Circle Flip-Its

Yesterday I treated myself to the Sizzix Circle Card Flip-Its die set, using my 50% off coupon at Michaels.

Here are two birthday cards I made, one for a friend and the other for my brother-in-law.

These are so easy to make. The dies are designed to cut the base and the layers.

I have lots of printed paper in my stash to use!

Thanks for looking!

Pin-Spiration Christmas Card

Don't you just love Pinterest for Card Inspiration!

My Pin-spiration for these Christmas cards came from 

Amanda Mertz' blog, Did You Stamp Today?

Her green, blue and pink snowflakes caught my attention!

I used Michael Strong's Christmas tree, 

stamping it in mowed lawn then coloring it with colored pencils,

A Gelly Roll Stardust clear glitter pen was used to add a little sparkle.

This tree above was cut fussy cut to be a shorter tree.

 

Using mowed lawn ink, I sponged the edges of the trees 

and also the edges of the cream layer.

For the background, I used a creamy white layer on a green Bazzill card.

Added a pink ribbon and stamped Merry Christmas on it.

Stamps:

Michael Strong-Christmas Tree

Comotion #741 Snowflake 2

Stampin' Up! Lace Snowflakes

 

Inks:

Distress-mowed lawn, spun sugar broken china, tumbled glas

Versafine-onyx black

Card Captain Day 5

Happy Friday!

A special THANKS to my stamping friends from the Enjoy Michael Strong Stamps Yahoo group!

You've been so supportive with wonderful compliments this week! 

Thanks for your emails and for leaving blog comments!

Today, I have a Christmas card and a holiday gift card holder to share.

I CASED the idea of the Christmas tree made from Mike's Cloisonne Fan stamp.
But I am not sure exactly where I saw it. It may have been on Joanna Crafty Jo blog.
I am thinking of using this design for the 100 Christmas cards I sent out.
I know it's very simple, but I love the look of that little tree.
The cream cardstock base had little flecks in it.
I think it's called stardust.
Michael Strong's mini fan is used to make the tree. I drew the tree trunk with markers.

STAMPS-Michael Strong, Hero Arts,

INKS

Versamark black onyx

Distress-mustard seed

Stampin' Up!-old olive, rose red

Distress Marker-vintage photo for tree stem, white for the lines
 The other stamps are from Hero Arts.

This gift card holder is an embellished envelope made with my envelope board punch
by We R Memory Keepers-thanks for recommending it, Dena!
I used Mike's cloisonne Christmas tree, adding color with an aqua painter
then sponging the edges.
I drew some white lines on the red scalloped oval with a white distress marker.
Used the sizzix snowflake embossing folder on the white nestabilities layer.
Punched the tag and stamped with a Hero Arts stamp.
Made a bow with the wooden bow maker--thanks Hetty!
For the envelope part I used a 5-1/2 inch square of green cardstock,
punched at 2-3/8 inches.
The final dimensions of  my envelope: 2-7/8 x 4 inches.
My friend's envelope measured 2-1/2 x 3-3/4 but it was a tight fit for the gift card.
Maybe that's a good idea, so the gift card doesn't fall out?

Here is the inside view.

STAMPS-Michael Strong, Hero Arts

INKS

Versamark black onyx

Distress-shabby shutters, dried marigold, festive berries, seedless grapes

Stampin' Up!-old olive

Distress Marker-white for the lines on red layer

Card Captain Day 4

Happy Technique Thursday! to my Enjoy Michael Strong Stamps Friends!

 These my little "techniques" today:
* making my own "tag reinforcement"

 * using an aqua painter to color stamped images 

* making my own "hill stencil".

 Here you see a close up of my "tag reinforcement".

I cut my own tag 7 x 3-1/2 inches from white cardstock.

Trimmed the top corners as shown and used a 1/4 inch punch for the center hole.

I added a home made "reinforcement" by punching a 1/4 inch circle
into a separate piece of cardstock. 

Then I punched a 5/8 inch circle around that.
Glued my reinforcement onto my tag.

To make a "hill" stencil simply cut a curvy line on cardstock scraps-Super simple.
Using this, I sponged mowed lawn ink to create my hills.

Coloring with Aqua Painter...
For the Vase, I stamped it on a separate piece of paper using Versafine black onyx ink.

When it was thoroughly dry, I used an aqua painter and distress inks to color it.
Just dab your inkpad to a craft sheet or similar surface.
Dip your aqua painter brush into the ink to pick up color.
Have scrap paper handy to test out the color's intensity.
Use a paper towel or old rag to pinch the brush and remove color
before going on to the next color.
I fussy cut the vase and attached it with foam tape.
I used the aqua painter to color the  the dragonfly and the cat.

To finish off my tag, I added assorted fibers from my stash!
Thanks, Lynette for sharing your fibers with me!

STAMPS-Michael Strong, Stampers Anonymous

INKS

Distress-mowed lawn, scattered straw, tumbled glass,
rusty hinge, seedless preserves, spiced marmalade, tea dye

Card Captain Day 3

Happy Wednesday! Is it me, or is time just speeding up?
Eight more days till Thanksgiving!

Today I have a series of Vertical Cards

using Michael Strong's Cloisonne Flower and Mini Flower stamps.

 (Click on any image to enlarge)

The measurements of all three cards are listed here:

For the card base, I used a piece of 7-1/2 x 9 inch card stock
folded it so my card measures 3-3/4 x 9 inches.
Added a white layer of card stock, measuring 2-3/4 x 8 inches.
My cards will fit into a 4-1/8 x 9-1/2 inch No. 10 business envelope.

Stamped Mike's large cloisonne flower with Distress festive berries ink.

Stamped Stampin' Up!'s  French script stamp with iced spruce a couple times in the background.
Then stamped the Hero Arts sentiment with Versafine onyx black.

For the inside, I used a 7 x 8-1/2 inch piece of computer paper (text weight).

With festive berries ink and Mike's large flower stamp, 

I stamped 3 times so each image became lighter.

I like to attach the inside layer with double stick tape on the left  half, close to the fold.

For this card, I kept the gray base
but used dried marigold, rusty hinge and spiced marmalade distress inks
to stamp the flowers.
The Stampin' Up! leaf is stamped in iced spruce.
Sponged iced spruce as shown with stencil-like material that a friend gave me.

On the inside I stamped "off" with the same 3 orange colors above
to give a faint flower image.

My third card has a gray-green base.

All three cloisonne flowers were stamped in dried marigold.
The Stampin' Up! leaves and curlicues are stamped in iced spruce.

Here is the inside, stamped in dried marigold.