Sending Smiles

If you follow my Instagram account, you know that I love to save my scrap cardstock pieces and use them for die cutting images.  This card design provided another opportunity to use some of my scraps - this time, for butterflies.

 And, anyone who knows me is aware that I love the chance to add some bling.  To myself, to my cards, to my prop collection.  It's all good!

I started this card set using the Concord & 9th Sketched Stripes background stamp.  (I am in love with their background and turnabout stamp sets.)  I stamped the background stripes in two colours for each background to provide a bit of interest.

Once the backgrounds were stamped, I die cut them, and the coloured layering panels, to the sizes I wanted using the Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangles Stackables (2nd largest die) and the Lawn Fawn Outside In Stitched Rectangles (largest die).  Then, I determined where I wanted the sentiment to be and die cut the "smiles" sentiment from each stamped background layer. 

 The sentiment die is from the Big, Bold, Friends set by Winnie & Walter.  I then stamped the "sending" sentiment above the die cut using Versafine Onyx Black ink.  This stamp is from the Lawn Fawn Happy Happy Happy stamp set.  The butterflies are from Sizzix and I added some gems from Lucy's Cards to the bodies of each butterfly.  It's hard to capture in the pictures, but the light catches nicely in the gems in person.

I used Neenah Solar White 80lb cardstock for both the stamped background panels and the A2 sized card bases.  The ink is by Catherine Pooler Designs (All That Jazz, Something Borrowed, Party Dress and Tiki Torch).  The coloured cardstock layering panels are Simon Says Stamp cardstock in Island Blue and Doll Pink.

I created a different version of the card using the same background stamp and cardstocks, but switching up the inks (Simon Says Stamp Clementine, Hot Mama, Sea Glass and Island Blue) and using the Island Blue cardstock as the base, instead of the white.  I also  changed the sentiment die to the Fancy Aloha die, by Your Next Stamp, and swapped the individual butterflies for a butterfly border (also by Your Next Stamp). 

The butterflies are die cut out of the stamped background and popped up, offset a bit to show the blue background cardstock.  Instead of die cutting the sentiment out of the background, I die cut it out of matching Island Blue cardstock, stacked several together and slightly offset them onto a black cardstock (Licorice by Lawn Fawn) die cut of the same die.  Next, I adhered the stacked die cut sentiment to the card and, as a final touch, I added Nuvo Crystal Glaze to the butterfly border, to subtly set it apart from the background.

Cool Summer kit from Simon Says Stamp

Summer Themed Cards

Is anyone else not ready to let go of summer?  Autumn is my favourite season, but I'm just not ready to let go of the warm, lazy days of summer.  It's a dilemma, so what's a girl to do?  Make some more summer themed cards, of course!

Flamingos!

I was inspired by a design Heather Ruwe shared in the inspiration sheet that comes in the kit.  She created a background with the watermelon stamp from the One Cool Pineapple stamp set.  I loved that design and I used that idea with each of the images in the set, starting with the flamingo (what says summer better than flamingos?).

I stamped the images on smooth bristol paper and coloured them with Nuvo Aqua Flow pens and used a bit of water to pull the colour out into the images, for a light watercolour look.  I added a hand typed sentiment on a die cut stitched rectangle that I adhered to a die cut scalloped rectangle, which I popped up.  The friend I'm planning to send this card to will get a kick out of the cheeky sentiment!

For my second flamingo card, I used the Nuvo Aqua Flow pens to create a sunny beach scene for my die cut flamingo.  I cut the handsome fellow out of Simon Says Stamp glitter cardstock and added him to the scene.  Next, I added the sentiment, which is from the One Cool Pineapple stamp set, and added a flock of "pigeons" to the background.  It's a fun summer themed card.

I am quite enjoying the Nuvo Aqua Flow pens, but I clearly need a bit more practice!

Summer fruit

Pineapples make me happy!  They remind me of Hawaii, which is one of my favourite places in the world.  Adding the cool sunglasses to them just makes me like them even more.  In addition to colouring the pineapples, I also added a light blue wash between and around them, for a bit of added interest.  I made sure to leave room for the sentiment, and added the panel to a top folding card base.






Watermelon always makes me think of summer.  Same design and colouring technique as with the other backgrounds I created, but I added some stamped hearts in the white space between the slices.  I like that added touch.  It provides a touch of black on the card to match the stamped sentiment.

Summer images

The variety of summer images in the One Cool Pineapple stamp set is part of what drew me to purchase the kit.  Well, second to the flamingo, of course.  😉  The sunshiny face, the cactus and the fish were all perfect summer images.  There is a little something for everyone.

Foiled cards

I decided to do a set of foil cards for something a little different.  

I used Sookwang double-sided tape in 1/8, ¼, and ½ inch widths, adhering it to the cards either horizontally or vertically (see below).  Then, I used a variety of foils (Deco-foil & Gina K Designs) and, in one case Nuvo Guilding Flakes, to create a pattern on the card front.  

I then added a sentiment to each card from the Gina K Foil Mates.  

The last step was to add sentiments to the inside of the cards using the Young at Heart stamp set by Cas-ual Fridays.

The second version is similar, but I made a couple of changes -  diagonal lines for the pattern and gilding flakes instead of foil.  I like how a simple pattern change makes such a different look.