Big Flower Punch gift bag...

Sherry made this cute gift bag for our American Ink group's monthly 3d Contest. She used the Big Flower Punch with five different colors of tissue paper, then added a rhinestone brad for "bling."

I love the details on this bag. The paper on the bottom part of the bag is from the Sweet Pea pad. The Scallop Trim Border Punch was used on the Tempting Turquoise strips. And the Whisper White layer was embossed (Finial Press folder) using the Big Shot.

Our American Ink group meets the second Saturday of every month. If you'd like to join us, please contact me!

Thanks,

Terry

Heather's With All My Heart card...

If you have 12" x 12" card stock, it's fun to cut it into 6" squares for cards. It's a perfect size in which to include money or a check.

Heather W. joined our American Ink group meeting this month and shared this great make & take. We always welcome "stray" demos!

This is a Chocolate Chip card with a 3" square piece of designer paper on top, a banner with the sentiment, then a piece of So Saffron card stock that's been Scallop Border punched on both sides.

The largest image from the With All My Heart stamp set was stamped in Rose Red then punched with the Extra Large Fancy Flower punch (available in the Occasions Mini till April 30). It's adhered with Stampin' Dimensionals, as is the Certainly Celery button.

Inspired by Nature birthday card...

Inspired by Nature is one of my favorite stamp sets in the catalog right now. It looks gorgeous no matter which colors you choose.

This is a Whisper White card with a strip of Bashful Blue card stock that's been run through the Finial Press embossing folder for the Big Shot. It has a strip of Certainly Celery under the right side that's been punched with the Scallop Trim Border Punch.

A knot of white organza wraps around the two layers.

I used Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue and Certainly Celery markers on the rubber for the flowers and the greeting (which is from Well Scripted in the Occasions Mini).

All of the top three layers have the top left and bottom right corners punched with the corner rounder punch.

I CASE'd this card from Julie Buhler.

Messages for Mom, from Kim...

With Easter behind us, it's time to think about honoring Mom on Mother's Day. It'll be here before we know it!

Kim created this card using the Messages for Mom stamp set, Razzleberry Lemonade designer paper, Crushed Curry card stock and ribbon, and Rich Razzleberry ink and card stock.

The circle fire rhinestone highlights the floral spray.

Thoroughly Modern Pendant Note Card...

If you want a quick note with lots of class, I suggest buying Stampin' Up!'s Pendant Note Cards. They come in a pack of 15 Kraft notecards already laser diecut with Kraft envelopes.

First I stamped the En Francais background in Basic Brown and sponged around the front of the card. Then I added a 4" square piece of Thoroughly Modern designer paper inside the front of the card and punched a hole for the Real Red epoxy brad.

To finish the card I knotted some Real Red Polka-Dotted ribbon and added a little tag using the Tiny Tags stamp set and the Medium Jewelry Tag punch. It's attached with linen thread.

A punchy Easter card...

Punches are fun and easy to use when making cards, no matter the holiday. This is the first of three cards we're making today at my Easter Stamp Camp.

This Chocolate Chip card, CASE'd from Tammy Shaia, uses the Designer Label Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, and Extra Large Two-Step Bird Punch (found in the Occasions Mini).

It also uses the Sweet Pea pad of paper and Eggcoutrements stamp set, also both in the mini catalog.

I used Taken with Teal for the bird, and an Old Olive ink pad.

Chocolate Bunny Easter card...

This is another card from today's Easter Stamp Camp. It uses the Chocolate Bunny stamp in the back of the Occasions Mini, along with a sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

The card is Chocolate Chip card stock, with some Soft Suede patterned paper on top. I saw the original idea at www.stampingtoshare.blogspot.com.

I used Very Vanilla with Basic Brown ink for the bunny and "Happy Easter." I cut 3/4" from the right of the card before using the Scallop Trim Border Punch.

Extra Large Two-Step Bird Easter card...

I love the beautiful paper in the Bella Bleu designer series paper pack. I used that as a focal point, adding stripes of Brocade Blue card stock punched with the Scallop Trim Border Punch (a FREE Sale-a-Bration item thru March 31 with a $50 purchase).

I punched out the Extra Large Two-Step Bird from Brocade Blue card stock, the wing from the designer paper and the branch from Old Olive card stock scraps.

The sentiment is from the All Holidays stamp set.

To finish the card, I used Mini Glue Dots to adhere two half-pearls from the Pretties Kit.

Eggcoutrements Easter card...

Never overlook the mini catalogs for inspiration. I CASE'd this card from page 22 of the Occasions Mini.

The card is Bashful Blue card stock, the long scalloped stamp from Eggcoutrements was inked with Certainly Celery and cut out by hand. A strip of Pretty in Pink is below that, with striped Bashful Blue ribbon at the bottom.

There's a Whisper White Wide Oval with the Easter stamp inked in More Mustard and punched with the Designer Label punch.

The cute flower is one from the Three Flower Punch, with a So Saffron brad in the middle. The leaves are two petals from a flower in the Boho Blossoms Punch.

Fox & Friends sugary birthday card

I made this sparkly card for a friend. The requirements: Animals and lots of bling, including glitter.

So this is the card I created. It's Pretty in Pink, with a scalloped edge that has rhinestones from the Eggcellent Eggs Kit in the Occasions Mini.

There's some Sending Love specialty paper on the left, with a knot of Pretty in Pink satin ribbon, distressed layers with the sentiment from Everything Nice that has Dazzling Diamonds glitter on "Sugar" and a Chocolate Chip epoxy brad.
I added paper piercing for more texture, as well as more glitter on the monkeys' bellies.

Kim's Big Flower Punch make & take...

I love using punches to make cards. It's so easy and fun!

Kim had us start with a Very Vanilla card. We used the Tiny Tags stamp set (Occasions Mini) to stamp the foliage images in Mellow Moss for under the punched flower, which was punched out of the Sending Love speciality paper.

More foliage was stamped in Pretty in Pink for the Wide Oval sentiment, which is adhered to the card with dimensionals.

Pearl's Garden from the Heart make & take...

We stamp all kinds of great make & takes at our American Ink gatherings, and this one created by my downline Pearl is no exception.

It's a Whisper White card with a Rich Razzleberry layer on top that's been run through the Polka Dots embossing folder. We tied a knot of Rich Razzleberry ribbon around the bottom, then stamped the herbs from Garden from the Heart, colored them in with markers and layered them on Old Olive.

We punched 1/16" holes on either side of the herbs to insert Natural Hemp. To keep the hemp on the line, we used a liquid adhesive. It took only a few seconds of holding it in place to keep it there.

Recognize the sentiment? You can get this FREE (Vintage Labels) with your $50+ order. Contact me today to place your order!

Spring Stamp Camp chick card...

It was a marathon stamping day yesterday as my American Ink Stampin' Up! group first met at 11 a.m. for a "meeting" (i.e. lots of stamping and door prizes), followed by my Spring Stamp Camp, which featured five projects.

I love the ladies in my group, as well as all they have to share (stamping and food!). We had quite a spread yesterday.

This chick, from the Eggcoutrements stamp set, was stamped off in Regal Rose ink on Whisper White card stock, hand cut, and adhered with dimensionals. The sentiment is from the FREE Sale-a-Bration stamp set Happy Moments.

The white layer is adhered to Pretty in Pink, then those layers are adhered with dimensionals to some gorgeous and sparkly Sending Love paper, also layered on Pretty in Pink on a Whisper White card.

It's simple, sparkly, mostly monochromatic (except for the Basic Brown sentiment), and lots of layers for a nice feel.

This card was CASE'd (except for the designer paper) from one I saw on Andrea Walford's blog here.

Spring Stamp Camp bunny card...

Rub-ons and sparkly rhinestones are fun and easy to use on cards, and unique.

The bunny image is the only stamped part of this Whisper White card. It comes from the Eggcoutrements set in the Occasions Mini, along with the rhinestones and floral rub-on (Eggcellent Eggs Kit).

We stamped the bunny in Rich Razzleberry ink and punched it using the 1-1/4" Circle Punch. It layers perfectly on a 1-3/8" Rich Razzleberry circle, and a Whisper White scallop circle.

Tip: When applying the rhinestones, use a paper piercer to gently "pull" a rhinestone from a line of rhinestones and place with your opposite index finger.

The designer paper is from the Level 3 hostess bundle Lovely Flowers. This card was inspired by Andrea Walford.

Spring Stamp Camp bird house

Using the Mini Milk Carton die for the Big Shot, I made this bird house one of the Spring Stamp Camp projects Saturday.

The milk carton is So Saffron, then we ran a Hugs (Occasions Mini) through the Polka Dot embossing folder for the roof. For embellishment, we added a Chocolate Chip felt flower, a 3/4" circle of So Saffron and a Filigree Flower brad with a silver center.

Before the milk carton was put together using Sticky Strip, I punched a 1" hole for the pink bird (these chicks always conjure up fond memories of Easters past for me).
I used the Eggcoutrements stamp set to stamp the long scallop image along the bottom of the bird house.

My great idea: Make a bunch of these bird houses in pastel colors and hang from a tree, or make a mobile! How fun is that?

Tiny Tags & I (Heart) Hearts card...

I love the collage look of this card.

The body is Kraft card stock that's been stamped all over with the Vintage Vogue stamp set, some of the images stamped off.

The Real Red layer features the Faux Suede technique (basically curl the card stock with your bone folder as you would scissors with curling ribbon. The card stock will separate into two layers, with the insides feeling like suede.)

For the flower, I used two strips of 1" Real Red card stock, each punched with the Eyelet Border Punch, then sponged with Chocolate Chip ink and run through the paper crimper a few times (you can run both strips through the crimper at the same time)., then I tore it a bit to make it look distressed.

I put down some SNAIL adhesive on the Real Red layer where I wanted the flower, and started from the outside, winding the paper in a circle. The crimping helps break down the paper fibers so they give easier. A jumbo Chocolate Chip brad was adhered to the center with dimensionals.

The heart is from I (Heart) Hearts. I stamped it in Chocolate Chip ink on Kraft paper and hand cut it out, sponging the edges before adding a red rhinestone brad. It's adhered onto the card front with dimensionals.

I used Kraft taffeta ribbon for the knot, and used the Tiny Tags stamp set with the Medium Jewelry Tag punch for the tag, adding it to the ribbon with linen thread.

Kimberly at Stampin' By The Sea inspired this card with a box of hers.

Something Sweet square cards...

I've been waiting for an excuse to use this Something Sweet stamp set (in the Occasions Mini), so I created a card class!

For one project, stampers could choose to make this gumball card or the baby card below, depending on which card they needed.

I started with a 5-3/8" square Whisper White card, with a square of Shades of Spring designer paper. I used my FREE Scallop Trim Border Punch ('cause I bought $50+, of course) on a piece of Soft Suede print paper, securing a knot of Pretty in Pink satin ribbon.

I found it easier to punch a 1-3/4" hole for the Sweet Treat Cup before stamping the bottom of the gumball machine. The little balls inside are edible pearls used in cake decorating.

The final touch is a filigree flower brad with a pink rhinestone brad.

The baby card uses the same supplies, though instead of a brad, we added a Soft Suede polka-dot ribbon knot on the rattle.

This card was CASE'd from here.

Textured Abundant Hope card...

I love the texture on this Abundant Hope card. (The stamp set may be found in the Occasions Mini Catalog.)

The More Mustard half uses textured card stock, while I used the Polka Dot embossing folder on the Whisper White half. The other layers are Night of Navy and Old Olive card stocks.

This daffodil stamp is made more lily-like by using a white gel pen to cover some of the details lines. We used watercolor crayons and an aqua painter to color the image.

The sentiment comes in the Abundant Hope stamp set. It was stamped in Night of Navy ink, punched using the Modern Label Punch, sponged around and then adhered with dimensionals.

This card was CASE'd from www.brandyscards.com.

My Matryoshka layered card...

I think the My Matryoshka stamp set is so pretty. The biggest of the four stamps is used here.
Starting with the top layer, the colors are Whisper White, Melon Mambo, pierced Blushed Blossom, Pretty in Pink and Melon Mambo card stock. With all those layers, it's got a nice weight to it.
Buy the stamp set and all those packs of paper, plus some Pink Taffeta ribbon, and you may select the Whimsical Words stamp set for FREE from the Sale-a-Bration Mini Catalog (freebies available with every $50 order).
This card was CASE'd from Jenn D. here.

A ribbon flower Messages for Mom...

I had a request from one of my best customers for a flower made from ribbon. I borrowed this idea from the Occasions Mini, page 29.

There are such nice sayings in the Messages for Mom stamp set, along with MOM and a lovely spray of flowers I used on the envelope.

This card is Whisper White with Sending Love specialy paper, Soft Suede card stock and a knot of Real Red satin ribbon (so soft and beautiful!).

I started with 6 inches of Soft Suede polka-dotted ribbon, because it took me awhile to find the "right" thread with a paper piercer. This thread will gather the ribbon. Pull a thread from each end (you really only need about 4 inches of ribbon) and you'll get a flower when you join the ends. The Real Red corduroy brad and Eyelet Border Punch used near the bottom of the card add great texture.