Stampfest at Lynette's May 26, 2025

Yesterday Don and I visited Lynette for the first time since my knee replacement surgery two months ago. We had a great time visiting. Enjoyed lunch at LongHorn's. Later we all enjoyed Phigment wine, cheese and crackers and chips and salsa for our supper. Lynette and I both loved the Rosemary Flatbread crackers from Aldi-they came in a box.

Lynette and I each made three cards. We found great card samples online, with BIG THANKS to...

Rachel Tessman of Stamp Your Art Out

and

Seeka of Sky Paper Scissors.

 

Note:  you can always click on an image to see a larger view of it.

We used directions from Rachel Tessman's Layering Leaves Square Column Fold Card blogpost. She listed the sizes of the various papers on that blog.

The card base is 5-1/2 x 10-1/8" scored at 4-1/4", 5-3/4", 7-1/4" and 8-3/4".

For the brick dry embossed panels, you start with 3 pieces: 

  2 of them are 1-3/8" x 5-3/8" 

  and

  1 of them is   1-1/8"   x 3-3/4".

We used Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Bricked embossing folder, after cutting the pieces.

We drew our own vase, using Kraft paper for it. Then Lynette stamped a texture stamp with GK warm cocoa ink on it.

The die cut leaves we used were from Lynette's stash.

I stamped a sentiment from Altenew's Leaf Canopy set on the banner of my card.

 

For our second card...

we found A Hidden Scenery Z-Fold Card on Rachel Tessman's blog. I tapped the "Page Down Key" three times to arrive at two photos of this card. She used beautiful printed paper from SU's December 2023 Paper Pumpkin Kit. She has a link there which leading to her Sept. 13, 2023 Autumn Hidden Scenery Z-Fold cards. There you find her directions for this style of card:

Card base  5-1/2 x 8-1/2"

Score at 2-1/8" and 4-1/4"

For the small aqua folded card that is attached later cut layer:  5-1/2 x 3"

For the white layer on the front and inside, cut two:  2-1/2 x 2-1/8"

We stamped our own design on our white cardstock base using Stampin Up's Spring Garden. We stamped the stems in GK's Jelly Bean Green and the flowers in SU's Yo Yo Yellow. For the cloud background, we used Lynette's cloud stencil with Distress Tumbled Glass ink and a blending brush. It was very fun to customize our card design, but if you have printed paper like Rachel's that would be very pretty too.

We used a word art stamp from the Stampin' Up! set called Natural Beauty for the outside of the small aqua folded card. You can write a note inside or you can use a stamp for the inside, like Lynette did.

This card is attached on the left side only. The fold part slips undereath the right side of the folded card to keep the z-fold part tucked inside. Rachel shows exactly where to add foam tape to the back of the folded card in her YouTube, December 2023 All The Best Paper Pumpkin Kit: First Set of Alternate Projects

Lynette added two yellow butterflies to the inside of her card to enhance the scene!

Our third card was inspired by Seeka's April 11, 2022 blogpost on Sky Paper Scissors. We used Gina K's inks. From the bottom up: Key Lime, Lucky Clover and Sea Glass. I think I started using my green blending brush at first, so the top layer is rather green-ish! 

Lynette die cut all the Gina K Botanic Duo flowers/leaves. She used her Cuttlebug, with dies facing up, the cardstock on top of the dies AND a piece of bubble wrap on top of the cardstock. Then the B plate on top of that. In the past I had trouble getting these dies to cut completely. She had no problem. I'll give her method a try the next time I cut these at home.

Lynette also cut stitched circles from Vellum and a smaller one from cardstock. She did not attach her die pieces, putting everything aside for later. That's why I only have my card photo.

A great big THANKS to Rachel Tessman for her wonderful blogposts. Loved your Layering Leaves Square Column card and your Hidden Scenery Z-Fold Card.  You have such an artistic eye for color and design. We really appreciate your sharing the blogposts with us!

Thanks also to Seeka for her Sky Paper Scissors blogpost on ink blending and Gina K's Botanic Duo dies. What a beautiful layout! Love the use of the Vellum circle under the white cardstock circle. Thanks for sharing beautiful cards with everyone.

Thanks for visiting!

Peace and all good!

More Z-Fold Cards

I am still making Z-Fold cards inspired by Hetty and Tricia from Card Scrap here and here. I omitted the narrow Z-Fold strip on these cards. Used some old flower garden photos. 

By mistake I cut this card 4 inches high.  The folded size of this card is 4 inches high by 5-1/2 inches wide. It should have been 4-1/4 inches high. I forgot to take  photos before writing in some of these card. So I blurred that out.

Stamps

 Michael Strong: Mini Cloisonne Wings, Mini Cloisonne Shapes

Stampin' Up!-Watercolor Trio, Thanks from the heart

Verses Rubber Stamps-vertical Happy Birthday

Inks

Stampin' Up!-wild wasabi, certainly celery, bashful blue, primrose petals

Stamps
Stampin' Up!-Wild Rose, Watercolor Trio (sentiment)
PrintWorks (sentiment)

Inks
Stampin' Up!'-primrose petals, certainly celery, wild wasabi

I applied Tombow light blue marker #491 directly to the flower stamps. Then applied a slightly darker blue #452 to the edges of the flower. Huffed then stamped. The blue was still very light, so I added darker blue with a coloring pencil.

Stamps
Stampin' Up!-Watercolor Trio, Watercolor Minis,Santa Rosa

Inks
Stampin' Up!-wild wasabi, ballet blue
Distress-tumbled glass, shaded lilac

Thanks so much for visiting. Please stay safe and healthy!

Z-Fold Card Inspired by Hetty and Club Scrap

Made this Z-fold card after seeing Hetty Sanders' Z-fold cards, whose inspiration came from Club Scap's Z-fold cards here and here.  I used cardstock and printed paper from my stash. 

The card stands up nicely.

This card fits inside an A2 envelope measuring 4-3/8 by 5-3/4 inches.

I stamped a rose from Stampin' Up!'s Hand Painted Petites, with distress peeled paint ink for the stem/leaves and SU ruby red ink for the rose. I stamped off twice for the solid part of the rose. The sentiment from Hero Arts Everyday Sayings, is also stamped in SU's Ruby Red. 

Thanks for visiting! I hope you are having a great day!

Backgrounds Stampfest

Yesterday Lynette and I spent the day stamping.
We found several ideas online and made several cards.

These wood grain background cards were inspired by  Karen Dunbrook's Snippets blog.
You can always click on images to see a larger version.

We inked the top (logo side) of the wood design embossing folders with antique linen distress ink.

Spritzed it with a fine mist of water, then placed paper on top, pressing it down by hand

smoothing the entire surface with our fingers.

 To stamp the floral images, we misted the stamps with water first.

Then colored directly onto the stamps with a brown Staedtler watercolor crayon.

 Some images were stamped 2 or 3 times without reapplying color for lighter imprints.

The sentiments were stamped with distress walnut stain

using Hero Arts Real Dill and Stampin' Up!'s Golden Silhouettes.

Stamps: Stampin' Up!, Hero Arts Real Dill, Stampendous, Verses

Embossing folders:  Sizzix Woodgrain and Wood Planks

Inspired by Karen Dunbrook's Snippets 

we used a combo of  mowed lawn and peacock feathers distress ink for this background.

Applied the ink directly to an acrylic block, spirtzed with water

then pressed onto 4 x 5.25 inch piece of cardstock. 

I found that I could "stamp" multiple times to add more and more color to the paper.

Above is Lynette's sympathy card.

 

Here's a different Embossing Folder Stamping technique we learned from Sandra's blog. 

Inked Stampin' Up!'s French script stamp with peacock feathers distress ink, 

stamped directly on the top/logo side of the embossing folder, 

added the paper and ran it through the Cuttlebug.

Distress inks work well with this because they stay wet a fairly long time.

Lynette and I made these Easel cards inspired by Hetty Sanders' Z-fold design.

Embossing folder-Stylized Flowers

Stamps-Stampin' Up! Michael Strong

Inks-Distress peacock feathers, mowed lawn, pickled raspberry

Versafine onyx black 

Lynette made hers into a Confirmation card for her granddaughter.

Using Sandra's Embossing Folder Stamping technique again

Lynette inked Judikins musical notes background stamp with tea dye distress ink, 

stamped directly on the top/logo side of the Birds & Swirls embossing folder, 

added the paper and ran it through the Cuttlebug.

Then Lynette sponged the...

birds with tumbled glass then broken china.

leaves in shabby shutters then peeled paint

and sponged tea dye in the other areas.

 (Note: added updated ink info April 21)

Here's Lynette's finished Easel Card.

Below is mine.

I used walnut stain distress ink by mistake (instead of the lighter tea dye) 

when stamping the musical notes on the embossing folder.

I didn't want it to be that dark, so I set it aside until today when I sponged with 

broken china, mowed lawn, spun sugar and edge sponged with frayed burlap. 

I added a bottom layer on the easel card using part of Birds and Branches embossing folder by Sizzix.

Used a Hero Arts sentiment stamp.

Inspired by Heather Telford's Watercolor technique we used Lynette's Angora watercolors, 

brushing on color in layers as shown. 

Lynette found that she could control the color with paper towels removing color here and there.

I kept adding watercolor to my papers, then held the paper up to create drip lines.

Stamps: Michael Strong, Stampin' Up!, Tim Holtz, Stampendous.

Thanks for visiting!

Yay Spring!

My tulips and daffodils are opening. The trees have little green leaves popping.
Made this Z-fold card to celebrate SPRING!

Materials

Stamps: Michael Strong, Inkadinkado, Stamps by Judith, Rubber Stampede

Inks: 

Distress tumbled glass, broken china

Stampin' Up! summer sun, certainly celery, wild wasabi, lavender lace

Viva Decor Pearl Pen-magic transparent

Happy New Year's Eve

Here is a card I made for the Enjoy Michael Strong Yahoo Group's challenge 68.

It's a simple Z-fold card, based on Hetty's tutorial.

I used Mike's cloisonne numbers stamps and a paper shapers punch, 3/4 x 1-1/2".

Burlap on Z-Fold Card

For my third Z-fold card, I'm using some creamy white burlap along with torn music paper.

I stamped Michael Strong's mini flower with soft rose Memories ink, then fussy cut it.

Added some punched sprigs for leaves and a strip for the birthday sentiment. 

Used distress pumice stone and Memories soft stone on the paper edges as shown.

Click on images for a larger view.

Here's a side view.

...and a close up of the front.

More info on the card dimensions here. My inspiration is Hetty's card on her Craft Chaos blog.

Stamps: Michael Strong and Stampabilities

Inks: Memories, Versafine and Tim Holtz Distress

Cuttlebug Victoria Embossing folder

McGill Designer Pine punch

Z-Fold Card with Dimensional Flower

I made another Z-fold card with pretty flowers that my friend, Jane, gave me. Jane is one of the most generous people! She sent me a whole bunch of these SU flowers, in a variety of colors. They were all fussy cut and many were fastened together with dimensional foam. This one is stamped in Stampin' Up!'s  Real Red ink. The leaves sprig was made with SU's Sweetest Stem, a gift from another generous friend, Lynette!

Here is a side view.

...And a view from the front

When open, the card rests on a raised embossed layer. 

There is space behind this for a sentiment.

More info on the card dimensions here. My inspiration is Hetty's card on her Craft Chaos blog.

Happy Birthday stamp from Stampendous

Floral Fantasy embossing folder from Cuttlebug.

Z-Fold Card

This Z-fold card was inspired by Hetty's card on her Craft Chaos website.

It stays upright so nicely. It reminds me of the easel card design

I used Hetty's dimensions for the paper pieces, except for the front-mine is wider.

Working from the bottom up the paper dimensions are:

Base-

4.25 x 5.5" for the brown base

4 x 10.5" for the long green layer that is folded in half crosswise, 

then folded up at the 1/4 mark.

I made a crease to find the "fold spot", then used my score board.

Front layer-

3.75 x 5" for the brown base

3.5 x 4.75" for the green paper.

Vary this according to your card design.

I added a separate piece for the inside, cutting it at a width so that the top part would be the "resting place" of the top.

Here it is closed. You can use your creativity to make your own variations! 

Thanks Hetty for your inspiration!

Stamps used:

Wendy Vecci Studio 490-

Homemade Art SCS031

and

A Form of Art LSC048

Inks used:

Distress wild honey, rusty hinge, spiced marmalade

Stampin' Up! Close to Cocoa

Distress markers: 

spiced marmalade, black soot.

Stampfest cards from June 25, 2012

My friend and I like to stamp together. I call it a "Stampfest". We found inspiration for these cards at some marvelous websites...listed below the cards.

 Some guy cards

3 close up's of this "nesta" flap card

This "nestability flap" card was inspired by a card by Val at Val's Craft Room

This tri-fold card was inspired by a card on Holly Simoni's Wyoming Art Cafe

 This card was inspired by a card found on Karen Titus' blog Stamping on the Back Porch