Thinking Inking

Looking for a Sign: Have Courage

Welcome to day three of JustRite's August Release! Today's stamp set and featured die set are creations of Becca Feeken, Amazing Paper Grace. Becca's products exude elegance and versatility; and Looking for a Sign, shown below, is certainly no exception. I needed an encouragement card for a dear family, so I chose the "Have Courage" sentiment for my 5" x 7" card.

As you can see, there are a LOT of sentiment possibilities with this set! 

I used both of Becca's Filigree Corner dies, the larger one for the bottom corners and the smaller one for the top corners of my card.

I stitched the four filigree corners to the patterned background and then added a layer of vellum cardstock to soften the card front.  (I used a couple of Melissa Frances papers on my card background. One was Hattie, and  the other--well, I had already used the piece with the name on it--sorry!) For the Have Courage panel, I used a Spellbinders Back to Basics Tags die template.  I also used a Spellbinders Labels Thirty die template, as well as a Twisted Metal Tags and Accents die template. I dyed some white seam binding with Copic R81 and a touch of R83 Various inks. 

For more projects with Becca's Looking for a Sign and Filigree Corner dies, check out the following blogs. Thank you for visiting today!

JustRite Inspiration 

Becca Feeken

Debbie Olson (HERE)
Michele Kovack 
Darsie Bruno

Heidi Blankenship
Eva Dobilas
Marisa  Job 
Kazan Clark
Angela Barkhouse
Kristi Shurr
Barb Schram
Sheri Holt 

Dainty Doilies: Thinking of You

Welcome! Yesterday started a new day in the JustRite August Release, and there were some gorgeous cards made with Becca Feeken's new Lacey Tiers dies--all shown in snippets HERE if you missed the DT's individual blog posts. Today belongs to the Samantha Walker Dainty Doilies stamp set, shown below, as well as the Spellbinders Delicate Doilies die template set, also newly released.

Doilies are great to use for backgrounds, focal images, accents--so many uses!

The Dainty Doilies stamp set coordinates with the new Spellbinders Delicate Doilies die template set. Besides the two doily shapes, I also used a tag die from Charmed, I'm Sure, one of my two most used tag sets. My card is 4-1/4" square. 

Would you like to see more projects made with the Dainty Doilies stamp set and Delightful Doilies dies? Then you're in luck! The following blogs all have doily projects to share today. Thanks for visiting!

JustRite Inspiration

Eva Dobilas

Debbie Olson (HERE)

Becca Feeken

Michele Kovack
Darsie Bruno
Heidi Blankenship
Margie Higuchi
Barb Schram

A Sympathy Card

Welcome! Tonight I have a sympathy card to share.  I don't make many sympathy cards, but I've needed two recently. I hope that this one sends a little {{{hug}}} to a dear lady. The sentiment is from JustRite's Get Well Labels Twenty set. I thought that the sentiment was appropriate, even though it is a Get Well set. While I had my Labels Twenty die on the cardstock, I airbrushed with my Copic Airbrush System and an R85 Copic marker.

I had some great new Spellbinders dies to play with on this card, including Exquisite Labels Eleven (which I airbrushed--Copic R83 and BG23), and Majestic Labels Twenty-Five--that gorgeous filigree layer under the Labels Twenty sentiment. I dyed some seam binding to coordinate with the Melissa Francis papers that I had used in the background. This is a 5" x 7" card, by the way. Well, that's it for today--I hope you are having a great weekend!

May Your Birthday Bring Happiness

Welcome! I just got back last night from a great weekend in Chicago at the Copic Color and Ink Workshop. {{{Waving to my new friends there!}}} For the first time, instead of splitting the group into two and both of us teaching both days, we kept the group together and assisted each other. (Cindy Lawrence and I were together for this class.) Anyway, I was really happy to get to sit in on the Airbrushing and So Many Surfaces section! In fact, I just had to pull out my Copic airbrush today just to play after watching all of the ladies airbrush on Saturday.

I stamped a sentiment from Papertrey Ink's Inside and Out Birthday II on Rustic White cardstock, then used a Spellbinders Timeless Rectangles die template to cut, emboss, and mask the sentiment so that I could airbrush my background with Copic BG02, G43, and Y35.

The rose is stamped with Papertrey's The Sweet Life stamp set, using Lemon Tart, Harvest Gold, and Berry Sorbet Inks, along with Limeade Ice and Simply Chartreuse for the leaves. I stamped the rose first, then stamped a mask on Eclipse tape and adhered it to the rose so that I could stamp the leaves tucked behind the rose. Other PTI Inks used were Summer Sunrise, Orange Zest , and Vintage Cream (to tone down edge of Berry Sorbet mat). Patterned papers are from Carta Bella's new 6" x 6" Hello Again paper pad. 

That's it for today--thanks for visiting!

Hazel and Ruby: Blackboard

 

Welcome! I'm in Rosemont this weekend with Cindy Lawrence for a Copic Color and Ink Workshop--can't wait to meet some of you here. :-) Today I have three more cards to share from my Hazel and Ruby package. This line is called Blackboard, and it was fun to play with for sure! 

Blackboard-style art has been popular for a while now, and the Blackboard line works into this trend beautifully.

This is a clear card base with Blackboard rub-ons applied to the card front. I don't usually use rub-ons, but I loved these, especially on the clear card base. All sentiments on this set of cards are from the Blackboard set as well.

Not only did the Blackboard line package include patterned papers and rub-ons, but it also included bits of chipboard, like that flower under the ribbon above. I used a Spellbinders Foliage die template to cut the leaves from felt.

Here is a link to Hazel and Ruby's Facebook page, if you'd like to follow them. Thanks for visiting!

Spellbinders Shape It Up Sneak Peek and Giveaway Day 5

Welcome! Today I am excited to get to share a couple of new Spellbinders die template sets with you, to be released at Summer CHA: the Nestabilities Super Ellipse (S5-188), and the Font One Lowercase (S5-199) and Font One Uppercase (S6-009) alphabet sets.  It's always fun when NEW products roll out!  

Supply List

Spellbinders Die Templates: Nestabilities Super Ellipse (S5-188), Font One Lowercase alphabet set (S5-199), Font One Uppercase alphabet set (S6-009), On the Edge, Back to Basics Tags

Other Tools: Spellbinders Grand Calibur, sewing machine, sanding block

Cardstock: Spring Rain, Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: Crate Paper Little Boy Blue 6" x 6" paper pad

Accessories: Vintage button, white crochet thread, glue dots, foam tape, white seam binding dyed with a Copic B91 reinker

For my first project, I created a baby gift card holder using the Super Ellipse and the Font One Lowercase.

The top piece of cardstock is a double layer, folded on the edge indicated. I have left just enough of the cardstock uncut at the fold area to create a hinged folder. The bottom piece of cardstock is for my pocket that will hold a gift card. (I will cut it in half a bit later.)

Shown here is the hinged card base and a patterned paper layer stitched  at the top onto the front of my pocket piece. I then layered these two pieces together and stitched around the U-shaped perimeter to attach my pocket to my card base. (If you don't sew on your cards, you could also use some very narrow double-sided tape, keeping it as near the outer edge as possible.)

On the left you see the OUTSIDE of my card base. The layers on the right are to cover the back and the front. I used an On the Edge die template to cut a decorative strip for the card front.

I simply glued the back panel on to hide the back side of my stitching and give a finished look. On the front I cut a strip of red cardstock to place under the scalloped strip edges to make them stand out. I also stitched on one more narrow strip of patterned paper for contrast. The front panel is now ready to be glued to the front of the card base.

I cut one more layer of patterned paper to add interest to the top inside of the gift card. I had to trim a bit of its lower edge to accommodate the fold at the top. The bottom inside is ready for a gift card.

To finish the outside, I cut three cardstock layers of each of the letters, glued them together, and mounted them with foam tape. I used Copic Various Inks B91 to dye a length of white seam binding to coordinate with the patterned paper, and then I made a tag using a Back to Basics Tags die template. The finished size of my gift card holder is approximately 4-3/8" x 2-7/8".

What would YOU make with the Super Ellipse and the Font One Alphabet sets? I can see the obvious scrapbooking applications for a great basic alphabet, but I also found a ton of alphabet ideas on Pinterest. (Try searching alphabet, lettering, and calligraphy categories.)

Next I wanted to briefly share an "I Love You" card using almost all of the letters in the Font One Uppercase alphabet set--all except for the "O," for which I substituted a chipboard heart.  The finished size of my card is 6-1/8" x 4".

For official contest rules, click HERE.

****To enter today’s giveaway, click HERE.****

(Please note that you MUST use the link above to enter; commenting on this post does NOT enter you for the giveaway, though I truly appreciate comments!)

Want a chance to win more fabulous prizes? Then be sure to check the Spellbinders Blog for links to all participants in the Spellbinders Shape It Up Sneak Peek! Michelle Woerner is also introducing two new Spellbinders Die Template sets today; I know that you will enjoy visiting her blog as well for more inspiration and chances to WIN. If you have any questions about this giveaway, you may contact [email protected]. (No entries will be accepted at this email address, however.) 

Thank you for stopping by today!

Papertrey Ink July 2013 Release in Review

Welcome! Today I have several cards to share from Papertrey Ink's July 2013 release. The stamp sets used here will be available tonight at 10pm, EST, at Papertrey Ink. I have listed the ingredients for each card just below it.

Family Is Forever

Stamps: Summer Hills
Cardstock: Rustic White, Enchanted Evening, Simply Chartreuse
Ink: Blueberry Sky, Simply Chartreuse, Memento Tuxedo Black
Patterned Paper: October Afternoon Woodland Park 8" x 8" pad
Accessories: Enchanted Evening Vintage Button, cotton string, off white twill
Tools: sanding block, Spellbinders 5" x 7" Matting Basics A and B, sewing machine, Copic Markers, shown below

I've always loved coloring these seasonal sets--they're classic Americana!

These are the Copic markers that I used on the Summer Hills stamp image.

A Beautiful Life

Stamps: Meadow Greens
Cardstock: Rustic White, Ocean Tides, Royal Velvet
Ink: Ocean Tides, Winter Wisteria, Fine Linen, Chamomile Distress Cube
Accessories: Ocean Tides and Winter Wisteria Vintage Buttons, Rustic Twine
Tools: sewing machine

Meadow Greens has so many possibilities. . . For this one, I went for a calm, peaceful card. 

Delightful Dahlias Birthday

Stamps: Delightful Dahlia Additions
Cardstock: Rustic White, Hibiscus Burst
Ink: Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz, Scarlet Jewel, Simply Chartreuse, Ripe Avocado, Chamomile Distress Ink
Patterned Paper: Scarlet Jewel Collection Pack
Tools: French Doily die, sewing machine, foam tape, Copic BG00 and 0 markers
Accessories: Dyed seam binding, Flower Soft for the dahlia centers

Who doesn't love the Delightful Dahlia set? Now there's a companion set to love! Stamping Tip: For the dahlias, I had the best luck stamping with the smaller, darker patterns first, then aligning the lighter inks/larger patterns on top of that. I was struggling with alignment when I tried going from light to dark, but when I reversed the process, it was easy--hope that helps someone!

More Than You Know

Stamps: Boutique Borders: Love
Cardstock: Vintage Cream, Ocean Tides
Ink: Autumn Rose, Ocean Tides, Chamomile Distress Cube
Patterned Paper: Melissa Frances
Tools: Boutique Borders: Love die, Mat Stack 4 die. sewing machine 
Accessories: dyed seam binding, pink rhinestone, foam tape

The Boutique Borders series has an elegant vibe to it-perfect for a quick and classy card. 

If you would like to see some gorgeous projects with the Papertrey Ink July 2013 release sets, be sure to browse the following blogs! As a reminder, since the sets used in this post are from the July release, they will be available tonight at 10pm, EST, at Papertrey Ink. Thanks for visiting!

Nichole Heady

Ashley Cannon Newell

Betsy Veldman

Cristina Kowalczyk

Danielle Flanders

Dawn McVey

Debbie Olson (here)

Erin Lincoln

Heather Nichols

Jessica Witty

Maile Belles

Melissa Phillips

Merry {Christmas Labels Twenty}!

Welcome! Today I have another Christmas-in-July card to share, this one using JustRite's Christmas Labels Twenty stamp set (shown below), which coordinates with a Labels Twenty die template. Besides the Spellbinders Labels Twenty set, I also used a Labels Fourteen die template for the sentiment and A-2 Bracket Borders One for the decorative bottom edge. (Patterned papers is from an Authentique Festive 6" x 6" pad.)

I heat embossed the frame with detail gold embossing powder on red cardstock, then stamped the sentiment in red ink. I used a gold paint pen to edge the Labels Fourteen-framed sentiment. A bit of sanding, layering, and stitching, and I was done. :-)

Would you like to see some really lovely Christmas Labels Twenty projects? Then you'll enjoy the following blog posts! Thanks for visiting today, and have a great weekend!

JustRite Inspiration Blog
Barb Schram
Eva Dobilas 
Kristi Schurr
Sheri Holt
Michele Kovack 
Angela Barkhouse

In My Prayers

Welcome! Yesterday I needed an encouragement card for a friend who is facing surgery. I had been playing with my Papertrey Ink July Release stamps for most of the day (letting my husband remodel alone today), but I pulled out an older set, The Sweet Life, for this card. I used one of my new favorite color combos for the three layers of the roses--Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz, and Scarlet Jewel. I also have another tip to share when stamping these roses; after *many* trials and errors, I found out that when I stamped the layers in reverse order (darkest to lightest), it was much easier to get the alignment right! Now probably everyone else already knew that, but it was a revelation to me. . . ;-) (Hope it helps you too!) 

Besides The Sweet Life, I also used a sentiment from Healing Touch Sentiments, and on the inside of the card, Beautiful Blessings. To get that faint blue-green in the background, I used my Copic Airbrush System and a Copic BG02 marker. The flower layer is trimmed closely and popped up with foam tape on top of the airbrushed layer. Buttons are Scarlet Jewel Vintage buttons (PTI). Patterned papers are from an older Lily Bee Designs 6" x 6" pad, Head Over Heels. Well, that's it for today. Thank you for visiting!

P.S. I almost forgot to tell you: Starting tomorrow, Spellbinders is introducing part of their new Shape It Up summer release, and they ALWAYS have generous giveaways! To learn more, check out THIS blog post. Good luck!

More JustRite Christmas in July. . .

Remember the catalog pieces that I was working on a few weeks back? It's time to roll out more of those! Today's card uses a new JustRite July release stamp set, Heritage Christmas Ornaments, along with a coordinating Spellbinders die template from the Spellbinders 2010 Heirloom Ornaments die template set, also available HERE on the JustRite site. I stamped the images on some Authentique Festive 6" x 6" papers, did a bit of sanding and stitching, and added some red self-adhesive rhinestones. For the bows I dyed white seam binding with Copic reinkers, R24 and YG95. I know that you're probably not thinking of mass production of Christmas cards yet. . . but since the ornament can be die cut and takes up some much space on a standard-sized card front, this one is one of my possibilities. :-)

Besides the Spellbinders 2010 Heirloom Ornaments dies, stamps from this set also coordinates with both the 2012 and the 2013 Heirloom Ornaments die template sets. Would you like to see more projects made with the Heritage Christmas Ornaments stamp set? Then be sure to visit these blogs when you get a minute! Thanks for visiting today.

JustRite Inspiration Blog
Darsie Bruno 
Marisa Job
Eva Dobilas 
Michele Kovack 
Barb Schram  
Kathy Jones 
Angela Barkhouse
Kristi Schurr
Margie Higuchi

P.S. I just saw this giveaway HERE on the JustRite blog--$100 shopping spree to one lucky winner! Deadline for leaving a comment there is midnight, July 10. Good luck. :-)

Congratulations on a Sweet Baby Girl!

Has it been a week already since I last posted? We are still in the middle of a remodeling job that could easily fill the entire Summer. (And that estimate may be wishful thinking on my part!) I've been mostly painting walls or helping my wonderfully handy husband in whatever way I can. The hardest part may be being quiet while he has a head full of measurements. . . No, I'm not kidding!

I still needed one more baby card for the family arrival for which I had initially posted THIS CARD. I had some beautiful Little Bo Peep Crate Paper that I wanted to use, along with some great Buntings and Banners dies (JustRite/Samantha Walker), and its coordinating Buntings and Banners stamp set for the sentiment.

I also used three Spellbinders die template sets, including Timeless Rectangles for that lacey layer, A-2 Curved Matting Basics B for the rounded rectangle layer, and Nested Lacey Pennants for the sentiment layer. I often get questions about  tying the tiny string bows. It's exactly the same as tying a big bow, except that after you get it tied, you pull and pull, tightening as you go, until it is the size that you want it. I glued the ones on the banner end on with Ranger Matte Accents, my all-time favorite for gluing tiny things since it doesn't give away that tell-tale shine if you get a little too much of it. In fact, I usually use it on TOP of the tiny bows too, to make sure that they stay tied. Here's my problem: I can't find Matte Accents in my usual shopping haunts. Does anyone know if Matte Accents has been discontinued? If so, does anyone have an alternative glue that is matte when it dries, rather than shiny? I'm getting close to the bottom of my current bottle. 

That's it for today--thanks for visiting!