Nutz about Stamping

What would you choose for this card challenge?

Today's Paper Craft Crew card map challenge was a tough one for me. I will happily confess that it looks easy....but....it just wasn't! 

I think it is the size of the circles...or maybe not. First I chose my paper - Brightly Gleaming of course!

Brightly Gleaming Specialty Designer Series Paper
$14.50

I am so sad this paper is sold out - lesson learned to order what you love early in the life of a catalog! I layered the Brightly Gleaming strip onto a Very Vanilla card base - and then wasn't happy with that either. The two circles were an easy choice: more Brightly Gleaming paper and some Night of Navy paper. 

Next I stamped and colored the Christmas Gleaming ornament, punched it out and added it to the circles.

Christmas Gleaming Bundle (En)
$49.50

Then I stamped and fussy-cut phrase. A bit of Copper Trim ribbon and things are looking a bit better. 

What I love most? The Star Designer Elements! Quite surprising for me to love those star elements and where I placed them but I really do like them. What do you think?

If you want to see what the other design crew members made for this challenge, click here to head on over to the Paper Craft Crew site. And don't forget to give our challenge a try too! You just might surprise yourself like I did. 

 

You need to try our welcome home challenge

This week's Paper Craft Crew challenge is so much fun because it is basically wide open! 

 

Yes, it looks like fall but doesn't have to be. Yes, it looks like you should use a set with a house in it but you don't have to. It could also be a welcome card....or not!

When I saw this challenge I knew immediately I wanted to use my Snowfront stamp set. This challenge made me think of a scene with a house it in and the fall colors in the challenge helped me decide to add a tree with falling leaves. 

Have you seen the Snowfront set? It looks like it is designed for Winter scenes, but is it?

Snow Front Photopolymer Stamp Set
$22.00

I decided to use fall colors: Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive and Soft Suede. Add a touch of Crushed Curry and matching layers and here's what you can get:

Now it's your turn: try our card map challenge and see what you can created. If you want to see what the other crew members created for this week's challenge, click here. 

See how this layout makes an unusual Christmas card

This week's Paper Craft Crew challenge was a no-brainer for me and that seldom happens!

It was the star element that helped me get instantly started = the So Many Stars bundle which I have been wanting to use:

So Many Stars Bundle (En)
$57.50

As I considered what the rectangle layers and looked at the So Many Stars set, I decided I wanted to larger phrase so would only use the dies in this bundle this week. I turned to my Everything Festive stamp set for the phrase. I knew I would use this set a lot this fall and I have definitely gotten great value from it so far:

Everything Festive Cling Stamp Set (En)
$24.00

I really like the size of the 'Merry & Bright' stamp and the surrounding stars would make a good match for the star embellishment. 

Next the paper, and of course there are two designs in the Brightly Gleaming paper pack that have stars!

Brightly Gleaming Specialty Designer Series Paper
$14.50

Here's my card - an unusual Christmas card but it still works! I am in love with that star embellishment - it is the perfect match for the star designs in the paper!

 

Now it's your turn: try our card map challenge this week and see what you can create, Christmas, birthday, thank you - whatever pleases you! And if you want to see what the other crew members have created for this week's challenge, click here. 

Why not join this delightful tic tac toe challenge?

If you were to participate in this Paper Craft Crew card map challenge which row or column would you choose? The decision was not so easy for me this week. I started by eliminating some boxes because I either didn't have that product or it just didn't appeal. Some boxes were hard to figure out, such as 'Gone Wild' which could be animals or...?

 

I finally decided to go diagonal, from top left down to bottom right. The reason I chose this diagonal set was because I wanted to use my Snowfront stamp set:

Snow Front Photopolymer Stamp Set
$22.00

I have loved this set from the moment I laid eyes on it (in the catalog) and am so happy that I own it now! There are so many possibilities for this set thanks to all the fun images that can be combined to create different landscape scenes. 

My card came together quite easily. I copied the layout from another card I created a couple of weeks ago and think that the Night Before Christmas layer is a nice visual treat.

Night Before Christmas 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper
$11.50

 

True confession: I cut the paper layer too small so added that additional strip at the top to fill that empty space. Tip: I could have used ribbon instead of the strip. 

Here's my card:

I wish you could see the sparkle I added - using my Fine Tip Glue pen and Dazzling Diamonds glitter. Yummy!

Here's a side view:

Now it's your turn: try our card map challenge and see what you can create. Or take your challenge over the top and try several rows/columns for fun! If you want to see what the other crew members created for this week's challenge, click here. 

 

See 1 easy way to use your dies as embellishments

Here's this week's Paper Craft Crew card map challenge - how fun!

This week I let myself be guided by something other than the card map layout - I chose my Feels Like Frost paper design first and then looked to my other supplies for the rest of the card. 

Feels Like Frost Specialty 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper
$14.50

 

I chose Balmy Blue for the card base - a nice light color that doesn't require a layer inside for stamping and writing my holiday message. 

I did have a difficult time figuring out what phrase I wanted but I did know that the phrase would be on the Whisper White layer. That meant it had to be quite large and vertical in nature. I ended up choosing a phrase from Merry Christmas to All:

Merry Christmas To All Photopolymer Stamp Set
$27.00

 

Then I got a bit stumped but finally decided to open my brand new Stitched Stars dies. Hint: I purchased the So Many Stars bundle so watch for many more card ideas using this gorgeous bundle!

Stitched Stars Dies
$38.00

The final bit was adding the black strip - mainly for contrast than for anything else. And instead of adding additional embellishment like the ones showing on the card map above, I used the left-over stars from the star strip die - easy!

Here's my card:

Now it's your turn: take our Paper Craft Crew card map challenge and see what you can come up with. If you want to see what the other design crew members have created this week, click here (tomorrow).

See how ribbon can be the perfect touch

This week's Paper Craft Crew card map is super fun and the cards that can be created using it will look very different depending on what you choose for the layers:

 

I decided to use only designer series paper for my card layers and that the three 'red' strips would be a phrase cut apart. That was easy to challenge myself with but then I had to make my final choices and create my card! 

So first I started with the paper and chose two designs in the Night Before Christmas paper. Then I found my phrase, stamped and cut it apart using my paper snips. 

I laid everything out on the card base but something was missing to create an interesting background. At this point I looked at my stamps and chose one that I thought would create a interesting image. 

 

I am not really happy with the stamped background now that it is done. It looks way too busy for my liking! What would you choose to stamp on the background - I would love to hear your ideas and try this card again!

The above photo looks just fine but sometimes ribbon can be that perfect final touch on a card. And as the card map uses ribbon, I added a bow and took a second photo, this time of the final project. 

 

See how one little piece of ribbon can add that nice final touch? If you want to see what the other design crew members created for this challenge, click here! 

How to feature your designer paper on cards

Today's Paper Craft Crew card map challenge was a fun one for me. I decided right off that I wanted to make a Halloween card. 

 

But I have shared before that I don't have any Halloween themed stamp sets. I do have the Everything Festive set so chose that for the card map phrase layer. 

Everything Festive Cling Stamp Set (En)
$24.00

This set is great for many fall occasions - it even has a phrase for Valentine's Day which makes it so versatile. 

I decided that the rectangle layer would have to be designer paper because that would be a good match for the phrase and as I said, I don't have any sets with Halloween type images. Have you seen the fun Monster Bash designer paper pack? So cute!

Monster Bash Designer Series Paper
$11.50

 

I chose to add a layer of Basic Black under the designer paper rectangle so the layer would be just as eye-catching as the phrase. 

And then one final touch: I created a x-stitch border using Pumpkin Pie card stock and my Stitched Shapes dies - that little strip adds a bit of coordinating interest to that layer. 

I am not sure you noticed it in the photo above but I stamped a splatter image from the Beauty Abounds stamp set all over the Crushed Curry card base, using Versamark ink. This particular stamp adds a bit of visual texture which adds visual interest to the base. 

Beauty Abounds Cling Stamp Set
$23.00

I recommend you purchase at least one stamp set that has splatter stamps or some kind of subtle background images. Use them when you are not sure you like a plain card base and either stamp these images using Versamark for a subtle look or go bold and use the same ink color as your card base. Try both and see which you prefer. 

Now it's your turn: try our card map challenge and if you want to see what the other design crew members created, click here. 

Why not build on last week's challenge?

Last week I shared the card map challenge below and what I created as a result:

I gave myself a challenge to use up some of my Holiday Catalog paper! You can download the using the link on the right side of my blog or by clicking on the image below!

But. There were technical difficulties last week - normally I share a link so you can see what other designer crew members but for some reason the link failed so the crew decided to rerun this challenge again so you can see other ideas too. 

There are so many new packs of designer paper in this catalog and so I doubled down on my challenge to use some Monster Bash paper (page 54, #150447):

I think the patterns in this paper pack are delightful and will appeal to everyone (not easily said)! 

I decided to use two different patterns: one for a background layer and one for the card layer image. How fun is that!

 

I created the phrase using my Itty Bitty Greeting stamp set. I stamped the long 'trick or treat' phrase onto Pumpkin Pie card stock and then cut the strip into three pieces to use on th e front of my card. 

I also decided not to ask any further embellishments because I felt they would get lost on the front of this card. 

Here are two other card ideas using the same map!

A. Tenia's card

B. Tanya's card

 

There are so many possibilities for this challenge!

This week's card map challenge offers so many possibilities! 

Here's what came to mind immediately when I think of Butterflies:

Butterfly Gala Photopolymer Stamp Set
$21.00

Butterfly Wishes Cling Stamp Set
$23.00

 

And then when thinking of Blooms, oh-my-gosh, our catalog is filled with floral sets! There's Daisy Lane, Pop of Petals, Good Morning Magnolia, Floral Essence....and so many more. 

But there is one set that has both butterflies AND blooms, how convenient it that! Introducing Beauty Abounds!

Beauty Abounds Cling Stamp Set
$23.00

So that was my starting point for this card map. Next was my paper choice and I still have a lot of Mosaic Mood left so challenged myself to use some of this paper on my card and let it guide my color choices. 

Mosaic Mood Specialty Designer Series Paper
$14.50

I actually started by cutting a different pattern in this pack but even though I loved the pattern it seemed to contrast with my stamped and colored image. So then I changed the patterned paper and immediately decided that I had made the right choice. 

Here's my card:

Such a fun card and so easy to create. I colored the stamped images using my Blender Pens and ink pads - coloring is so relaxing isn't it? 

Now it's your turn: try our Butterflies and Blooms card map challenge and create a card using your crafting supplies. And if you want to see what the other design crew members created for this challenge, click here.

 

What would you choose for this simple card map challenge?

When I saw this week's Paper Craft Crew card map challenge I knew immediately what I wanted to use for colors, but that puzzle piece puzzled me (pun intended!). 

I love the simplicity of this map, and the slight angle on the layer - this adds visual interest to your card. 

 

I knew that I wanted to use a designer paper pattern as a large background layer. So I dug through my stash (isn't it fun to have a  crafting stash!) and decided on a piece of Mosaic Mood. I love the colors and patterns in this paper:

Mosaic Mood Specialty Designer Series Paper
$14.50

After I chose my patterned layer I then chose my card base: Blushing Bride. For the banner layer I decided on a bolder color, Garden Green, because the pattern in the paper is quite bold and a softer color might fade into the background. 

My next design decision was the top layer. I decide to create a phrase layer instead of an image. I looked through my stamp sets for a phrase that is larger and will stand out against the bold patterned paper. Enter
and a phrase that could be used for many different occasions:

Colorful Seasons Photopolymer Stamp Set
$27.00

Can you tell that I am still avoiding that puzzle piece? After thinking for a few minutes I finally decided what to do: I cut out a butterfly from the same piece of Mosaic Mood paper to use as the 'puzzle' layer. Issue resolved!

Here's my card:

The one final detail added was two Basic Pearl Jewels. I had considered not adding anything because of the bold paper pattern but in the end I added the pearls and am happy that they are noticed easily. I did decide not to use ribbon on my card because I didn't have a coordinating color on hand. 

Now it's your turn: what will you create using this card map challenge? To see what the other design crew members made, click here. 

 

Why not try this interesting card map challenge?

This week's Paper Craft Crew card map seems very simple but has some interesting elements that make it slightly different to try. 

What I really like about the above card map is that the ovals are off-center a bit which adds visual interest. When you craft, try this off-set idea, whether using ovals, circles or even squares. 

I had a tough time trying to figure out the stamped images under the ovals. So I tried something out of my comfort zone: using the rope image and stamping it across the entire card front. This image is quite large so I needed to do it completely across the front so it would be clear what the image actually was. Instead of stamping an image you could also use a contrasting (but coordinating) paper strip, just for something a bit different. 

I also like that the banner layer is between the ovals rather than underneath, giving it another unique touch. 

And the embellishments - 5 in total. Again, beyond the usual 3 which you often see on cards and on card maps. 

So having analyzed all these interesting details I decided to use my Sailing Home stamp set and a left over strip of the Come Sail Away designer paper as the banner. 

For a different look, stamp and die-cut the lighthouse and then pop it up above the top oval, using Stampin' Dimensionals. 

Now it's your turn: the next time you craft, try this idea or one of the variations I suggested above. 

Want to see what the other design crew members created for this challenge? Click here. 

Why not join this creative card map challenge?

I decided on a different take for this week's Paper Craft Crew card map challenge.

 

I love the map above but am just not into flowers right now. I am completely smitten with the Come Sail Away product suite and love everything I have made so far using it. 

So I naturally turned to these products for my card creation. I started by choosing two cards from the card pack and let the colors in those help me with the color for my card base (Balmy Blue). But my card seemed really plain so I turned to my embossing folders and spotted Swirls and Curls:

Swirls & Curls Embossing Folder
$7.50

I love the embossed background - the perfect match for the sailboat image, wouldn't you say? One final touch was the steering wheel die-cut and my card was done!

Note: the phrase that I stamped directly onto the card comes from the brand new Good Morning Magnolia stamp set (more on that later!)

 

Now it's your turn! Give our card map a try and see what you can create using products you have on hand! Then link over to the Paper Craft Crew site to see what the other design crew members made. 

Do you know how to feature designer series paper?

This week I have a really fun card map for you to try and my card below features the new Mosaic Mood paper! 

 

For the background image I chose the new Verdant Garden stamp set - I have used this set three times in the past week after thinking that I would hardly use it at all! Just goes to show that you shouldn't judge a stamp set until you try it. 

I used the swirling leaves image and Versamark ink to create the swirls on the card front to match the map. 

Here's what makes my card different. Instead of featuring an image for the front of my card, on one of the squares, I featured a Mosaic Mood pattern!

I carefully cut a section of the paper that had the hummingbird on it and made that my top layer. The other layer is from the same pack. I layered each onto a piece of Soft Suede card stock that was only 1/8" larger all around. The banner? Yes, it is from Mosaic Mood as well! 

The phrase comes from another new set: Good Morning Magnolia. I will show you this new set in a future blog article. The final touch was to add some Share What You Love Artisan Pearls (retiring June 3). 

Here's my card - what do you think?

Why not try to feature your favorite paper patterns to be the main element on your cards - you just might love what you create as a result. 

If you want to see what the other design crew members created for this map, click here. 

Which color is your favorite in this challenge?

This week's Paper Craft Crew card map challenge is actually a color challenge - which color is your favorite?

Hands down my favorite color is Lemon Lime Twist. And I am so sad to have to advise you that this color is retiring on June 3rd so if you love it as much as I do you will want to stock up on card stock and accessories well before the retirement announcement happens - once it posts these colors will fly off the shelves instantly. 

I chose Daffodil Delight as my mystery color, and along with Coastal Cabana I created a soft and beautiful friendship card idea. For the stamp set I used Bloom by Bloom, one of my favorites in the Occasions Catalog. 

Bloom By Bloom Photopolymer Stamp Set
$17.00

I used the larger images on the Whisper White card base because the colors or more soft so using large images won't be too 'in your face'. For the phrase I chose the Beauty Abounds stamp set - another pretty set in the Occasions catalog:

Beauty Abounds Cling Stamp Set
$23.00

To complete my card I used two embellishments, a butterfly from the Beauty Abounds set and a single Lemon Lime Twist Glitter Enamel Dot. 

Here's my Bloom by Bloom friendship card:

Now it's your turn: try our color challenge the next time you craft! If you want to see what the other design crew members created for this challenge, click here to link over to the Paper Craft Crew site! 

I dare you to try this unique layout challenge

This week's Paper Craft Crew challenge has a really unique layout to it, one that looks simple enough until you give it a try. 

I knew right off that I did not want a Whisper White background/card base - I wanted to challenge my design this week instead. So I chose a left over strip of the Painted Seasons designer paper and used this as my color coordination inspiration: to use Poppy Parade, Early Espresso and Color Me Clover on my card. 

Note: this is the final week you can earn the Painted Seasons paper for free with a qualifying order so don't wait and be disappointed! Click here to link over to my online store now. 

Rather than try to stamp an image on the darker card base I chose my Stitched Labels framelits for that design feature and then one of the other framelits to die-cut my 'thank you'. 

Stitched Labels Framelits Dies
$33.00

 The one embellishment that caused me a bit of grief was the leaf. First I tried my Leaf punch but the leaves were too large. I ended up choose a leaf die-cut from the Flourish framelits - and am very happy with how they look as they have a bit of texture to them:

Flourish Thinlits Dies
$29.00

Finally, I needed a phrase so chose to make a thank you card. Here's my All Things Thanks card for this challenge:

Now it's your turn - give our card map challenge a try the next time you craft! And if you want to see what the other design crew members created for this challenge, click here to link over to the Paper Craft Crew website.