolling it up and glueing it inside the flower. I forgot to colour the base of each petal and did a messy job of that after the flower was together.

I added a Sweet Leaf border with a background and sentiment stamp from a retired set. Then I added Silver Shimmer Trim ribbon and some Opaque Pearls to complete the card.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Patterned paper: Lucy
Cardstock: White Daisy; Smoothie; Blush; Sweet Leaf; Saddle
Ink: Sweet Leaf; Black
Embellishments: Silver Shimmer Trim; Pearl Opaques; Liquid Glass
Other: Susan Tierney Cockburn Flowering Quince Die; Copic Markers