Andrea's Stampin' Moments

Birthday Cupcake - TECC44

  I am really running late tonight!  Others have been using the computer, so I had to wait my turn, which made me work on Christmas decorations I am still trying to finish for tomorrow - I usually wait until the 1st December to put up decorations, but tomorrow will be much easier!

This is my card for the Taylored Expressions sketch challenge this weekend which you can find here.

I have used the Inque Boutique mini set 'Birthday' to make the top of my 'cupcake', and the sentiment.  The dsp is from their 'Isn't it Romantic' pad - one of my favourites.

The inner squares were made by punching a small square and then using a larger square punch to the outer rim.  I just wanted to add a touch of colour, so that it wouldn't be too 'heavy'.

Do you like the candle on top?  It is from one of the Buttons Galore packs which are new in store, and are very cute!

I hope you get a chance to join in the stamping fun this weekend, and don't forget to leave a comment on the Freebie Friday post below for your chance to win this weekend!

O Holy Night

  This set from Lizzie Anne Designs was simply meant to be embossed I have decided.  I have made a few cards with this image, and the gold ep just looks fantastic...that and the beautiful shimmer to the Quartz metallic card.

I have also used a new translucent paper with gold stars that only arrived this week in the background.  I have secured it on the gold metallic cardstock using gold brads from the metallic mix.

Both images were cut and embossed using Spellbinders, with cream organza and gold thread woven through the tag die-cut.

Don't forget to comment on the post below for your chance in the Freebie Friday give-away!

Hope to see you back tomorrow for the weekend sketches.

Freebie Friday

  Good morning everyone!  I thought I would share with you this month a beautiful set from Inque Boutique called 'Stitch Fun'.  This set of 20 stamps comes self contained with stamping mats and two CD sized containers to store them in.

It's very simple once again, just leave a comment on this post from today until Monday morning and your name could be chosen - this is open to Australian residents only.

Inque Boutique will feature in my upcoming December sale, so if you don't win this weekend be sure to sign up for The Little Online Card Shops newsletter to hear all the super specials coming up!

I have a card to share with you a little later, but had better get the boys to school first!

Unto You...

O.k....so it's nearly the end of November and Advent starts this weekend.....and I am still deciding on the Christmas card I would like to send out...not a good sign.  This card was reasonably quick to make, so I may need to make a few more of this one, and then count up all the different ones I have done and see how many more I really do need to make....sounds like a plan, don't you think?

I ordered in a pack of the SU! DSP Dashing, and it is beautiful, so I have kept with that colour theme.  The stamp set is City of David, another favourite of mine.

I have used a lot of foam tape with this one, because not only are the main images raised but also the central background.

The image was coloured using Copic Sketch markers and lightly sponged with River Rock.

I hope your Christmas card making is going well.

Happy stamping until tomorrow,

Male Birthday

  This card was made using the TECC43 sketch challenge for this weekend.

I had another male card I needed to do, and the last for a little while!  I am happy to go back to pretty colours and more Christmas.  The challenge usually calls for a cupcake - hence it's name - but I couldn't use a cupcake for this person, so it was the beautiful set Lovely as a Tree from SU! and their DSP, that I used.

Initially I had stamped the tree directly on the front of the card, but thought it looked a little too plain, so I stamped it again and cut it using my Spellbinders.  The words are from Papertrey Inks set Father Knows Best, and everything else is as you see its, with lots of sponging.

Have a great day stamping.

A Quickie Birthday

  Adam had a birthday party to go to this afternoon, that I only heard about yesterday, so this morning I needed a very quick card before we headed out to do our Saturday morning jobs.  The sketch challenge for this weekend set me up with a great design for a simple boys card - you can see details here - so it was done in no time!

I have used the Brayton Font and Harmony Rectangle Stamper Set from JustRite Stampers for this once again.  It just makes it very easy to personlise a card.The cardstock and DSP is from last years SU! collection.

I hope to do another using this sketch before the end of the day, so we'll see how I get on.  I hope you can join in as well. 

Back to it...

  With still more birthday cards to make for this month, I have taken a minute to make a quick Christmas card.

This set was one of my favourites from Stampin' Up!, and I used it alot last season, so one more won't hurt.

The cardstock is Cranberry Crisp (discontinued) and Wild Wasabi from SU!, and the Spellbinders stars are in Bazzill Harvest.  The DSP I have had for a few years, so I can't tell you exactly which company that was from!

Have a great Friday, and don't forget to check in on the weekend sketches tomorrow.  See you then,

Tutorial Tuesday - Box measurements

  Firstly, I have to give a huge thank you to everyone that left a comment on yesterdays card, you are all so kind with your words, and taking the time to write them.

Today I had been asked to give a bit of a description on how to put a box together, and although I don't make complicated boxes, I think you can dress them up to be very special.

To work out what size I am wanting, I write down the inner base size that I would like - I draw either a little square or rectangle and put beside each side the length.  Then I decide how deep it is going to be and I write that down in each corner.  The box today is square - 12cm x 12cm with 4.5cm sides so I need a 21cm square piece of cardstock scored at 4.5cm in from each side.

I then simply clip in to the score line on two sides.

Add some adhesive and you are done.

To work out the lid I take the centre measurement and add 2.5mm so in this case it will be 12.25cm x 12.25cm so that it easily slips over the top.  I like the sides of the lid to be shorter so that I can see the base for a bit of contrast, but you don't have to.  With this box the sides of the lid are 2.5cm, so I will need a square of 17.25cm and I would score in from each side 2.5cm.

This particular designer paper was very sturdy so it didn't need any additional support, but when I use a lighter weight paper I add double the border so that I can fold it over twice to give the sides strength....hope that makes sense!

I still had some of this paper over which is why I thought I would use it to make a matching box, and I had such fun with the Touch of Nature set, it made the decision easy.

Have a great day!

A Touch of Nature

  I have a confession to make...when I first joined SU! this set was one of the first sets I sold, and it was one of the last ones I bought for myself before I left....and I only assembled it yesterday!  I felt like something a bit different with so much Christmas going on, and this one just popped off the shelf at me.

The paper is from the 'old' stash I found and the inspiration for the colours I have used.  The sketch is from Taylored Expressions, so be sure to pop across and take a look at everyones submissions.

All the images were coloured using the Copic markers that I have, with the main image then coated using my Versamark pen and clear ep, just to make it really stand out.  They were stamped using Palette Burnt Umber ink which you will find at TLOCS.

The cardstock Is Always Artichoke, Elegant Eggplant and very Vanilla from Stampin' Up! and the edges have been sponged using the matching inks.

My Spellbinders Classic Rectangles and Squares were used once again to give the crisp lines to the images.

I so enjoyed using this seat, as I knew I would, the detail is just amazing.

  Have a wonderful Monday, and I hope to be back tomorrow with a Tutorial Tuesday.

Christmas Peace

  This is the first in this weekends sketches that you will find here.

The main image is the Et Cetera Stamps I have had for some time.  It has been stamped on watercolour paper with Staz-on ink and then watercoloured using markers and an aquapainter.

I found the designer paper in a very old stash of mine, and I can't even tell you who it is by, but it is very cute.

The Ruby Red has been run through the Cuttlebug embossing folder to add the dotted feature.

I folded the top and scalloped the edge, then sponged with matching Ruby Red ink.

Thanks for stopping by today, and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Seasons Greetings Simplicity

  I could have added lots more to this one - piercing, brads, buttons - all sorts of things, but I wanted to keep it simple, so that if I had to make lots of them, I could do it very quickly.

The stamp set is from Lizzie Anne Designs, and is called Glad Tidings, and unfortuneately I think I only have a couple more in stock.  Using white pigment ink I have used one of the border stamps and stamped it twice, reversing the direction for the second. The red strip of cardstock is 3cm wide and I have distressed the edges.  The olive strip is 1.5cm and I have stamped the words on to here and assembled.  This card came together as I had intended....very quickly.  All cardstock is from Stampin' Up!

Have a great day stamping, and I hope to be back tomorrow for the weekend sketches.

Peace on earth

 

I love shimmery paper, it looks incredible...but it is the hardest thing for me to take a photo of!  The light always catches it.

I knew after last week that my work would finally catch up with me, and this week has been busy trying to finish Christmas cards, all for other people, but mine are next, guaranteed, unless I get another job!?!

Today I have used a pre-cut and scored Shimmery Quartz card as the base, and a new Shimmery patterned paper that I am trying before I stock it, but I think it looks beautiful IRL.

I chose a piece of designer paper from the Inque Boutique Isn't It Romantic 6 x 6 pad, and it looked so much like an old wallpaper that I decided to make it look a little like a room.  I brayered the bottom section with Creamy Caramel from SU! and then sectioned off the middle and sponged Palette Burnt Umber.  The images are from the Papertrey Ink set Believe, and I have used Copic matkers to colour them in.  The right side was looking a little bare, so taking two of my square Spellbinders I made a frame.  Both doves have been stamped with Versamark and then heat embossed with gold ep from AED.  To add a little more sparkle  I used a glue pen in the centre of the doves and on Santa's coat and hat to adhere the AED superfine glitter White Fizz.

There is a lot of layering to this, and I love the FTI foam squares.  They are very firm and hold their dimension well, and the backs are easily peeled off!

Thanks for stopping by today, I have loved taking time out to make this, and I hope you liked it as well.

Birthday Fun...TECC41

  This is the second card from the weekend sketches that I participate in, and it was great fun.  When I first saw the sketch it looked very feminine to me, but I needed another boy card so this is how it turned out.  You have to check out the other cards, as they are simply incredible!

The cardstock and DSP is from SU!, the cake image from Inque Boutique, and the words from Papertrey Ink. 

Rather than a scalloped edge I used buttons from the FTI Birthday range and used some white cotton in the centre.  I think I went a little over the top with the different brads, but I wanted it to be a fun card!

The image is stamped with Palette Noir Black and then coloured with Copic markers.  The sprinkles were filled in with orange glitter glue.

Happy stamping everyone!

Birthday greetings....WSC65

  This is my attempt at this weekends sketch which you can find here.

I have used my new Harmony Rectangles and Complete Brayton Font for all the wording on this card, and doesn't it look great.  I new I would love making up exactly what I needed for my cards.

The cardstock is Bazzill Basics Fawn and the DSp from SU!, and yes once again I have made use of my Spellbinders.

I shall try and be a little earlier tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by,

All Boxed Up....JustRite

  O.k. every one, let's get excited....it's raining!!  Now I can't remember the last time it rained like this, so I have the door and windows open so I can hear it trickle down the pipes and in to the tanks....it's an incredible sound that we give thanks for.

So on to today's little project.  The stamped centre is from the JustRite Baking Stamp Ensemble, and life certainly is sweet.

I have stamped the centre on white cardstock using markers to colour the different parts, and die cut with circle Spellbinders.  Once cut I coloured with a Copic marker keeping the die in place to form the outer white border.

The outer border is stamped on Creative Memories DSP and cut with a scallop from the Spellbinders circles.

I made the box because I wanted to match the lid with the DSP I used in the centre.  I had placed my finished centre piece on different boxes, but I simply wanted it to match.  I have used a very simple basic box pattern, so let me know if you would like to see a tutorial, I would be happy to share.

The gorgeous button is from the new range of buttons from Buttons Galore over at The Little Online Card Shop, so be sure to drop by and take a look at those.

The base of the box is made from SU! Real Red and wrapped with red grosgrain ribbon.

Looking forward to tomorrows sketch challenges, and maybe even a wet weekend!

Thanks for stopping by today and saying Hi!