A Simple Note at Christmas

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Brian

If I were Oprah Winfrey, I would definitely include Stampin’ Up!’s Note Cards and Envelopes on my Favorite Things List. Since I am not Oprah, my proclamation that I love these note cards isn’t quite as exaggerated and doesn’t get one minute of air time, but I’m going to give it a try, anyway: “[clears his throat] Everyone wants a quick and easy way to communicate with loved ones this holiday season. That’s why the next item on my Favorite Things List is Stampin’ Up!’s NOTE CA-RDS AND EN-VEL-OPES!!!!! YOU GET A PACK! AND YOU GET A PACK! AND YOU GET A PACK!…that’ll be $5.95 plus shipping and taxes…” Wow! That was big!

In all seriousness, these Note Cards and Envelopes are one of my favorite finds in the catalog. They are hidden on page 160, and are really inexpensive, providing a perfect base for a quick and easy card. Here’s a quick Christmas card I made – nothing fancy, nothing complicated:

Tips, Tricks and Reminders:

Simple Shading. The three stamped images on this card were shaded with a blender pen. In case you missed it, I shared this technique in my first video tutorial on Saturday. If you missed it, please check it out here. It’s easy to render this effect. Simply stamp the image and then pull the color out of the stamped lines by running your blender pen in tiny circles from the edge of the image into the center. This works perfectly on bold images with lots of white space inside – but it won’t be white any longer after your blender pen does its magic!
A pop of solid color. These images from Every Little Bit are perfect for a quick and easy card. While the shading technique adds some interest to the images, I think the images really popped when I added a touch of solid color to one small part of each image using my Stampin’ Write Markers. The hearts on the mug and ornament and the heel of the sock really pop and add balance to the card.
The power of three. I have a theory that three images is better than one, two or four. There’s something so calming about it. Here’s a copy/paste from one of my previous posts that says it all:

In comedy, a punchline is funny. A callback to that punchline is funnier. A second callback (the third reference to the item) is the funniest. There’s balance in threes. Likewise, a collection of three images is almost always appealing and calming.

Stamp sets: Every Little Bit, Teeny Tiny Wishes Papers: Real Red, Gumball Green, Whisper White, Note Cards (Whisper White) Inks: Real Red Accessories: 1″ Square Punch, Scallop Square punch, Word Window punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Thanks,

Brian

Gift certificates. Don’t forget to subtly request Stampin’ Up! gift certificates for Christmas – or buy them for your crafty friends (or yourself). These are redeemable only by me, and I’ve included a little bonus cash. Click here for more information.

Ribbon shares. There are still seats available in my current ribbon shares. Don’t you want a bunch of ribbon for a little? Check out the options here

Lovely as a Tree at Thanksgiving

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Brian

No stamp set has as much staying power as Lovely as a Tree. For eleven years, we’ve seen amazing pieces of art that showcase the forest of trees, the solid oak tree and the tall, proud fir. I can’t think of any that showcased the pair of oak leaves from that set (at least I haven’t identified any projects as the oak leaves from that stamp set). To pay tribute to this overlooked stamp and to use my Core’dinations card stock, I snipped a lawnfull of leaves, created a beautiful tree trunk and made this card:

Tips, Tricks and Reminders

Core’dinations Card Stock

With the Holiday Catalog this year, Stampin’ Up! introduced Core’dinations Card stock, a crafty, multi-layered card stock with a lighter color of card stock underneath the exterior. Here’s how I created the tree trunk:

I ran the Core’dinations card stock through the Big Shot with the Woodgrain textured embossing folder and started to lightly run the sanding block over the texturized surface:
Here’s a fuzzy view of the finished product. Because the card stock is Early Espresso, it doesn’t photograph well – it comes across as too dark - so I’ve had to alter the quality of the photo. Me sorry.

My Bucket of Lost Dreams

On a shelf in my craft room, I keep a little plastic bin that I affectionately refer to as my Bucket of Lost Dreams. If I change course on a card halfway through a card, I drop the snips into this bin. When I am lost for inspiration or lacking time, I pull this bin down from the shelf and flip through it.

A couple of weeks ago, I participated in a Pals Paper Arts color challenge. I snipped a mess of leaves but decided the card didn’t need them. Good news for today’s project!

Stamp sets: Lovely as a Tree, Teeny Tiny Wishes Inks: Early Espresso Paper: Crumb Cake, Core’dinations Card Stock (Early Espresso), Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Very Vanilla, Designer Series Paper Stack Accessories: Sanding Block, Apothecary Accents Framelits, Modern Label punch, Word Window punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I’ve had a great time.

Brian

A Natural Beauty: Naturals Composition Designer Series Paper

Posted on September 23, 2012 by Brian

When the current catalog was revealed earlier this year, I was immediately drawn to the Naturals Composition Designer Series Paper. This sturdy, clear embossed 12″x12″ pack of DSP would certainly prove to be a versatile friend for all sorts of great projects. It’s my fault, though, that I’ve only used it once. It was this draining guilt that led me into my craft room to create a project with this paper.

Tips, Tricks and Reminders:

Use the tools you have. You already have the sponges and sponge daubers (well, I think I remember seeing them in your craft room the other day), but when was the last time you used them? Don’t forget they are there! To create this look, I simply sponged the DSP with Primrose Petals and then wiped over the image with a paper towel (you already know the brand I use, right?). Wiping the image removes the ink from the embossed portion of the DSP (the ink won’t really dry there, so it’s best to wipe it off so it doesn’t transfer to something else).

BEFORE:

AFTER:

It’s called Word Window for a reason. I know I didn’t invent this concept, but until now, I have only used my Word Window punch to create a tag-like label – I just haven’t found a reason to make that punch be a window. Instead of trying to stamp on the background through the window (soooo much room for error with that), here’s what I did:

I knew I wanted the base layer of my card to be Crumb Cake, so I stamped the sentiment on a scrap piece of Crumb Cake (I’m going to do something with that later):

I punched a scrap piece of Very Vanilla Cardstock with my Word Window punch and adhered it to the Naturals Composition DSP right where I wanted it to be.

I punched right over the punched scrap.

Here’s how it looked after it was punched:

I positioned the “friends” sentiment (from above) perfectly behind the punched window and adhered it to the back of the sponged piece of DSP. I then glued all of that to the Crumb Cake card base. All of this to avoid stamping precisely in the place I wanted to stamp? Why, yes. ‘Tis true. And it was well worth the labor.

Stamp Sets: Just Believe Papers: Natural Compositions Designer Series Paper, Crumb Cake Inks: Primrose Petals, Soft Suede Accessories: Crochet Trim, Word Window punch

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

The stampwithbrian.com One-for-one Card Swap. Don’t forget to join in on the fun! The stampwithbrian.com One-for-One Swap is under way. Send yours today to receive one tomorrow (well, not really tomorrow, but soon). For more information, click here.

Pals Blog Hop – Holiday Catalog Showcase

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Brian

Glad you could join us for some holiday crafting with the Stampin’ Pretty Pals! You’ve probably hopped over from Naki Rager’s blog at My Stampin’ Blog. I’m stop number 18 on the Pals Hop, and I’m glad you hopped in! I’ll help you “hop along” from blog to blog where you’ll find great ideas for Stampin’ Up! projects featuring the new Holiday Catalog! Should you hop off course, simply click on any of the links in the Pals Hop Line-up below and you’ll be back on track.

After the long, hot summers in the South, I always look forward to the Autumn and Winter holidays – the crisp air, the beatiful colors of Fall and the delicious treats around every corner. Halloween kicks things off in October, Thanksgiving keeps the party going in November and then Christmas (the matriarch of all holidays) finishes the year on a high note! For today’s project, I have focused on the first of the holidays, Halloween.

No one who knows me would ever call me Halloween-crazy. I don’t decorate my yard with gobblins and tombstones, and I don’t wear a Spongebob Squarepants costume to the grocery store on October 31. When I first saw Googly Ghouls in the Holiday Catalog, though, I was in love. These adorable characters truly embrace a child’s view of this holiday:

I mounted the ghouls on a long, slender card that would easily fit in a standard business envelope – the Basic Black base measures 9″x7-1/2″ and is scored at 3-3/4″ to make a 9″x3-3/4″ card front. I quite like the line-up of these ghouls, dancing along the long-stretched Gumball Green stitched ribbon.

Tips, Tricks and Reminders:

Add a touch of color. While these characters would still be adorable in solid black, I wanted a pop of color for the witch and Frankenstein images. I stamped both characters in Basic Black and Gumball Green and then carefully snipped selected components out of the Gumball Green images to carefully glue atop the Basic Black images. A lot of snipping on this card, but a lot of fun!

Set the mood. A simple orange moon accents the oh-so-spooky line dancers on this card, giving the characters a location and a perfect space to showcase the adorable…er, I mean…scary bat.

Come back tomorrow! To accompany the ghouls, I made an envelope with a Pumpkin Pie sheet of the Bold Designer Series Paper Stack that opens from the side. In tomorrow’s blog post, I will provide the step-by-step instructions for making this beautifully coordinated envelope that allows the ghouls to appear one-by-one as the card is removed from the side of the envelope.

Stamp sets: Googly Ghouls, Teeny Tiny Wishes Papers: Basic Black, Whisper White, Gumball Green, Pumpkin Pie, Bold Designer Series Paper Stack Inks: Basic Black, Gumball Green Accessories: Gumball Green 3/8″ Stitched Satin Ribbon, Modern Label punch, Word Window punch, 1-3/4″ Circle punch, 3/16″ Corner punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Now hop along for more inspiring ideas from Kim Luithle’s blog at Kim’s Stampin Stuff, stop number 19 on the Pals Holiday Catalog Blog Hop! Thanks for “hopping” by!

A Cup of Thanks for Allie G

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Brian

I demonstrated card-making at an incredible workshop last week for my friend [and, as of yesterday, new team member] Allie G. Instead of my tried-and-true set of workshop cards, Allie special-requested a tea-themed card. Allie asks, Allie gets!

Here’s the card Allie and 14 (or more) of her friends made:

With such a large group, we assembled this card in a long procession from station to station, but each and every participant got one done. A small sliver of Comfort Cafe DSP sets the mood for this warm and friendly tea bag holder.

I cut a piece of Soft Suede card stock into fourths (4-1/2″ x 5-1/2″) and then cut a piece of Very Vanilla card stock to 4″ x 8″. I scored the Very Vanilla card stock at 5″ and 7-1/2″. Simply fold the card stock in half, fold back 1/2″ flap and then cover it with a little DSP (glued to the inside of the card) and then add the brads. You now have a perfect pouch for a packaged tea bag! Allie also provided a little honey straw for her guests, but I may have already used my honey straw in a big mug of tea.

Tips, Tricks and Reminders:

One ink-up, one stamp-off. Minimize the work by maximizing your blocks. The introduction of clear-mount stamps meant that we can combine our stamps on one block to get the perfect image. One ink-up, one stamp-off. Simply line up the clear-mount stamps and press them onto the block.

Play with the card structures. This card doesn’t open up - the base is only 1/4 a sheet of card stock. Should I want to include a sentiment, there are still several options without having to change the structure created here: I could add a little note into the pouch or write my note directly on the vanilla space above the tea bag or even add a note to the back. Either way, the recipient of this card is going to want to show it off, so don’t add an extremely personal sentiment to this card front.

Stamp sets: Morning Cup, Tea Shoppe Paper: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Comfort Cafe Designer Series Paper. Inks: Cajun Craze. Accessories: 3/16″ Metallic Brads, paper-piercing tool, paper piercing mat, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Modern punch, Word Window punch

Here are some other pictures from the party:

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

Get Well, Sunshine!

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Brian

Sometimes you just need a cheery and bright card. That’s where Mixed Bunch comes into play. Here’s a quick and easy card I made to brighten anyone’s day. Of course the sentiment is replacable with almost any greeting – “hello”, “happy birthday” or “feed the cat” would work just as well here.

Here’s my card:

I learned this “sunlight” technique from a stamping blogger. It’s really easy, and makes quite an impact. I held a piece of scrap paper at the base of the card (where the center of the flower is now) and extended it to the right edge of the card. Using my sponge daubers, I sponged Daffodil Delight onto the card from the bottom edge of the scrap paper. I moved my scrap paper around the card bit by bit to make this rays effect. Pretty cool, huh?

I originally designed this card with the peacock from World Treasures but replaced it with the flower because the peacock looked too much like a rooster you’d find on an IHOP print ad. I love the simplicity of the bold flower with the busy background.

Tips and Reminders:

Mix your patterns. What made the peacock not work was that the intricate designs in the peacock feathers fought with the pattern of the rays in the background. It’s best to mix intricate patterns with solid ones or solid ones with solid ones, but intricate and intricate rarely work well together. I liked the background of this card so much that I simply replaced the peacock with the flower. Don’t worry! I saved the peacock, and you’ll see it again.

Stamp sets: Mixed Bunch, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Betsy’s Blossoms Inks: Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Gumball Green Papers: Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie, Gumball Green Accessories: Blossom Punch, Sponge Daubers, Word Window Punch

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brian

A Friendly Dose of Water Coloring

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Brian

An online chat today centered around water coloring. Water color paper or Whisper White? Blender pens or Aqua Painter? Water color crayons or water color pencils? Ink pads or refills? The discussion got me itchin’ to get to my basement and create a work of water color art.

I headed straight for Morning Cup and just knew I wanted to water color with that set. Instead of the cool tea kettle or single, dainty tea mug, I reached for Take a Sip, the Stampin’ Around Wheel that coordinates with the set. I don’t really use the wheels, so I pealed the rubber off my wheel and mounted it on clear-mount cling foam. I store it in my Morning Cup case so it’s always right in reach, and it mounts perfectly on my clear mount blocks. Here’s my card:

Helpful hints and reminders:

Water coloring tips. Stamp on the water color paper with StazOn ink to ensure a permanent image. Tap the moistened Aqua Painter onto the flat end of the crayon to grab the color. I start on one side of each image and drag my color across the image. In this card, I dragged from left to right. This grades the color beautifully. Don’t be afraid to add more color or different colors. The water blends the color beautifully.
Don’t forget to add texture. The water color paper has a really great texture to it. To add a little texture to the background of this card, I scored two lines on the back of the Baja Breeze card stock using my Simply Scored Scoring Tool. Adds nice dimension to the card.

Stamp sets: Take a Sip, Teeny Tiny Wishes Inks: Early Espresso, Jet Black StazOn Paper: Watercolor Paper, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla Accessories: Simply Scored Scoring Tool, Simply Scored Stylus, Word Window Punch, AquaPainter, Water color crayons

Please don’t leave yet! I have one more thing to tell you about before you leave. All July long, I have encouraged you to join my team by offering you a free stamp set of your choice. Starting tomorrow, August 1, Stampin’ Up! is offering an amazing collection of Halloween goodies (a really great painter tray with all the fixings to decorate it up for Halloween – includes papers, ribbons and a really great Halloween stamp set. Come back tomorrow to see more about it. Offer still stands, though, if you want to sign up on my team by end of the day today…To learn more, click here.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Brian

stampwithbrian.com

Paper crafts – creating, collecting, organizing, inspiring

Tag Archives: Word Window Punch

A Simple Note at Christmas

Lovely as a Tree at Thanksgiving

A Natural Beauty: Naturals Composition Designer Series Paper

Pals Blog Hop – Holiday Catalog Showcase

A Cup of Thanks for Allie G

Get Well, Sunshine!

A Friendly Dose of Water Coloring

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