Back among the land of the living...

Whew...the stomach flu really SUCKS!!  I just spent the last 36 hours in bed wishing death would come quickly. I haven't been that sick in years...and man, am I glad!  Now I'm at least upright, though not exactly ready to take on the world.  Thankfully, the schools are closed today because we're in the middle of a big snow storm, so I don't have to worry about going to work.  I figured it was about time I posted something for you, so here is a Valentine's card I designed to do at a workshop tonight (which, by the way, is also cancelled due to the snow!).

Valentine's card using Valentine Defined set and Something to Celebrate set.

Cute little Itty Bitty Button

Inside of card - sentiment is from the Word Play set.

So those of you that reay my blog likely know that I like layers and LOVE embellishments.  I am proud to say, this card uses very few of either!  I challenged myself to do a simple card and quite like the result.  There is only one layer!!!  How often does that happen?!?  I found this cool technique online somewhere called "faux torn paper" and decided to try it.  I have to say, I think I'm gonna use it again!  Here is what I did...
Start with a 5" x 3 3/4" piece of whisper white cardstock.  Tear a couple of post-it-notes and adhere them to the CS.  Then stamp the heart and Love You images randomly in real red and chocolate chip ink respectively.  Sponge the whole area with pretty in pink ink and then remove the post-its.  Voila...looks like a layer of torn paper.  Cool, eh?  For the focal image I punched a full heart out of another post-it and stuck it to the CS.  I then sponged around it using real red ink.  I pulled off the post-it and sponged the heart itself lightly in pretty in pink so it wasn't so starkly white.  I stamped the sentiment from the level 2 hostess set called Something to Celebrate in chocolate chip.  So quick and easy!  Now I couldn't leave this card completely naked, so I added a bit of real red satin ribbon and a heart-shaped Itty Bitty button in the lower right corner.
For the inside, I used the same faux torn paper technique and then stamped the sentiment from the Word Play set that I inked with my markers for a two-colour look.  So fast, easy and effective!  I was really excited to do this one at my workshop tonight, but now will have to wait until our rescheduled date next week!  So much for an early spring!!

Girlie Valentines

So I've shown you my kid Valentines and my manly ones too...now here is something for us girls.  I love the combination of pink pirouette and basic gray together.  Not quite the early 90's (for those of you who remember the dusty rose and gray decorating trend) but a fresh, feminine, update.  I also love the pink patterns in the Love Impressions DSP, so I used a bunch and came up with this little box and cards.

Feminine Valentines using Love Impressions DSP and Valentine Defined set

Card #1 using petal card punch and Cute By the Inch level 2 hostess set.

Card #2 also using the petal card punch (as the pocket for the full heart punch) and the Valentine Defined set.

Card #3 using Tiny Tags  set.

I think I like this set best of the three I've done.  I really like the pale pink and gray with the whisper white to ground it all.  Here is a quick rundown of what I did for each card:
Card #1:  Pink Pirouette base layered with Love Impressions DSP.  Basic Gray taffeta ribbon (from the Clearance Rack blitz last fall) wrapped around DSP before adhering.  Image from Cute by the Inch set stamped in pink pirouette on whisper white and cut out.  Adhere to basic gray petal card punch.  Add pink flower brad and adhere to card using dimensionals.
Card #2:  Pink Pirouette base layered with DSP.  Petal card punch in basic gray.  Fold in 2 petals and adhere to form pocket.  Stamp sentiment from Valentine Defined set in basic gray on pink pirouette cardstock.  Punch out using full heart punch.  Adhere inside pocket using glue dots.  Thread button with pink embroidery floss and adhere to front of pocket with glue dots.  Adhere pocket to card using Tombow. 
Card #3:  Whisper White base layered with basic gray and DSP.  Stamp sentiment from Tiny Tags set on whisper white and punch out using medium jewelry tag punch.  Adhere tag to back of brad using glue dot.  Wrap ribbon around brad and insert brad in pre-punched hole in top layer.  Adhere all layers using SNAIL.
There are two of each card design in the box along with little envelopes.  This set will be offered as part of my "Feel the Love" class in early February...stay tuned for details!

Cute manly Valentines?

After creating my kids' valentines that you saw yesterday, I decided I had better do something for the men in my life (my hubby, brother, father etc).  I decided to stick with the mini-cards-in-a-box-theme and try to do a set that would be appropriate to give to men.  This is what I came up with...

Little box of "manly" 3x3 valentine's cards.

Design #1

Design #2

Design #3

Since I was trying to make these semi-masculine, I refrained from using most of my pretty little embellishments.  In fact, these cards are downright naked!  I pretty much stuck to DSP, cardstock and stamps.  The only exception is design #2 where I used one of our new bevelled window panes to highlight the word "love" in the DSP.  In order to attach the window pane I used a wee bit of retired taffeta ribbon and some embroidery floss.  As for the stamps I used, the typewriter image is from the Puns from the Past set and the valentine definition is from the Valentine Defined set.  The DSP is the Love Impressions pack from the Occasions Mini.  The box contains 2 of each design for a total of 6.  Now I just have to think of 6 men I know well enough to send these to...they just aren't pretty enough for my girl friends!

Playing with a sketch

Every month, we Stampin' Up! demonstrators receive a monthly magazine called "Stampin' Success" .  It is full of great business and stamping tips and always includes a card sketch or two.  This month's issue featured a sketch that is perfect for using up the scraps of DSP we all have laying around our craft rooms.  Last week at our monthly meeting, my upline Jamilla Ivits did the following card as one of our make 'n' takes based on this issue's sketch:

Colour combo from the Colour Coach.  DSP is Botanical Gazette and stamp images are from Clearly for You set.

I loved the simplicity with which this card went together and the fact that there is still lots of visual interest.  So I decided to try my own version of it using a Valentine's theme for some of my workshops this month.  Here is what I came up with:

Valentine's card using sketch from January's Stampin' Success magazine

As you can see, I kept many of the same features that Jamilla's card had:  the double line of piercing on the left, the taffeta ribbon around the top and the offset circles of various colours of cardstock and DSP.  I drew my colour scheme from the Love Impressions DSP which features real red, basic gray, whisper white and pink pirouette.  The stamped images are from the Valentined Defined set.  The sentiment, also from that set, was stamped in real red on whisper white cardstock and then die cut using my scalloped rectangle clearlits die and my Big Shot.  This die is see-through so it is really easy to position and centre over the stamped image. 

I love that using a simple, versatile sketch opens up so many possibilities for creating very different cards without having to come up with a whole new layout every time.  Tomorrow I'll show you another card I did from a different sketch in a previous issue of SS...see you then!

Furever Valentine

First day back at work after two weeks off and I feel like I never left...hmmm...

Fortunately I did enough stamping over the weekend to provide enough blog material for the week.  Today's post is another card I did using the Friends Furever set.  I'm starting to do Valentine-themed cards in preparation for this month's classes and workshops.  So here is one candidate...

Cute Valentine using Friends Furever set and Playdate DSP!

Close up of the little doggie with his Valentine

Sentiment and retired epoxy brads I purchased during the online Clearance Rack Blitz!

Inside of card

Close up of sentiment from the Valentine Defined set in the new Occasions Mini.

I like this card because it is one you could send to pretty much anyone.  I also like that it is clean and simple...something I haven't done much of lately!  Here is what I did:

I started with a small piece of watercolour paper on which I stamped the images using Staz-On ink.  (I had to mask the dog to get the Valentine to look like he was holding on to it.)  I coloured the images using my blender pen and ink pads in real red and basic grey.  I sponged all the way around the edges of the watercolour paper with real red ink and then adhered it to a slightly larger piece of basic gray cardstock.  Then I took a piece of basic gray cardstock and layered the heart patterned paper from the Play Date DSP pack on it.  I then adhered the focal image using dimensionals.  The I added the brads and then adhered the whole thing to a real red card base.  The sentiment is stamped using basic gray ink on whisper white cardstock and is punched out with the medium jewelry tag punch.  I adhered it to the back of the middle brad with a glue dot.
For the inside of the card, I adhered a 4 x 5 1/4" piece of whisper white cardstock to the inside of the card and then added a narrow strip of the DSP along the left edge.  I stamped the sentiment in basic gray, cut it out using my paper trimmer and sponged the edges in real red ink.  I stamped the first part of the sentiment again, inking it with my real red marker, and then punched it out with the word window punch.  I adhered that piece to the basic gray sentiment using dimensionals.  I layered the whole thing on a decorative label punch out in real red, popping it up again with dimensionals.  Then I glued the whole thing inside my card.

This was a quick and easy card, even with the bit of colouring and masking.  It may just make my monthly card class line-up!  Tomorrow is my team meeting, so I likely won't have time to post, but I'll be back on Wednesday with more Valentine ideas.

Season of love...

As we finish last-minute preparations for the BIG day tomorrow, I have a card for the other season of love...Valentines Day!  This was made with more items from my Occasions Mini pre-order...check it out!

Valentine's Card made using the new Love Impressions DSP & Valentine Defined set from the Occasions Mini

Close up of the sentiment...I love this 'cuz its perfect for just about anyone.

Close up of inside sentiment

Full view of inside of card

Isn't this cute?  I am not big into Valentines Day...beyond making a card for my hubby and my son, I really don't do much.  But the new Valentine Defined set may just change that!  I like that this set has something for everyone, making it easy to create cute Valentines projects for friends and family.  This set and the coordinating DSP go on sale January 4th when the Occasions Mini goes live.  This mini is full of great new products.  If you still need a copy, drop me a line and I will send you a copy for FREE!

In the meantime, good luck finishing that last-minute wrapping and have a wonderful Christmas Eve!