Running With Scissors...

A Friendly Halloween Greeting

Well, now, don’t all those smiling faces beaming at you make you want to smile right back?

I made this card for a little girl, and that’s one of the best reasons I can think of to cut loose with the fun images and bright colors.  At least that’s the reason I’m giving.  Honestly, there’s a kid in me that just loves this stuff, too!

I’ve used my Whipper Snapper Hocus Pocus set, designed by Anna Wight.  It’s a few years old now, but since Halloween comes around only once a year it seems new every time I bring it out.

I watercolored on 90# hot press watercolor paper with these Tombow Markers:

The designer papers are not Halloween at all, but something old called Kaleidoscope from My Mind’s Eye.  I’ve been using them for kids’ Halloween cards for years.  I matched them up with Memory Box cardstocks in Wisteria and Key Lime and matted that on Stampin’ Up! Basic Black and Pumpkin Pie.  The Wisteria panel was embossed with the Cuttlebug Seeing Spots folder, then sanded to bring out the white core.  I also used some CTMH black cardstock in the design.  It’s not as black as Stampin’ Up!, but I love that it can be sanded to show the white.

The bat is covered with Black Diamond Stickles, and each character has one tooth glittered with Stardust Stickles (clear).  There’s more Stardust on the pumpkin leaf and banner.  Not such a great photo sparkle-wise.  It’s much more effective in real life.

The Spellbinders dies used are:

• Standard Circles Small
• Standard Circles Large
• Labels Sixteen S4-301
• Floral Flourishes S4-327

And that wraps up Halloween for now.  I would have loved to make more Halloween cards for the fun of it, but there are so many things to do just for the fun of it, and only so much time.  What’s a girl to do?  And what about Christmas?  I’ll pop in with a little bit of that on Friday.  Hope to see you then!  Have a great day!

Party Cats in Party Hats

I just realized my last four posts were no-coloring cards.  Oh, my word, what has come over me?  Really, I’m still coloring… I simply haven’t had time to put the cards together or post them.  However, I had to take time to make a birthday card for a 2 year old girl, so I brought out my Whipper Snapper Party Kittens which I have on hand for occasions such as this.  The sentiment is from Penny Black.

This looks like my kind of party – a fun loving bunch, and furry to boot!  I colored the kittens with Copic Markers and layered Spellbinders Labels Seventeen onto an embossed background and hot pink card base.  To make the curlicue nosegay I heated some Swiss dot sheer ribbon with my heat gun until it curled to my satisfaction.  There’s a large glazed brad in the center which holds the ribbon to the card.  To finish off the nosegay I tied a length of ribbon around it and left long tails hanging.

I hope all the mothers out there enjoyed your special day yesterday.  The gift I most treasure is time, and I was able to relax a bit and work in the garden, play with Wally, read on the deck, visit with the neighbors, even do a little stamping.  A good day!  Now, back to work…  Have a great week!

Stamps:  Whipper Snapper Party Kittens, Penny Black Lot Cuter (sentiment)  Paper:  Pink Passion, Flourishes Classic White, DCWV Nana’s Nursery Baby Girl  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Navy (sentiment), Copic markers for coloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, glazed brad, Cuttlebug D’Vine Swirl embossing folder, Spellbinders Labels Seventeen, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

He's Back and He's Loaded for Bear

One more card this season with my Whipper Snapper "Bear"ing Gifts.

 

He's living in Eskimo Kisses country today (of the BasicGrey persuasion), standing on a drift of chunky glitter snow, his gifts froufrou'd up with fun fibers.  A click on the photo will give you a closer look, and everything I used is listed in the recipe, below.  This is one of those days I have lots to do and... well... you know the story.  No time to linger since I spent all my spare time stamping.    Always time well spent, though, isn't it?

Since this will be my last post until after Thanksgiving, I'll leave you with a wish for many blessings and a happy day.  I'll see you again soon!

Stamps:  "Bear"ing Gifts (Whipper Snapper), Glad Tidings (Stampin' Up!)  Paper:  Flourishes Classic White, BasicGrey Eskimo Kisses designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Real Red, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Baker's twine, fun fibers, button, rhinestone, chunky glitter, 3/4" circle punch, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, Martha Stewart edge punch, Spellbinders Labels Seventeen Nestabilities, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Bear Bearing Gifts

I bought this Whipper Snapper guy last winter and it was almost un"bear"able to wait till now to use him.  At that time he was a 2010 new release and there have been lots of new Whipper Snappers released since then, but I don't dare look, if you know what I mean.  I love Whipper Snapper stamps!

The stamp is called "Bear"ing Gifts, and you can find him here.  I did all the coloring with soft chalks, using foam applicators.  For the smallest areas I picked up chalk color with a blender pen and applied it to the image much like using a marker.  A finishing spray of matte sealer helped pop the colors, though they still remain somewhat soft in appearance.

Still trying to come to the end of my Figgy Pudding papers.  Almost there.  I can't imagine when I used all the rest of these papers, as it's an unusual occurrence for me to actually finish out a paper pad.  The snowflake was made with Spellbinders dies and lots of Stickles glitter, and a cute little glazed brad inserted in the center.  The sentiment comes from Flourishes' Sweets of the Season.

That takes care of Christmas for the week.  Tomorrow I'll be back with a card which celebrates the current season.  I hope to see you then.  Have a great day! 

Stamps:  "Bear"ing Gifts (Whipper Snapper)  Paper:  Cool Caribbean, Flourishes Classic White, BasicGrey Figgy Pudding designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ruby Red  Accessories:  Ribbon, soft chalks for coloring, Stickles Stardust glitter, oval punch, glazed brad, Spellbinders Snowflake Wonder Shapeabilities

An Easter Delivery

I'm on a mission to finish some Easter cards a friend requested for her grandchildren.  This is one of the last few I'll be making this year.  I've used a Whipper Snapper image I purchased specially for one of her little granddaughters.  It's called An Easter Delivery. 

I colored it with Copics on Classic White Cardstock, choosing colors to coordinate with this retired Stampin' Up! designer paper.  The soft green card base is a textured Bazzill -- very close to River Rock, one of my all-time favorite SU! colors which is sadly retired.  The "hugs and kisses" is an SU! sentiment, punched with a 3/4" circle punch.  I covered it with a square Page Pebble, then trimmed down to the punched circle.

I had a rather busy weekend and didn't get much stamping done.  I did put together three "card kits" for the Easter cards -- selected my papers, cut the pieces for simple layouts, and coordinated accessories.  For each kit, I tucked its parts, including the stamped image, into a baggie.  I'm hoping the kits will make for quick cards, provided I can find time to get the coloring done.  I'll be back to share more when coloring happens!

I hope this Monday finds you well!  See you soon, I hope...

Stamps:  An Easter Delivery (Whipper Snapper)  Paper:  Pastel green Bazzill textured, Classic White, retired SU! designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Silk flower, brads, Page Pebble (clear resin sticker), 3/4" circle punch

B'kok!

I think I'll send this card to my son for Easter.  Nothing fancy -- just a chicken and a big ol' Easter Egg. 

This is one of my new Whipper Snapper stamps called Hen's Easter Egg.  I colored it with Copics on Flourishes Classic White Cardstock.  The sentiment is from one of Flourishes' older Easter sets called Easter Bunnies.  It fit perfectly in my Stampin' Up! Modern Label punch.

The white is layered on SU! Cool Caribbean and Memory Box Key Lime.  There was some space left over on the opening side, so I trimmed it with pinking shears, added a border of green underneath and pinked that, too.  When the card is closed, the inside layers add a little more trim to the border -- see the photo at the end of this post.

Just a note:  Ordinarily I like to keep my cards easily mailable.  I don't mind adding extra postage for weight, but a button tied with linen thread and glued atop three layers of ric rac is pretty bulky and could step this up to parcel status.  In this case, it will be mailed in a package, so I'm not concerned about it.  I love to embellish, but I forego a lot of the really fun stuff in favor of making cards I'm more likely to use...sigh...

In regard to a card I posted the other day, I was asked how I made the Swiss Dot border while leaving the inside area emboss-free.  I'll try to explain...

I scored the outer edges of the cardstock first, to help define the frame and act as a guide for placement of my embossing folder.  I then embossed one edge at a time.  I hope this photo helps to illustrate:

There were certain areas where the folder edge overlapped previous embossing, and subsequent passes through the Cuttlebug flattened those embossed areas a little bit.  The score lines were slightly flattened, as well:

For a quick fix of the score lines I simply scored again.  To pop up the flattened Swiss Dots I turned the panel face down on craft foam and pressed into the flattened dots lightly with one end of a tapestry needle.  Any small, blunt point would work, such as a stylus:

Here she is again!  You can see how the inside edge of the card plays with the card front in the border design:

I'm so glad you could drop in and spend a moment today.  I'll be back tomorrow with something pretty for Ruby Tuesday.  See you then, I hope!

Stamps:  Whipper Snapper Hen's Easter Egg, Flourishes Easter Bunnies  Paper:  Classic White, Cool Caribbean, Key Lime  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Only Orange, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Ric rack, button, linen thread, Modern Label punch, Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder, pinking shears, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

A Little Girl's Birthday

This is a birthday greeting for a four year old girl.  I recently went shopping at Whipper Snapper and purchased several images I could use for children.  I knew I'd have a good time using these stamps.  Who am I kidding?  Kids?  I bought these stamps for the kid in me!  I'm just lucky I have friends who need childrens' cards.

This one is called Party Koala.  For some reason it looks like a boy koala to me, but I needed to make it fitting for a little girl so I added pink and sparkly paper and a big flower (picked from an artificial spray).  It's colored with Copics.  Oh, my gosh -- so fun!  I can't wait to color the next one!  Have a great weekend!

Stamps:  Whipper Snapper Party Koala, SU! sentiment  Paper:  Memory Box Granny Smith, Flourishes Classic White, DCWV Nana's Nursury Baby Girl designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Flower, BasicGrey brads, tag punch, Cuttlebug Paisley embossing folder