Handcolored Succulents on Vellum Cards

November 24, 2021 R'Chel Leave a comment

A couple of weeks ago was Stampin’ Up!s Onstage at Home event. This yearly conference was tons of fun and we always get to see new projects, new supplies, and interact with other demonstrators. For the Stamp and Share project this year I grabbed supplies I already had on hand. I was working at my store that day and knew I wasn’t going to have as much focus as I wanted to have, and that I wouldn’t have long concentrated periods of time. With that in mind I grabbed some vellum and markers. I can color in short spans of time between customers right? It worked!

Any time you want to turn the ordinary into extraordinary just reach for the vellum. Vellum is a media that I absolutely adore working with. If you have a paper that is too bold then layer vellum over it. Super bold? Add dimensionals and move the vellum farther away from the paper to diffuse the image or color even more.

These cards were done with the layouts shown to all of us. It’s always intriguing to watch a room full of people use the same cut sheet and watch them create vastly different projects. That’s what happened this time as well. As I watched the images for cards created I admired the diversity and beauty. I was far from being the only one who wasn’t using the stamp set demonstrated.

The vellum die cuts were colored with Stampin’ Blend markers. Stampin’ Write markers could also be used, though I’d have colored on the back side of the vellum to diffuse the image a little more with them. I realized when I was assembling the cards that I had forgotten embellishments so I grabbed the little stash of random embellishments that I keep in my office desk drawer. These cards really created a warm spot in my heart. I know it’s not the season to create with summer succulents…or maybe it’s exactly the right season to do so!

This card fits in an A2 sized envelope with standard postage.

For more cards and Live demos, stop by My Inky Paws Facebook page The Supplies list for this card is here. Thanks for hanging out with me! Happy Crafting to You and see you next time with a new project!!

Artistic, Card Tutorial, Fun Techniques, Quick & Easy

I’m With You – Polar Bear Card

November 16, 2021 R'Chel Leave a comment

As soon as I saw the Arctic Bears Bundle this card was in my head. I knew this combination of stamps and dies would lend itself perfectly to the highlighting blending brush technique I used for the Winter Storm and Watching You Watching Me cards last year.

I love the look of whisper white used with a blending brush to lighten up a focal area of a design. It really elevates the card to art status for me and provides some added drama to create depth. The center area of this Pacific Point cardstock base was lightened to several shades paler using Whisper White Ink. Blend out from the center carefully to avoid any lines of demarcation.

Using Basic White cardstock for the foreground pieces adds more depth. I chose to use Memento Black for the contrast and starkness that echoes in the landscape.

The stamp set and dies are rich in imagery. This is the largest bear. There are cubs, and a smaller bear in the die cuts. There are a couple more detailed background images in the stamp set, a sun/moon die, and a variety of landform dies to stage your bears on. I can’t wait to play with this set some more. I will probably combine the bears into some holiday cuteness as well. This card is a little somber in sentiment, though I needed to make this card for personal use. I hope you enjoy the technique and post me pics of anything you create, too!

This card fits in an A2 sized envelope with standard postage.

Watching You Watching Me Spanner Peekaboo Card

Card Tutorial, Fun Folds, Holiday

Quarter Fold Peaceful Deer Card

November 9, 2021 R'Chel Leave a comment

This card design has many names: Quarter Fold, Invitation Fold, Wedding Fold, Flap Fold. No matter what you call it, they are really fun to give and receive! These adorable cards open and close just like cardboard box flaps and open to reveal additional decoration and a large writing panel. Kids love to help make, these, too! Because they are kind of box as well as card, they would make amazing gift card holders as well as hold small flat gifts such as magnets, bookmarks, cash, etc.

Building the base for this card is as easy as cutting 2 sheets of 8-1/2 x 11 inch cardstock. Cut one sheet in half lengthwise, and the other in half shortwise. You’ll end up with 2 pieces each of 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 and 4-1/4 x 11. This is enough to make 2 cards.

Score your 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 pieces on the 8-1/2 inch side at 2-1/8 and 6-3/8.
Score your 4-1/4 x 11 pieces on the 11 inch side at 2-3/4 and 8-1/4.
Apply adhesive to the center rectangle of the 4-1/4 x 11 inch piece and then lay the 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 inch piece over it so that the center rectangles line up. You’ll end up with a plus-sign look. Fold the flaps in towards the center starting with the top flap, then left, bottom, and end with the right. Carefully tuck the top of the right flap under the left side of the top flap. That’s how your card will look once it’s finished. Keep that in mind as you unfold the flaps and begin designing your card.

I’ve seen these done in all sorts of décor configurations. They all look great! I chose to work with the Peaceful Deer Bundle for this card. The paper is the (retired) Fall 2021 Sale-a-Bration coordinating DSP pack. Any holiday paper you have is going to look amazing with this style of card though. I suggest mixing up the patterns as much as possible, too. This style of card really lends itself to being a wonderful mash up of different DSPs. The more the merrier I say. I love the look of many different papers under the holiday tree and that is what this card is reminiscent of.

This card fits in an A2 sized envelope, and you’ll definitely want to add non-machinable postage if you’re mailing it because the center can easily attain 8 or more sheets of paper and card stock in thickness by the time you decorate the outside and inside, too.

Card Tutorial, Fun Folds

Fall Explosion Card

November 2, 2021 R'Chel Leave a comment

Explosion cards are so much fun! As with most fun fold cards, they appear much more complicated than they are and that enhances their appeal!! Kids love to get these, but they’re perfect for all ages and especially for cards celebrating something fun.

Below you’ll find a template for cutting and scoring the explosion panel. I used the current Host Reward DSP Pack (Pattern Party #155426) because it has beautiful colorful images on one side of the paper, and black and white images on the other that can be colored to match your season or occasion. The fishtail and stripes are from the colored side while the leaves are all hand colored from the black and white side. The stamp set I used is also a current hosting special and is called Seasons of Fun (#156576.) It features kids and pets playing in a variety of outdoor scenes. I chose to colorize with Stampin’ Blend Markers for this project

This card fits in an A2 sized envelope, and you’ll definitely want to add non-machinable postage if you’re mailing it.