Playing with Ink

Have you ever stepped outside your creative box and tried something new?  That's what I did with the following card.  It's not my usual "style" and to be honest, I'm not sure how much I even like it.  So why am I sharing it with you?  Well, sometimes it just feels good to try something new and share it.

I cut a piece of watercolor paper in half, and then just started putting ink from my stamp pads onto the paper with a large watercolor brush.  In-between coats, I dried the paper with my heat tool.  When I was done, it still needed something to tie it all together so I inked the new Sheet Music background stamp in Basic Black ink and stamped it on the front.  

To fit the front of the card, I cut it down to measure 4"x5-1/4", wrapped a piece of Basic Black 3/8" Shimmer ribbon on the front, and placed it onto a Basic Black card stock card base.  I had a die-cut "Happy Birthday" element from earlier this month (cut from Berry Burst card stock using the Happy Birthday Thinlits die) while prepping for classes laying on my desk, and it was perfect for the front of the card.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you'll try something outside of your creative box too.

If you do, share it here in the comments!

Happy Stamping!

Another Happy Birthday Gorgeous! card

Sometimes it's the simple things, right?  I think so.  I received a card that used this layout but in different colors from my demonstrator stamping group I'm a part of.  I loved the simplicity of the card.

The "Happy Birthday" is a die cut that coordinates with this set and is available together as a bundle with a 10% discount when purchased together.  What's difficult to see are the "enamel" shapes on the card.  They are made with the 1/8" handheld circle punch, scrap Calyso Coral card stock and the Fine-Tip Glue pen.  What a great idea using those items to make as many "enamel" shapes as you want.  I'm not sure who created this idea originally, but I'm glad I learned about it.  If it was you, please let me know and I'll give you credit!

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Stamping!

July Club/Class Projects

Here are the projects we made this month in my classes & clubs:  All are cased from talented demonstrators who share their creativity with all!  So thankful during times of major creative block!

Dawn Olchefske

 

Holly Stene

Holly Stene

Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Stamping!

Christmas in July

It's the middle of July, but Stampin' Up! released early to demonstrator's a Christmas stamp set that will be available to everyone a month early (August) and will be in the new 2017 Holiday Catalog starting September 1st.

Carols of Christmas is available as a bundle with an awesome Thinlits die set that you are going to want to have!  It makes the set!  Though I've had it a couple weeks, I finally had some inspiration last night.  Creative block strikes again.  :-(

As I often will do when I have a creative block, I went to catalogs and looked at images to see if I could C.A.S.E. (copy and share everything) an idea.  This time, the 2016 Holiday Catalog came to my rescue.  This image of the host set was my inspiration.

And this is the card I came up with.  The greeting comes from the stamp set Holly Berry Happiness, a stamp set that was carried into the new catalog from last year's Holiday catalog.

Hope this inspires you to create too!

Happy stamping!