One more Reason to Smile

Today I have my last project in my week-long series featuring the beautiful Reason to Smile stamp set.  I hope you've enjoyed seeing just how versatile this set is.  I know I've certainly enjoyed playing with it to create all of these projects!  My final sample is another one that I designed for my monthly techniques group.  It uses the Faux Linen technique...

Bright and colourful Birthday card featuring the Reason to Smile stamp set with sentiment from Perfect Punches.

Inside view with sentiments from One in a Million

I just love the combination of Melon Mambo and Gumball Green!  What a vibrant, cheerful duo they are!  I'm not sure it shows in the photo, but the background on the front of the card is done using the Faux Linen technique.  I stamped the line-art Daisy image all over using Whisper White craft ink once I had created my coloured linen background.  For the focal image, I watercoloured it a little differently.  I began by stamping my images on watercolour paper after inking the stamp with markers.  I then used a blender pen to blur the image and pull colour from the stamped lines to fill in the rest of the image.  The result is a soft, blurred watercolour effect.  The rest of this card is pretty straightforward and came together quickly. 
I hope I've shown you just how wonderful this stamp set is.  If you missed my previous projects using this set, just click back through the last week's worth of posts to view them.  Then call or email to place your order and get this stamp set for just $5 when your order reaches $60.  Hurry...this offer only lasts until the end of the month and then this stamp set will be gone for good!

Now for yet another fantastic project from Craft Project Central.  Today's fun idea comes from fellow Canadian Tara Bourgoin.  Check this out:

Gift Cards and Tags set designed by Tara Bourgoin

This cute set has everything one needs to be prepared for birthdays, dinner invitations and other special events.  It also makes a wonderful gift.  To access the instructions to make this project and nine others, visit Craft Project Central and subscribe to July. 

Soft and Pretty

Happy Saturday to you!  Today I have a soft and pretty card I created for my monthly techniques group.  It uses the Faux Silk technique...have a look:

Soft and pretty Birthday card featuring the Reason to Smile stamp set with greeting from Petite Pairs.

Inside view

I had great fun with my embossing folders on this one!  I used one of the Delicate Designs folders along the left edge to create that beautiful scalloped lace pattern and then used my Perfect Polka Dots folder on the rest of the card front.  The focal image is done using the Faux Silk technique.  Such a quick and easy way to add texture and interest to any project.  I used one of my favourite colour combos:  Calypso Coral and Pool Party against the Whisper White...so clean and fresh!  My techniques class enjoyed this project...I hope you did too!

WOW!

That's what I said right out loud when I saw the  amazing project Amanda Corbett came up with for this month at Craft Project Central.  Check this out...I'm pretty sure you'll have the same reaction!

Simply amazing birthday cake gift box designed by Amanda Corbett

Isn't that just beautiful??  It really looks like a yummy cake and it is all made of paper!  If you have someone special celebrating a birthday in the near future or just want to have something on-hand for future use, this is a terrific project to make.  To access the full-colour tutorial for this project and nine others, head on over to Craft Project Central and subscribe to July. 

As if this project wasn't enough of a reason to smile...here's another!  Card #4 using the beautiful, limited edition Reason to Smile stamp set.  Have a look:

Any-occasion card featuring the Reason to Smile stamp set.

I had more fun watercolouring on this one.  I also used the line-art side-view image to give a bit of interest to the embossed background.  So...have you ordered your Reason to Smile set yet??  Only $5.00 with a $60.00 order till the end of the month.  Then this offer and the chance to get your hands on this set will be gone forever!

Sunny Smiles

The weather here in Southern Ontario has been absolutely gorgeous this week!  The heat and humidity we experienced last week have been replaced by comfortably warm days, cool nights and cloudless skies.  We couldn't ask for more perfect summer weather!  Today's post makes me think of summer!  I've taken the Reason to Smile stamp set in a different direction...check this out:

Super Simple Thank you card featuring the Reason to Smile stamp set with sentiment from Blooming with Kindness

I created this thank you card for the participants in a swap that I recently hosted.  Everyone got one in their envelope along with their swapped cards.  I decided to go with a completely different colour scheme and use the daisy image as more of a sunflower.  My colour scheme was Very Vanilla, More Mustard and Early Espresso.  These cards had to be quick and easy because I had to make a lot of them! Isn't it wonderful when you find multiple uses for a single stamp set??  It's even better when that stamp set only costs you $5.00!!

Too cute!

That's what I thought when I saw today's offering from Craft Project Central.  Check this out:

Cute little Flower Basket Gift Set designed by Christy Fulk

Isn't that a fun project??  I love the way Christy used the new Floral Frames Framelits to construct her basket and then also used them on her little cards as well.  What a great gift set this would make!  You can get the tutorial for this and NINE other great projects by subscribing to July over at Craft Project Central...just $10 for TEN full-colour tutorials.  Can't beat that value!

Now for another reason to smile...a new project using that fabulous limited-edition Reason to Smile stamp set!  I designed this one for my monthly team meeting so that everyone on my team would have a sample of a card made with this beautiful set.  Have a look...

Thank you card featuring the Reason to Smile stamp set with sentiment from Kindness Matters.

Unlike yesterday's card which I watercoloured, this card uses 2-Step Stampin'.  I stamped the solid image first and then the line-art image right over top with the same colour of ink.  You'll notice that my images don't match up perfectly...that's ok...I wasn't aiming for perfection on this card.  If I were I would use my Stamp-a-ma-Jig to get the line-art image perfectly aligned with the solid background.  I was aiming for quick, easy and fresh.  I think this card works on all counts, no?

Tomorrow I'll be back with another quick and easy card using this set that has a completely different look.  Stay tuned...

Another Reason to Smile

As promised, I have another project today that features the limited edition Reason to Smile stamp set.  This gorgeous set is only available during the month of July and then will never be available again...trust me, you don't want to miss out on this one!  Have a look at today's card and you'll see why...

Soft and pretty birthday card featuring the Reason to Smile stamp set and sentiment from the Occasions Alphabet set.

Pretty, huh?  I so love those daisies!  I also love watercolouring, which is what I did to colour the focal image.  In case you'd like to try it, I used my ink pads and blender pen and started by colouring the blossoms with Pink Pirouette and then shaded with Pretty in Pink.  I added highlights using Regal Rose.  The stems are done in Certainly Celery and I added shadowing all the way around each flower using Sahara Sand.  The DSP in the background is from the Fan Fair pack...lots of great patterns and wonderful colours in that one!
One of the reasons this is such a great stamp set is that it has something for everyone:  beautiful images to colour for those who enjoy that, but also solid image stamps to add colour quickly and easily using 2-Step Stampin' for those who don't.  Gotta love versatility!  Tomorrow I'll show you a card that uses the latter technique...stay tuned!

So Many Reasons to Smile

Reason #1...we have a winner!  The winner of the free month's subscription to Craft Project Central is

Sandy U!!

Congratulations, Sandy...I'll be in touch about how you can access your free subscription...enjoy!

Reason to smile #2:  You can purchase the beautiful, limited edition Reason to Smile stamp set for just $5 when you place a $60 order this month.  How sweet is that?  To show you just how gorgeous the images in this set are, I'm going to be featuring several projects using that set over the coming week.  I hope you enjoy them!  Here's the first...a really quick and easy card:

Simple Thank you card featuring the Reason to Smile stamp set with sentiment from Perfectly Penned.

Pretty simple and straightforward, eh?  Gerber daisies are one of my favourite flowers, so it was only natural that I fall in love with this stamp set.    This card literally took me less than 10 minutes to make...gotta love quick and easy designs for when you need a card in a hurry.  Speaking of which, I have some work to do today design the projects for my upcoming events this week.  I hope today holds some stamping time for you too!  Enjoy!!