A Wallet Card for Dad for Father's Day

Earlier this week I came across a neat Wallet Card on the "You're Filling Dad's Wallet?" post on the Chaos Served Daily Blog. I loved it, but I didn't have the clear embossing powder that she used. I mulled it over a bit and decided to combine her wallet design with the Faux Stamped Leather technique I shared on my "Leather Look for a Man or Woman" post earlier this week. It makes a great Father's Day card, and it can hold money, gift cards, or photo cards, or all three.

First I cut a piece of 3 x 8 1/2 piece of Early Espresso card stock and scored it at 4 1/4. I stamped a stamp from the Lovely as a Tree stamp set and a stamp from the April 2015 Love You a Lot Paper Pumpkin kit using Memento on the card front. I placed the cardstock on my Stampin' Pierce Mat and, because I don't have a stylus yet, I used the point of an empty mechanical pencil to trace around both images.

Next I lightly sponged over the card front with the following four colours in this order - Hello Honey, Pumpkin Pie, Tip Top Taupe, and Baked Brown Sugar.

I rounded the corners with my Envelope Punch Board.

I decided the edges of the card front needed more definition so I sponged around them with Early Espresso, but because I don't have an Early Espresso ink pad, I used my Early Espresso Stampin' Write Marker and scribbled over the top of a clear block, before using a Stampin' Sponge to pick up the ink and sponge it around the edge of the card.

With the card front still on the Stampin' Pierce Mat I used my Paper-Piercing Tool and a stencil from the Essentials Paper Piercing Pack to pierce all around the edge of the card front. I free handed the piercing on the card I featured a in the Faux Leather post earlier this week and it's okay, but I like the look of the piercing with the stencil better.

Next, following the instructions on the blog I linked in the opening of this post, I cut more pieces of Early Espresso for the inside of the card
- one piece 2 1/2 x 8
- 2 pieces 2 x 3 3/4
- 2 pieces 1 1/2 x 3 3/4
I sponged all around the edges of these pieces with Baked Brown Sugar, and did some extra sponging in the middle of the smallest pieces.

Using Memento ink and stamps from the April 2015 Love You a Lot Paper Pumpkin kit, I stamped greetings on the smallest pieces, giving them more of a leather look.

Using my 2-Way Glue Pen I adhered the stamped smaller pieces to the bigger pieces just around the sides and the bottom, making little pockets.

I scored the 2 1/2 x 8 piece at 4 with my Stampin' Trimmer scoring blade.

Then I adhered the pockets to this piece, just along the bottom and sides, making more pockets.

I decided to pierce around the edges of these pieces before adhering the whole thing to the inside of the card, once again just along the bottom and the sides, making one big pocket, like the bill pocket in a wallet. I left a small space on each side of the middle bottom without any adhesive so that the wallet would open and shut right. When I adhered it I folded the middle piece and placed it just on one side of the inside card and folded the card over the middle, instead of placing it flat out, to help it fit right for opening and closing and putting things in. (I hope that makes sense). I left it a while to let the glue set.  This is what it looks like opened up.

Sadly I adhered the inside part up from the bottom a little too much so bills stick up over the top a little when you put them in, but it's not too bad. If/when I do it again I will adhere it down a little further so bills fit better.

I am planning to get some gift cards to put in the other pockets, and I made some photo cards of our children to fit in them. I used my Pages program to get the photos the size I wanted, 2 1/4 x 3 1/4, printed them on cardstock, cut them and rounded the corners with my envelope punch board.

It was a bit of work, but I really enjoyed working on this card. It is a great card to make for a male any time of the year.

Leather Look for a Man or a Woman

The Ways to Use It Challenge at SplitcoastStampers this past Thursday had a "Go West" theme to it and included links to a number of different techniques that I wanted to try out. I finally decided to try the Faux Stamped Leather first. I didn't have a lot of the supplies that she used in the tutorial so I substituted and changed it up a bit and used what I had.

I decided to make a 4x4 card so I cut a 4x8 piece of Sahara Sand and scored it at 4. Then I stamped an image from the Butterfly Basics stamp set using Blackberry Bliss on the card front. I placed the opened card on my Stampin' Pierce Mat and, because I don't have a stylus yet, I used the end of a paintbrush to trace the outline of the stamped images. Then I sponged over the entire thing with Hello Honey.

Then I sponged over the entire again thing with Pumpkin Pie.

And then with Baked Brown Sugar, which is a retired product and no longer available.

And one last time with Tip Top Taupe.

Next I placed it opened up on my Stampin' Pierce Mat again and used my Paper-Piercing Tool to pierce holes all around the edge of the card front.

To finish the card I stamped a greeting using a stamp from the Butterfly Basics stamp set using Memento ink.

Lots of people tend to think that browns and the leather look are masculine looks, but females like leather and browns too, so it's good for either sex.

This was fun to do and I think I will be trying it again, possibly using different colours. I need to get more browns to get an even better look, but I'm pleased with how it came out.

A card for the artsy type

This is definitely not a card that would appeal to everyone, but I do think there are people it will appeal to. It has a definite artsy/grungy look. It is the result of a few inspirations all mixed together.

The focal point of this card was created way back in April when I did the Watercolours Ways to Use It Challenge Part Two: Embossing Folder Stamping. For the card featured in that post I used one side of the embossing but I also decided to try the same technique on the other side of the embossing folder, but I just used regular card stock instead of watercolour paper. The card stock curled and twisted and didn't lay flat so I just laid it aside thinking I might find a use for it some day because I did think it was kind of cool. Today was the day.

Way back in April I used my sponges to add colour to the Lovely Lace TIEF. Then I misted the folder with my water using my Stampin' Spritzer before pressing the 4 3/4 x 3 1/2 piece of Whisper White card stock on top of it. When it was dry I stamped the greeting using a stamp from the Butterfly Basics stamp set. I laid it aside in my scrap box until I picked it up today.

I liked the little rumpled look of it and decided I didn't want to try to flatten it so I adhered it to a 5 x 3 3/4 piece of Crisp Canteloupe in such a way that it retained it's rumpled look.

When I got that done I remember that there was a challenge on SpiltcoastStampers recently that involved rolling the edges of papers on a card. It was the Try a New Technique Challenge the week of June 8th. I decided to try that technique on this card. First I rolled the edges around a pencil but I wanted the roll to be tighter so I tried the skinny end of a paint brush. That looked a little better.

I adhered the matted piece to a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 card base and inked the edges of the card base with my sponge a little with Crisp Canteloupe and Blushing Bride.

As I said, it's not a card for everyone, but someone would definitely appreciate it.

Simple, functional bookmark

I made these bookmarks tonight to give to my guests at Stampin' Up! Open Houses across Newfoundland this week. It's going to be a busy week!

At the events, guests will receive a copy of the 2015-2016 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue. I heard that demonstrators often make bookmarks to give to their customers along with their catalogues, so I set of to research what these bookmarks might look like. I've seen some beautiful bookmarks during my research.

I've been debating with myself for weeks about the design of my bookmarks. Should I go for function or beauty? Should I feature the new In-Colours? Should I feature a new stamp set, maybe the RMHC stamp set? Should I use some punches, dies, layers?

I finally decided that I would make my bookmarks functional. The purpose of the bookmark is to mark pages and help you find your favourite things, so I decided to go with a "These are a few of my Favourite Things" theme.

I decided to make one side of the bookmark a wish list with space for customers to record their favourite things, along with the pages they are found on.

The other side of the bookmark contains my contact information so that they can easily contact me with any questions.

Using the word processing program on my printer, I played around with textboxes and placement until I had something that worked. I printed that on Whisper White Cardstock and then cut the bookmarks. They measure 2 x 8 1/2. Then I used the Tag Topper Scalloped Punch on the top and rounded the bottom edges using the Envelope Punch Board.

Stamps from two of my favourite stamp sets (Butterfly Basics and Lovely as a Tree) were used in the design of the bookmarks, and I also used one of my favourite techniques - sponging. I tied a 6 inch piece of my favourite colour lace to the top of the bookmark for the final touch.

The 2015-2016 will go live online tomorrow, so be sure to check it out. If you would like to have a paper copy of the catalogue, along with one of my bookmarks, let me know.

Card for Grad - spread your wings and fly!

The focal point of this card was started while I sponged the colour onto the butterfly for the Ode to the Blue Morpho card pictured below. If you click on the coloured words in this paragraph you will go to the post about that card and see how the butterfly is brown when it's closed.

Just before I started sponging the butterfly for that card I had the idea that just maybe I could use the butterfly as a stencil while I was sponging it. So that's what I did.

I got a piece of whisper white card stock and laid the butterfly (which I had cut out using my Big Shot and one of the dies from the Butterfly thinlits dies) in the center of the piece of card stock.  I sponged one side of the butterfly with Tempting Turquoise. Then I turned the butterfly over and laid it out in the same spot and sponged that side with Baked Brown Sugar*. I actually turned it over a few time working on each side of the butterfly to get the look I wanted on the butterfly, making sure each time that I laid the butterfly out in the same spot so that I would get a nice stenciled look of the butterfly.

This is what it looked like when I was done. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but I laid it aside knowing that I would do something with it eventually, and last night I had an idea.

I decided I wanted to piece to be 4 3/4 x 4 1/8. Using my Stampin' Trimmer, I scored, instead of cutting, where I wanted to trim it. Then I folded along those scored marks until it I could easily tear along them, giving it nice, soft edges.

Next I sponged more Tempting Turquoise and Baked Brown Sugar* to fill in the rest of the white that was showing around the edges.

I stamped the greetings using Memento and a stamp from the B.Y.O.P. stamp set. The stamp is actually one stamp but I masked off the bottom part of the stamp and inked only the top part to stamp the greeting and the top of the butterfly and then masked off the top part of the stamp and inked only the bottom part of the stamp to stamp the greeting at the bottom of the butterfly.

I cut a 5 x 4 1/8 piece of Baked Brown Sugar* card stock and adhered the finished piece onto it. Then I cut a 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 piece of Tempting Turquoise card stock and adhered both piece to it, before adhering the whole thing to a 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 whisper white card base.

*Baked Brown Sugar was one of the 2012-2015 In Colours and is no longer available for purchase, but I think Soft Suede ink and Soft Suede Card stock could be used for a similar look.

Ode to the Blue Morpho

Butterfly closed

The Blue Morpho

So bright and beautiful

when you are in flight,

but when you stop to rest

you disappear from sight

That's my lame attempt at an ode to the Blue Morpho.  I wanted to title this post Ode to the Blue Morpho so I felt the post should include a poem. That's the best I could come up with in a couple of minutes.

This card was inspired by the beautiful Blue Morpho butterfly, which we learned about at one of our favourite places to visit in the summer - the Butterfly House at the Newfoundland Insectarium. If you are ever in the area, you must go visit.

When we were visiting there a couple of years ago we were fascinated by these beautiful blue butterflies that were fluttering all around, but when we tried to get a sight of one pitched it was like it just disappeared. One of the employees explained to us that this is because one side of the butterfly's wings has this beautiful blue colour, but on the other side it is a molted brown colour. You can only see the blue when the butterfly is flying, because when it pitches it closes up its wings, showing only the molted brown side of the wings.

When I was making the butterfly decoration/stands that I shared in yesterday's post, I had to fold in half the butterflies that I cut using my Big Shot and the Butterfly Thinlits Dies. I really liked the look of the butterflies folded in half and decided I wanted to incorporate a folded butterfly into a card.

When I was playing with that idea I thought about the Blue Morpho and decided to attempt to make a butterfly similar to the Blue Morpho, brown on the outside, and blue inside. I cut the butterfly out of whisper white cardstock, laid it flat on a paper towel and sponged one side of it with Baked Brown Sugar and then flipped it over and sponged the other side of it with Tempting Turquoise. Then I went along the edges of the butterfly with my Early Espresso Stampin' Write Marker and coloured the body of the butterfly on both sides with the same colour.

I folded the butterfly in half and adhered just one wing to the card front, allowing the other wing to flap freely.

Butterfly Open

I would put this card in an envelope with the butterfly closed and then allow the butterfly to flap open when the card is taken out of the envelope.

The patterned paper on the card front is actually a piece that I made a while back when I was making the Flowers and Butterflies for a Card Swap. You will find directions on how I made it on the blog post linked in this paragraph. I made one more card front than I needed at that time so I tucked the extra one away to use another time, and I thought it worked perfectly for this card. I simply adhered the piece to a whisper white card base.

Sympathy Card inspired by a Special "Aunt's" Promotion to Glory

Late last night I found out that my Aunt Joan had received her promotion to glory. Aunt Joan is not my actual aunt by blood or family relation, but she is one of those special aunts of the heart. My parents were actually renting Aunt Joan's basement apartment when I was born, and Mom looked after Aunt Joan's boys whenever Aunt Joan went out. She had a house full of boys, no girls, so I was a bit of a fascination to them. We didn't stay with them long, but my parents remained good friends with them and I remember visits to their house over the years.

Aunt Joan was a very special lady with a heart of gold. She was such a great influence on everybody she ever met. She will be greatly missed and fondly remembered.

Thinking about her today, I decided to make a sympathy card. While browsing pinterest I came across a beautiful card by Heather Telford. She featured it in her blog post OLW 16 Stamp a Scene. After reading on her blog about how she created the card, I decided to give it a try.

I took a 4 1/4x 5 1/2 whisper white card base and masked off a section of it using post it notes. Then I sponged on Pacific Point, Mossy Meadow, and Wild Wasabi, to create a background.

Before removing the post it notes, I stamped a stamp from the Lovely As a Tree stamp set a couple of times in both Mossy Meadow and Wild Wasabi. Then I removed the post it notes and stamped the same stamp another couple of times with Memento.

I stamped the sentiment using Memento with a stamp from the Thoughts & Prayers stamp set.

Flowers and Butterflies for a Card Swap

Tonight is the last class for the monthly card class group that I joined months ago when I was first introduced to Stampin' Up! and we are having a card swap. These are the cards I made for the swap.

I cut 4 x 5 1/4 pieces of Very Vanilla Card stock and stamped them with the greeting from the Butterfly Basics stamp set using Baked Brown Sugar.

Then I embossed each one using the Texture Boutique and the Lovely Lace embossing folder.

When they were all embossed I started sponging. I sponged the leaves with Pistachio Pudding on all of them.

Next I started sponging the flowers, a different colour on each card front.

I didn't have classic ink pads for a couple of the colours that I decided to use but I did have ink spots from Paper Pumpkin kits I had received. I decided to try something a little different with them and instead of sponging the colour on with them, I simply swiped the ink spot across the cardstock to apply the ink.

This method resulted in a clearer, crisper look. You can compare the different results of the two methods in the next picture. The top two were sponged giving them a softer, subtle look, but the ink was applied to the bottom two by swiping the ink spot across the cardstock. I waffle back and forth between which I like better.

Here are all the card fronts ready for the next step.

Next I adhered each card front to a Very Vanilla cardbase.

The cards could be left just like that, but I decided to add another feature. I got out my Big Shot and one of the dies from the Butterfly Thinlits Dies and cut a butterfly for each card out of Very Vanilla cardstock.

I adhered the butterflies on the cards and added a touch of glitter to the butterfly bodies with Dazzling Details.

Here are the finished cards with the ink pads I used for them