Color Inspiration

June 15, 2009 in Inspiration, Set: Dreams Du Jour, Stampin' Up! | No comments

Going to Trader Joe’s is always trouble for me. It is impossible for me to walk out of there without buying some delicious treat for myself. A couple months ago it was chocolate covered sunflower seed, which may just be the sweet treat of the angels they are so wonderful. As I was pondering the wonderfulness of the sunflower seeds I notice how fantastic the color combo was:

TJ Sunflower Seeds I’m pretty new to Stampin’ Up!, and make fun of my upline Jess when she starts seeing SU! colors everywhere. All of a sudden, looking at this container I started doing it as well. Chcolate Chip? Garden Green? Old Olive? Summer Sun? Is that Pink Passion? What about that other yellow? Hmmm…doesn’t seem to match any of ours.

TJ challengeI used this color palette as the inspiration a card that I sent to Jess with a little present I was sending to her. It is a bit heavier on the green than was in the container, but I liked how the pink and yellow help make the card “pop”.

This was a nice and easy card to make. Using the Dreams du Jour set, I stamped the butterfly all over the Garden Green cardstock in Chocolate Chip Ink.

I then stamped the “Dreams” stamp in Stazon on Whisper white, and colored it using ink pads and blender pens.

Finally, I stamped the butterfly again on Summer Sun paper, cut it out, and glued it on the card using Tombow Multi and Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Recipe:

  • Stamps: Dreams du Jour
  • Paper: Garden Green, Whisper White, Summer Sun
  • Ink/Coloring: Chocolate Chip, Black StazOn, Pink Passion, Old Olive, Summer Sun
  • Accessories/Tools: Blender Pens, Paper Snips, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Tombow Multi
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Teacher Gifts

June 14, 2009 in 3D, Die: Matchbox, Set: Elegant Thank You | 1 comment

Treasure ChestsIn March a co-worker asked me about making teacher gifts for her son’s teachers. I immediately thought of the cute treasure chests that Gretchen Barron had featured on her blog using the matchbox die. So I worked up a couple samples, which were a big hit.

Aren’t they fantastic? They both use a lot of retired or soon-to-be-retired paper and ribbon. To make the tags I folded a rectangular piece of cardstock slightly bigger than the tag on the die in half, and carefully placed it so that the fold would stay intact when the tag was cut. It created the perfect little gift tag. I then glued a full tag from DSP on top, and stamped with the Elegant Thank You stamp.

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New Catalog Preview, #2

June 13, 2009 in Cards, Die: Scallop Envelope, Set: The More the Merrier, Stampin' Up! | No comments

Merrier-cupcake-note The new Level 2 Hostess set The More the Merrier, is so cute I just had to have it right away. It has great selection of images and sentiments for the major holidays during the year. I’m participating in a preview swap, and am still playing around with ideas. This is an idea I had that hasn’t really worked out yet, but made such a lovely little card I had to share.

This stamp actually has 5 cupcakes on it. I cut a piece of Whisper White paper to fit the Scallop Envelope die, inked up only three of the cupcakes and stamped them on the top card. I then used my Hobby Blade and a ruler to draw a straight line across, skipping the cupcakes. I then used my paper snips to carefully cut out the tops of the cupcakes. I then colored them with a mixture of Stampin’ Pastels and Stampin’ Write Markers.

Recipe:

  • Stamps: The More the Merrier
  • Paper: Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss
  • Ink/Coloring: StazOn, Stampin’ Pastels, Stampin’ Write Markers
  • Accessories/Tools: Hobby Blade, Paper Snips, Blender Pens, Stamp-a-ma-jig
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New Catalog Preview, #1

June 12, 2009 in Cards, Set: Birthday Wish, Set: Circle Circus, Stampin' Up! | No comments

This is the first card I made from playing around with my preview goodies. It is a bit hard to see, since the card is black, and the images embossed in black. It is also the first card I’ve done where I’ve stamped an inside.

Circle-button Circle-button-inside

For the “button” on the front, I embossed the image on Melon Mambo (my favorite new In Color!) with black embossing powder. I then cut it out and spread Crystal Effects over the top. I let it dry, then spread a 2nd layer on it.  It makes the circle shiny like a button and ads some “pop” to the front. Since the card is black, I knew I’d need a light colored paper on the inside, so I stuck with Melon Mambo. I stamped the Birthday Wish stamp.

Recipe:

  • Stamps: Circle Circus, Birthday Wish
  • Paper: Basic Black, Melon Mambo
  • Ink: Versamark, Basic Black
  • Accessories: Black Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Paper Snips, Crystal Effects, Scallop Edge Punch, 1/16″ punch, SNAIL, Stampin’ Dimensionals
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Neighbor’s Thank You card

June 3, 2009 in Cards, Set: Say It with Scallops, Stampin' Up! | No comments

Neighbor Thanks

Recently, my next door neighbor and I were chatting, and she apologized for how loud her two sons are (we live in adjoining town houses.) I said that I hardly notice, besides that is part of city living…noise. I told her what I find is strange is how I can smell EVERYTHING she cooks, and she must be a fantastic cook. A couple days later she shows up at my door with a plate of fried turkey wings, mac and cheese, and green beans!  So I made her this card.

I’m totally in love with it! So much so that I’m going to make a bunch of sets for some friends. I’m hosting my book club tomorrow night, and it turns out that only half of the folks in the club can come. I’ve disappointed and angry, and after a night of licking my wounds, I’ve decided to focus on the positive…the wonderful women that are coming. So I’ve chucked the fancy dinnerand am getting take out instead. To make up for my lack of culinary effort and to thank them for not flaking out on me, I’ve decided to make each of them a set of 4 of these cards.

“Whoa!” you say, “how can you have time for that?” Well, I have time for it because this card was soooo simple and quick to make. Simple cutting, simple punching, simple stamping.

Recipe:

  • Stamps: Say it with Scallops (retiring as of June 30th)
  • Paper: Sage Shadow, Sale-A-Bration DSP (retired - but you can use any So Saffron patterned DSP), Perfect Plum, Whisper White
  • Ink: Whisper White Craft, Sage Shadow
  • Accessories: Whisper White Ribbon, Hodgepodge Ribbon Slider (retired), Scallop Square punch, 1″ Square Punch, non-SU border punch, SNAIL, Stampin’ Dimensionals
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I’m back!

May 31, 2009 in Cards, Set: Just Beachy, Stampin' Up! | No comments

So you haven’t heard much from me in a while. I had computer problems, and life got a bit crazy. I’ve been doing lots of stamping so I’ve got lots of cool stuff to show off. I’ll be posting the last 2 months of stuff over the course of the week, so stay tuned!

Fathers Day Here is my most recent creation…a fathers day card for my dad. He’s always loved fishing, but since we lived in the city didn’t get the chance to do it that often. Now that he and my step-mom live in Savannah he gets to do it pretty often. Last Christmas he and I spent the afternoon fishing…I got very good at catching tree branches.

When I first saw Stampin’ Up!’s  Occasions Mini Catalog, I knew that I had to have the Just Beachy stamp set. Everytime I look at those silly fish I chuckle. Making Dad’s Father’s day card from this set was obvious…it is hard to see in the picture, but I tore the Baja Breeze paper into strips so it looks like waves. The fishing “rod” is a twig from the backyard (see…sometimes it pays off not to do yard work) with Linen Thread as the line; it is held onto the card using mini glue dots. The fish is stamped with Stazon on vellum and colored with blender pens and ink.

Recipe:

  • Stamps: Just Beachy
  • Paper: Baja Breeze, So Saffron, Riding Hood Red, Tangerine Tango, Vellum
  • Ink: Pacific Point, Basic Black, Black Stazon, Only Orange, Glorious Green, Yoyo Yellow
  • Accessories: Big Shot, Billboard Die, The Tearing Edge, Blender Pens, 1/16″ Circle Punch, 1″ Circle Punch, Linen Thread, SNAIL, Dotto, Mini glue dots
  • Inspiration: Cupcake Challenge # 70
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Virtual Stamping Night

March 29, 2009 in Cards, Set: Heartfelt Thanks, Stampin' Up! | 1 comment

Friday night my friend Jess and I had another Virtual Stamping night. Instead of  Google Chat we used Skype! So much fun.

Jess picked out the challenges this time: Kristina Werner’s Color Challenge #46 and Oodabug Alley’s Weekend Sketch Challenge #74.  Here is what I came up with:

Heartfelt Thanks It is a pretty straightforward card. Bashful Blue card base, and the first layer is Basic Black. I used the Scallop Edge Punch on the bottom of the Black layer and then used the 1/16″ Circle punch on each of the scallops. The next layer is a piece of the Riding Hood Red Patterns DSP.

For the oval at the bottom I stamped the flower outlines on Whisper White with Pretty in Pink and Regal Rose. Then stamped Thanks over it in Basic Black. . Then I used the now discontinued Coluzzle (boo hoo!) to cut out the oval. I’m so sad that the Coluzzle is no longer offered, but Stampin’ Up! is now carrying a fantastic new circle cutter and there is an Ovals die available for the Big Shot. Anyway, I then used Stampin’ Dimensionals to adhere the oval to the card.

The sketch had three embellishments in the top corner. I didn’t have any brads that would work well, but I did have some scraps of black gingham ribbon. I tied them into little knots, trimmed the ends, and glued them on using mini glue dots.

Recipe:

  • Stamps: Heartfelt Thanks
  • Paper: Bashful Blue, Basic Black, Whisper White, Riding Hood Red Patterns DSP
  • Coloring: Regal Rose, Pretty In Pink
  • Tools: Scallope Edge punch, 1/6″ Punch, Coluzzle (discontinued)
  • Adhesives: SNAIL, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots
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Easter Projects

March 29, 2009 in Open House Projects, Wheel: Neighborhood | No comments

Here are two projects that I’ve prepared for April’s Cocktails and Crafts and Sneak Away Saturday open houses. I’ve come down with a cold, so I don’t have a sample of an all-occasions card yet - sorry! The deal: 3 items for $5! Can’t beat that price these days. Email me at katy@onyxstamps.com if you are interested in attending!

Easter Bunny House Easter Basket

Details below:

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Uprising

March 15, 2009 in Cards | No comments

Boy am I loving my Big Shot! Here is another card that uses the Billboard alphabet die. This was inspired by all the bulbs starting to sprout in the flowerbeds at my work. No stamping here, but lots of punching and die cutting.

Uprising I made the flowers by using the 5 Petal Punch and cutting each of the petals apart. The Always Artichoke is just folded in half, the Old Olive is rolles, and the flowers are actually scraps that I rolled really thin. I made the bricks by using a Creamy Caramel Watercolor Wonder Crayon and then softening them with a Blender Pen.

The ground was made by ripping up scraps of Chocolate Chip paper. I started at the top, placing the flowers, then layering paper, rinse and repeat. I then trimmed the edges with scissors, and glued the letters on. Everything is held together by Tombow Multi.

Recipe:

  • Paper: Bravo Burgundy, Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke, Old Olive, So Saffron, Regal Rose, Perfect Plum, retired SU DSP.
  • Coloring: Earth Elements Watercolor Wonder Crayons
  • Adhesive: Tombow Multi
  • Tools: Big Shot, Billboard Die, 5 Petal Punch, Blender Pens
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Signs of Spring

March 7, 2009 in Set: Eastern Blooms, Stampin' Up! | 3 comments

One of the signs of spring I look forward to most  is the blooming of the Cherry Blossom trees. My childhood home had a weeping cherry in the backyard and I had a tire swing hanging from it. As a kid I could just disappear behind those flowering branches and feel like a princess.

Looking out my window, the snow from earlier this week has all melted but there are few (if any) signs that spring is around the corner. If I look closely at my maple tree I can see buds. With today’s 60+ degree weather(!!) it was the perfect day to open the windows and tackle the SoShelli.com Creative Challenge for this month: Spring! Because I can’t make things easy on myself I decided to also do this week’s Cupcake Challenge.

I’m so pleased with the result, I have to make the picture extra big!

EasternBlooms-Blossom

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