Be You :: Sequins & Splatter

Hello! I'm back today with another card using this gorgeous butterfly stamp from Unity Stamp Company!

Before adding the butterfly, I misted the background and added a few strips of patterned paper scraps. The card base is American Crafts cream cardstock. The sentiment was stamped on the same cardstock and adhered to the card with foam risers. The butterfly was stamped on patterned paper and cut out. To create additional dimension, adhesive was added only to the center fold of the butterfly.

I instantly fell in love with the variety pack of sequins included in this month's Project Life kit from Studio Calico. They were added to the card for additional color and movement!

Thanks for looking!

SUPPLIES ::  Memento Tuxedo Black ink, American Crafts (cardstock, Dear Lizzy Noteworthy paper), My Mind's Eye Perfect paper, Crate Paper Found paper, Unity Stamp Co Be You stamp set, Studio Calico (Mister Huey's Dewey & First Kiss spray inks, Sequins from the Marks & Co Project Life Kit)

TOOLS :: Fiskars Scrapbooking Rotary Paper Trimmer, MyStik Permanent Adhesive, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares, A Muse Studio Acrylic Block, Close To My Heart Paper Distresser

Unity Challenge :: Love Birds

Hello paper crafters! Unity Stamp Co has three new challenges up on their blog with great prizes up for grabs. I L-L-L-LOVE Unity red rubber cling stamps, and I think you should too! 

One of the challenges included the card sketch above. Triangle corners, like the one shown above, have been popping up in cards and scrapbook pages. Janna Werner is beyond inspiring and often uses paper triangles in the corners of her projects. As much as I love the look, I have been hesitant to try it for myself. Therefore, I forced myself to dive right in and give it a go. Here' my take on the sketch:

I'm using one of my favorite Unity Stamps... You may have recognized it from a recent post. I created my own banner with patterned paper by folding a long strip of paper and cutting triangles out of each end. 

Stop by the Unity Stamp Co Challenge blog today to link up your own project to one of the three challenges. You have until July 17th to be entered! 

CARD SUPPLIES
Cardstock: A Muse Studio (Sugar, Wasabi)
Patterned Paper: Studio Calico (Love Wins), GCD Studios (Melody Ross Collection)
Stamps: Unity Stamp Co (Love Birds)
Inks: Memento (Rich Cocoa), Heidi Swaap Color Shine (Gold)
Pearls: A Muse Studio (Sugar)
Tools: Close To My Heart (Paper Distresser)

Use It Tuesday :: Bring on the Sunshine

Hey there hoarders! It's time for a new Use It Tuesday challenge. This week we're celebrating that bright star that warms our days with a challenge we call... BRING ON THE SUNSHINE! 

Remember, all of our challenges call for you to use your hoarded supplies, so dig into your stash, make something bright and sunny, and proudly tell us what you used! You have until Noon EST on Friday, July 5th to link up your creation to the Use It Tuesday blog. As always, one lucky participant will be randomly chosen to be a featured guest designer!

For my sunshine-filled project, I created the above card. I started with this great patterned paper from Dear Lizzy and used watercolors to add orange, pink, and yellow to the background. Unfortunately, I didn't wait long enough for the watercolors to dry when I added the ink. Therefore, the bicycle image is a little faded. Note my mistake and learn, right ladies?! 

The card seemed a little plain -- I'm quickly learning that the idea of negative space just isn't my style -- so I added some splatters of Mister Huey's mists in bright colors as well. I've had the glitter stars in my stash for quite a while. They were on clearance, so I juuuuust haaaaaad to buy them. This challenge's theme was the perfect time to get them out. A pearl was placed on each sequin and added around the stars to complete the embellishing. I'll also add that the stamp was un-inked in my stash. Thanks Use It Tuesday for challenging me to USE IT! 

Thanks for checking out my take on this challenge... Make sure to head to the Use It Tuesday blog to check out my fellow Design Team Members and link up a bright and sunny project of your own! 

CARD SUPPLIES
Cardstock: A Muse Studio (Apricot, Onyx, Sugar)
Patterned Paper: American Crafts (Dear Lizzy Carwheel Court)
Stamps: Unity Stamp Co (Basket Full of Wishes)
Inks: StazOn (Jet Black), Mister Huey's (Sherbet, Leaf Green)
Embellishments: A Muse Studio (White Pearls)
Tools: Close To My Heart (Paper Distresser)

On Trend :: Spray Ink

GOOOOOOOOD MORNING! It's Monday, which means it's time for 700 cups of coffee and a post from your Practical Scrappers On Trend Team! 

Today we're bringing you lots of inspiration using a new trend: SPRAY INK! You're going to love all the projects shown on the PS blog today using masks, inks, and more. Here's what I created for the post:

Let's be honest, I went crazy with ink splatters! I really wanted to have the illusion of rain and really added it on with a gold and blue ink. To create the splatters, I uncapped the bottle and gently tapped the nozzle above the paper. This gives much more defined ink splatters than pressing down on the nozzle and spraying.

I also sprayed a tiny bit of mist on my craft mat, picking up the ink with a paint brush and colored in my stamped image. You can create some great watercolor details with this technique. 

Have you tried out this trend on your paper crafting projects? I'd love to hear what you think!

SUPPLIES
Cardstock: A Muse Studio (Sugar, Sky)
Patterned Paper: Studio Calico (Ethereal, Jubilant)
Stamps: Unity Stamp Co (Rain or Shine)
Inks: StazOn (Jet Black), A Muse Studio Splash (Winter Sky), Heidi Swapp Color Shine (Gold)

Sweet Strawberries

Hello! Summer has finally arrived to Wisconsin. I thought we'd have snow forever! The farmer's market and strawberry picking isn't too far away. With all of that in mind, I created this card below...

The strawberries were stamped on Copic X-Press It Blending Card and colored with my favorite coloring medium, Copic markers. An easy but fun card to send off! 

Thanks for stopping by. Have the SWEETEST day ever!

SUPPLIES
Cardstock: Paper Cut (Kraft, White), Copic X-Press It
Patterned Paper: A Muse Studio (French Roast Gingham)
Stamps: Unity Stamp Co
Inks: Memento (Tuxedo Black), Copic Markers

COPIC MARKER LIST
G00, G02, G05
RV23, RV25, RV29

On Trend :: Enamel Dots

Good morning, Paper Crafters! I'm positive that you've seen this trend popping up everywhere. Enamel Dots are in, and the On Trend Team of Practical Scrappers is serving up a healthy dose of dot infused inspiration. Before heading over to see the full lineup, let's take a closer look at the project I created for today's post. 

I stacked two large and two small A Muse Studio paper flowers onto my card and used different sized enamel dots to create the centers. I also placed the self adhesive dots directly onto the paper to create an embellishment cluster. The dots are part of The Sweetest Thing collection by My Mind's Eye. Many of the On Trend Team is showcasing dots from MME today; however, I've seen this product available through many other companies. 

To complete the card, I added a sentiment from Unity Stamp Company, paper piecing the heart. I also added some A Muse Studio chevron ribbon. Rather than tying a bow, I cut a triangle out of one end and adhered it to the card front with Scor-Tape.

 Have you played around with this great trend? Stop by the Practical Scrappers blog to find my more uses for Enamel Dots!

CARD SUPPLIES

Cardstock: A Muse Studio (Sugar)

Patterned Paper: American Crafts (Dear Lizzy 5th & Frolic 6x6 Paper Pad)

Ribbon: A Muse Studio (Chevron Onyx)

Flowers: A Muse Studio (Meadow Mix Paper Flowers)

Stamp: Unity Stamp Co (To the bitty Moon)

Ink: StazOn (Jet Black), ZIG Writer

Enamel Dots: My Mind's Eye (The Sweetest Thing)

*You can purchase A Muse Studio Products from my Webstore.

April Card Sketch :: Orange You Glad

I'm watching the snow fall outside my office window here in Green Bay, Wisconsin. But Practical Scrappers is bringing a little Spring my way with this month's card sketch. Take a look:

How fun! I decided against the flowers, switching it out for this great stamp from Unity Stamp Co. I didn't stray too far from the rest of the sketch, and kept the bright, spring colors. The orange and leaves were paper pieced with pieces of coordinating cardstock. The center of the orange is a lighter color than the cardstock and is actually a patterned paper scrap.

Please visit Practical Scrappers to see my fellow design team members rock this sketch. We'd love to see you take the sketch and create your own Spring-inspired creation!

SUPPLIES
Cardstock: A Muse Studio (Sugar), DCWV (Double Sided Cardstock Pad)
Patterned Paper: Amy Tangerine (Sketchbook 6x6 Pad)
Stamps: Unity Stamp Company (Orange You Glad)
Ink: StazOn (Jet Black)

One To Remember :: Alcohol Ink Background

Hello friends. Here's a fun card I created with alcohol inks. A striped pattern can easily be made by placing a line of alcohol ink drops onto a piece of felt (attached to an ink blending tool). Drag the felt down the glossy paper, pick up, and repeat until covered. To create a plaid, rotate the paper and repeat the process. Just think of all the color combinations and patterns you can create with this single technique: zig zags, diagonals, and even waves! 

After creating the plaid background, I stamped the butterfly image with black StazOn. The sentiment was a long wooden stamp, too large for my card size of 4.25" x 4.25". Therefore, after stamping the image on white cardstock, I cut out the individual words and arranged them as shown. 

Thanks for stopping by and take note: Make every day one to remember.

Reach For The Stars

Go ahead. Let's not limit ourselves.

CARD SUPPLIES
Cardstock: American Crafts, Paper Cut
Patterned Paper: BoBunny, We R Memory Keepers
Stamps: Unity Stamp Company
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Ribbon: Gary Berlin Cobalt Grosgrain.

Cards, Cards, Cards

Every week I design three Make N Takes for Creations Galore, my "day job" and paper crafting store in Green Bay, Wisconsin. I invite you to browse this week's cards... 

CARD SUPPLIES Cardstock: A Muse Studio, Paper Cut. Stamps: A Muse Studio, Unity Stamp Co. Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Sakura White Gelly Roll Pen. Edge Punch: EK Success.

CARD SUPPLIES Cardstock: Paper Cut. Patterned Paper: Bo Bunny. 

Stamp: Unity Stamp Co. Inks: Sakura White Gelly Roll Pen, VersaFine. 

CARD SUPPLIES Cardstock: Paper Cut. Patterned Paper: We R Memory Keepers. 

Stamps: Northwoods. Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black. Ribbon: A Muse Studio.

All Smiles

Hello friends. We may have only sprung ahead by a single hour, but today I feel like we lost about twelve. I've got the largest mug of coffee... Is anyone feeling the same? Wiped. Out. Therefore, it's rather ironic that the card I'm sharing with you today is all about happy smiles. I'm hoping the bright colors and positive message will inspire a burst of energy today. For me... and any of you that have a case of the it's-monday-after-springing-ahead-and-i'm-crazy-tired.

CARD SUPPLIES

Cardstock: Bazzill, Paper Cut

Stamps: Unity Stamps Company

Inks: StazOn Jet Black

For the love of paper...

Today's card shows off another Unity Stamp Co image... I'm crazy about their affordable and good quality stamps. It also features patterned papers from three different collections. I've always enjoyed searching around scrapbook stores for various designs and color combos. Sometimes I start out with a patterned paper and pull different papers with the same colors. By the time I've finished, I may not even use the original pattern. It's funny how those things work out. I find that I spend more time picking out paper than I do working on the design of the card. I'm interested to hear about your process. How do you choose papers for your cards and layouts?

CARD SUPPLIES

Cardstock: Paper Cut

Patterned Paper: BoBunny, We R Memory Keepers

Stamps: Unity Stamp Company

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa

Extras: EK Success Cutterpede with Scallop Rotary Blade

Just A Note

Happy Monday friends! Today I'm sharing a card created as a Make N Take for Creations Galore. After creating this card, I was reminded of how much I enjoy using corner punches. Watch out... that may become a new trend in my cards. Hope you have a great week!

CARD SUPPLIES

Cardstock: Paper Cut

Patterned Paper: BoBunny Etcetera & Forever Fall 

Stamps: Unity Stamp Company

Inks: Memento Rich Cocoa

Love Every Inch

Hello friends. With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, I've been in a lovey, dovey, sentimental mood. Here's a fun card I created that fits right into that category, minus the red, pink, and hearts. Hope you enjoy!

CARD SUPPLIES Cardstock: Paper Cut. Patterned Paper: A Muse Studio. 

Stamps: Unity Stamp Company. Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black. Ribbon: A Muse Studio.

You're A Hit

I enjoyed the sketch from CPS (Card Positioning Systems) so much that I used it again. Take a look at my first card here. This time, I created a more masculine style card. Hope you enjoy!

CARD SUPPLIES Cardstock: Paper Cut. Patterned Paper: BoBunny, We R Memory Keepers. Stamps: Unity Stamp Company. Inks: Memento Rich Cocoa.

Back With Happy Wishes

Hello friends. I'm a little ashamed that I haven't been posting lately. Between illness and craziness at work, I haven't had motivation to do any crafting or blogging. But this past weekend, I got a kick toward organization, created a new planning binder, and found my passion again. To start off the week, here's a card I created for a Make N Take at Creations Galore. I absolutely love cutting out butterflies (stamped images or from decorative paper) and using them as a dimensional element on cards and scrapbook layouts. 

CARD SUPPLIES

Cardstock: Bazzill, Paper Cut

Patterned Paper: Pebbles

Stamps: Market Street Stamps, Unity Stamp Co, Hero Arts

Inks: StazOn Jet Black, Versamark Watermark

Ranger Seafoam White Embossing Powder

Sunday Sneak Peek

Here's a little sneak peek at the three cards I designed as Make N Takes for Creations Galore this week.

Stamps: Unity Stamp Company

Inks: Versacraft, Adirondack

Paper: We R Memory Keepers, Paper Cut

Stamps: We R Memory Keepers

Inks: Adirondack, Memento

Paper: Bazzill Bling, Paper Cut

Inside: "have a holly, jolly Christmas."

Stamps: Hero Arts, Peachy Keen Stamps

Inks: Versamark Watermark, Memento

Embossing Powder: Ranger Antiquities

Paper & Vellum: Paper Cut

Star Brads: Gary Berlin 

Sew Fun

Hello friends! Today I'm sharing a card I created for the Celebrating Hobbies Challenge in the Moxie Fab World. Projects need to be linked up by Monday, December 12th, so there's plenty of time for you to join in too! 

The challenge was to create a card that you would give during National Sewing Month, Book Lovers Day, or Camera Day. And here's the card I created: 

A little love for the inside... 

Get crafty too...

Papers: Crate Paper, Bazzill
Stamps: Unity Stamp Co
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black 

happy sweetest day

Wishing you a Happy Sweetest Day... may it be spent with those you cherish most. 

card details
paper: bazzill, paper cut
stamps: unity stamp co, market street stamps
ink: memento, versamark watermark, zig writer