Faux Silk

Today's design team challenge at StampNation is to use the "Faux Silk" technique.  Who comes up with these names?  I didn't know it had a name, but I learned this technique from US Air Force Captain Catherine Todd at a scrapbooking workshop in my home over 8 years ago!  Yes, pilots like to scrapbook, make cards and can be women!!!  She is still my hero.

The technique that Catherine showed me was to take some pretty tissue paper, wad it up to get the tissue paper crinkly.

Then unwrap it and put it on a piece of cardstock with a glue stick.  It was so easy and so pretty.  You can use any color/pattern you want, and if you can't find a pattern just make your own by stamping on the color of your choice.  Even when I wasn't good at making cards I could use this technique and have pretty results. 

Today's card takes that up a notch with some stamping, layering and embossing.  The background stamp was inked up with Black Staz-On ink and stamped onto my red tissue paper.  I then layered the tissue paper onto Real Red cardstock.  It's fun to experiment with different colors of cardstock behind the tissue paper.  Each one give the tissue paper a different hue.

This card was going to be a sympathy card, but it took on a gothic look with all that black and red.  I quickly made it into more of a romantic card.  It was going to be sent to OWH, but with the added glitter strips, I'm not sure it will.  Perhaps I will try adding Crystal Effects over the Red Glimmer Paper to be sure no glitter will come off on our troops.

Techniques like these never grow old.  We can update them with newer products and trendy designs.  I hope you will give this technique a try.  It really is easy!

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Grunge Swirl (Stamper's Best), Loving Thoughts
Colors: Black, Real Red
Misc: Black Lace Ribbon (Retired), Gold Embossing Powder, Fancy Fan Embossing Folder




Loving Thoughts



Red Glimmer Paper



Fancy Fan Embossing Folder



Garden Happiness ~ FMS86

This morning I went into my hobby room and filmed 2 videos and made 3 cards.  It was so much fun to play with new paper and stamps.

I went to my stamp room with a few sketches and a new pack of paper.  When I saw this sketch on Freshly Made Sketches challenge website, I knew I want to try it with the Gingham Garden patterned paper.  The paper is fun and fresh and I wanted to make a card that would highlight the DSP.  

When it came time to add a sentiment to this card I chose the word "Happiness".   It makes me happy when we have a rainy, gloomy day outside so that I can play with my paper inside.  :)

I'm so glad that I could take a break from pulling weeds, trimming bushes and plating flowers to play with my paper and stamps.  Thank you FMS for providing a great sketch to get me going.  Perhaps I will try out this sketch with the other new paper pack I just got????  

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

Card Recipe (All items are SU)

Stamps: Loving Thoughts

Paper: Gingham Garden DSP (available 5/30/13), Night of Navy, Whisper White

Misc: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Punch, Bitty Banner Framelits, 1/8" Night of Navy Taffeta Ribbon

Forever & Always

I have a thing for flourishes and hearts.  What could be better than combining the two?  I made this for my honey for Valentine's Day, but I think it would be a lovely Wedding card or Bridal Shower card too.

First I stamped the flourish from Everything Eleanor, then I stamped the sentiment, Forever & Always from Loving Thoughts.

Then came the fun part, the hearts.  I used the small heart punch and punched out some cardstock and designer series paper.  I also stamped some of the stamps from Hearts A Flutter and punched them out using the same small heart punch.  All the hearts were adhered using the 2 way glue pen. 

To add a bit of texture to some of the hearts I used Dazzling Details, on other hearts I used Crystal Effects and the rest I left alone. 

Creative Blessings,
Heather North




DSP Patterns Stack - Subtles



Small Heart Punch



Everything Eleanor



Hearts A Flutter




Dazzling Details



Two Tags Birthday

Today is my son's birthday, but this is not HIS birthday card.  I'll show his another day.  His is similar to this one though, so I thought I would share it with you.  

This card was for Catherine Pooler's birthday.  The challenge at StampNation was to create a birthday card for Catherine by CASEing one of her cards.  I chose on my favorites of hers to recreate into a fun, girly card.

The Two Tags die is the star of this card.  It's easier to show you the card on video than it is in pictures, so I filmed a short video for you. 

*Note- You may need to visit my blog to see the video, if you are not already there.

Isn't it darling?  I might film a video for you showing you how to make this with 8 1/2 x 11" cardstock, since Catherine's gives you measurements for a 12x12 sheet. 

At first I thought the More Amore Specialty DSP was my favorite paper from the Spring catalog, but I'm beginning to think it is the Sunshine and Sprinkles DSP I used on this card.  The bright colors make me happy.  :)

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

Stamps: Happy You (Hostess), Loving Thoughts, You're A Gem
Paper: Pacific Point, Sunshine & Sprinkles DSP, Whisper White
Misc.: Two Tags Bigz Die, Small Heart Punch, Basic Rhinestones, Melon Mambo Striped Organdy Ribbon, Jewelry Tag Punch, Brights Buttons, White Baker's Twine




Sunshine & Sprinkles DSP




Two Tags Bigz Die



Melon Mambo Striped Organdy Ribbon




Happy You



Thinking of You

I've seen this background technique used several times and wanted to try it out myself.  It's such a pretty look with the pearls added.

To make the background I used my Diagonal Scoring plate and scored at every 1/2", then turned and scored on the opposite diagonal every 1/2".  To make the texture show up and give the card a more vintage look I used a sponge and Crumb Cake ink to sponge over the cardstock.

For the dimension on the center piece I actually stamped the main image from Apothecary Art twice.  On the first one I ran it through the big shot with the matching framelit.  Then I colored in the image with a green (I think it was either Pear Pizazz or Wild Wasabi, but it could have been Certainly Celery) for the leaves and Pink Pirouette for the flowers. 

On the second Apothecary Art stamped image I stamped the "Thoughts of You" inside the banner, and hand cut it out so I could pop it on dimensionals.  I also colored in several roses using my Primrose Petals marker. Then I took the flower punch from the bitty punch pack and punched them out.  I used a small piece of dimensional to pop up the flowers.  The edges were sponged with crumb cake as well to flow with the background piece.

Some ribbon, crochet trim and an Antique brad finish this off.  It's so pretty in person that I would keep it on my shelf if I didn't need to send it to a friend.

Creative Blessings,
Heather North



Punch Pack





Apothecary Art



Antique Brads




Stampin' Distress Tool



Dare to Dream

As we say goodbye to 2012 and hello to 2013 I think it's ok to dream a little about what the new year will hold.

You could change the sentiment on this card and make it anything you want.  Those embossed clouds make me think of baby boys, graduation, thinking of you, even sympathy cards. 

My cards usually have more layers than this, but I wanted a clean and simple look.  

Have a safe and happy new year's eve.

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

P.S.  We had snow today.  :)

It was fun to see snow on the lighted "Christmas Trees" out front.

Supplies:
Stamps: Loving Thoughts
Ink & Paper: Bashful Blue, Whisper White
Misc.: Cloudy Day Embossing Folder (available Jan. 3, 2013)

Love Forever & Always

Yesterday was our Anniversary.  I was going to show you the card here when I got it done, but decided I should probably show my husband first, just in case he decided to check out my blog.  ;)  Here is a picture of the card beside the gorgeous flowers he brought me. 

I'm married to a wonderful man that I adore, and I know that no card I make could come close to display the love I feel for him, but I also know that by making it myself I put a little bit of my heart into it.

I knew I wanted to use glittery paper and the You Are Loved stamp set.  I also wanted Red.  What I didn't know was how to put it together.  Thankfully, Mojo Monday came to the rescue.

It's perfect!  I added a few more hearts to mine, and I shortened the skinny piece into a banner, but I think my card still captures the essence of this sketch.  You could easily make this card for a wedding or bridal shower too. 

From this angle you can see how I popped up the banner using 2 dimensionals on one side and a glue dot on the other.  This helps the banner to look like it's "blowing".  The Love is also popped up on the glittery decorative label, but it's hard to see that in this photo.

 The inside is decorated as well using some scraps from the front of the card.  Don't you love when it works out that way? 

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

SU products used:
Stamps: You Are Loved, Vintage Vogue (retired set)
Paper: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Red Glimmer Paper, ?Champagne/Copper? Glimmer Paper
Ink: Crumb Cake, Sahara Sand, Cherry Cobbler
Misc.: Hearts Embosslits, Med. Oval Punch, Decorative Label Punch

Wonderful You ~ rs#33

Today's post is a little late.  Sorry about that.  I've been dealing with a migraine headache for 2 days now.  Ugh!  But I really wanted to get this week's Retro Sketches challenge done on time.  It is just so cute.  I'm feeling a little better tonight, so I decided to give it a shot. 

Don't you just love it?!!!  Okay, perhaps it's just me, but for such a simple design it makes me want to squeal.  Quietly of course. 

The sketch looks like it has some stitching and I've been itching to try out sewing on my cards.   Not too bad for my first attempt.  (If I do say so myself.) 



The colors in Stampin' UP!'s Orchard Harvest paper work great with this week's challenge at the Play Date Cafe.  It was a happy accident for me.  I actually put together this card before seeing the challenge.  I guess great minds really do think alike.  :)  They are having a fun week of celebrating their anniversary over there, so you should go check them out.


Any ideas on what to make with all the other hearts I cut out?  Perhaps I will use them as confetti when I send this card.  :)

I used linen thread to hang my hearts.  When the card was almost done I sprayed it with some Shimmer Mist so it has a little sparkle.

One last look at this card and then I'm heading to bed. 

Come back tomorrow to watch my video showing how to make this 3-D "pumpkin".  

 

 

 

Creative Blessings,
Heather North



Loving Thoughts




Fashionable Hearts Embosslits



Orchard Harvest DSP