Emboss Resist Technique

If you want a different look for your card, try the emboss resist technique to showcase your stamped image.  The part that you embossed will not pick up the ink when you use your brayer to go over the image.  

I started with a card base of Whisper White cardstock, followed by a layer of Peach Parfait, and then another layer of Whisper White which I heat embossed with clear embossing powder and the Upsy Daisy Stamp Set.  I then took my brayer and rolled over the image with Night of Navy ink.  As you can see the image that was embossed resists the ink, therefore the term emboss resist.  I like this look when I am going for a nighttime silhouette or backround.  It is a much softer look that if I took Night of Navy cardstock and stamped Whisper White ink with my image. 

To make today's card I used the following:

Cardstock:  Whisper White #100730, Peach Parfait #119794

Ribbon:  Peach Parfait 1/2" Stitched Poly #119264

Ink:  Night of  Navy #102977

Stamp Set:  Upsy Daisy #111710, Because I Care #118384 wood mount, or #120118 clear mount (Hostess Level )

Punches:  Modern Label #119849, Small Corner #119871

Accessories:  Clear Embossing Powder #109130, Heat Tool #100005, Brayer #102395, Dimensionals #104430

Quick Christmas Treat Bag

I am doing my last craft fair of this year and I always try to come up with a few different items.  When I saw the snowman peeps at the grocery store I thought they were really cute and knew that I could make treat bags quickly with the help of my Big Shot for quick embossing of the bag toppers.

To make the treat bags I took Baja Breeze cardstock, cut it with the Top Note Bigz Die and then embossed the cut Top Note piece with the Northern Flurry Embossing Folder.  I filled a large cello bag with the candy, punched two holes with my Crop-a-Dile in the top, added some Whisper White Ribbon, and the snowman tag.  Super quick, and really cute.  Now off to the Holiday Extravaganza at Susan Bostian's home.  This should be a fun afternoon filled with great holiday shopping.  A variety of vendors will be there, cooking and craft demonstrations, door prizes and more.  If you live in the area come out and say hello.  The address is 1195 Smith Gap Road, Bath, PA.  Have a great day!

To make the treat bags I used the following:

Cardstock:  Baja Breeze #111352, Whisper White #100730

Ink:  Baja Breeze #111833

Stamp Set:  Tags til' Christmas #120847 wood mount or #121169 clear mount (Holiday Mini)

Punch:  1 3/4 Scallop Circle #119854

Accessories:  Large Cellophane Bag #102210,Crop-a-Dile #108362, Big Shot #113439, Northern Flurry Embossing Folder #120902

Ribbon:  Whisper White 1/4" Grosgrain #109025

Christmas Invitation the Joy Fold Way

My husband and I are hosting our annual family Christmas party and making the invitations instead of buying store bought ones, is a nice way to show everyone how much they mean to you.  I used the Joy Fold technique and the dimensions for the layers can be found under the Joy Fold label on my blog.

To make the card I started with a card base of Cherry Cobbler cardstock, an  Always Artichoke embossed layer for the front, and Deck the Halls Designer Paper for the inside.  The small card is also Cherry Cobbler, layered with an embossed piece of Crumb Cake on the front and Whisper White on the inside for the invitation wording.  The photo corner punch with some more Deck the Halls paper was used for accents around the invitation, and a little snowflake in Cherry Cobbler filled in the left hand corner that was a little bare.  The punch tag was created using the Decorative Label punch in Always Artichoke and the Extra Large Oval was used for my sentiment (this is from a retired stamp set).    A stamped and punched ornament placed on with a dimensional keeps the small card closed.  Just remember to place your dimensional away from the opening of the card so it can easily be opened by the recipient.

To make today's invitation I used the following:

Cardstock:  Cherry Cobbler #119685, Always Artichoke #105119, Crumb Cake #120953, Whisper White #100730

Designer Series Paper:  Deck the Halls #120810 (Holiday Mini)

Ink:  Cherry Cobbler #119669

Stamp Set:  Delightful Decorations #116517, Snow Swirled #111690

Punches:  Decorative Label #120907 (Holiday Mini),  2 x 1 3/8" Oval #119859, Photo Corner #119878

Accessories:  Big Shot Machine #113439, Petals-a-Plenty Embossing Folder #116814

Embellishment:  Pearl Jewel #119247

Avoid Black Friday Traffic

Want to avoid the crowds this Friday, shop my on-line store and click on promotions to see all of the great deals and bundles offered at 30-50%.  Great to treat yourself, or to fill the wish list of family and friends.  E-mail me if you have any questions.  Happy stress free shopping!  Online promotion ends November 30th.  But, remember my Stampin' Rewards and 50/50 board promotions do not expire and anything ordered online qualifies towards your rewards. 

Gold Glow Accents

Gold Glow Smooch Spritz adds a splash of gold color to coordinate with the Brushed Gold cardstock used for today's card.  After looking at these pictures on my blog, I think I need to ask Santa for a good photo light so the richness of the embellishments on my projects shows.  Hopefully posts in 2011 will be brighter!

To make today's card I started with a base of Brushed Gold cardstock, layered with Cherry Cobbler, and Very Vanilla.  The Very Vanilla layer was embossed with the Northern Flurry embossing folder and then sprayed with Gold Glow Smooch Spritz.  The sentiment and ornament were stamped in Cherry Cobbler ink, and for added richness I then took my Versa Mark marker and colored over the inked Joy ornament and embossed it with clear embossing powder.  Linen thread was tied around Cherry Cobbler seam binding and a glue dot was used to keep it in place behind the ornament popped up with dimensionals. 

For today's card I used the following:

Cardstock:  Brushed Gold #102935, Cherry Cobbler #119685, Very Vanilla #101650

Stamp Set:  Delightful Decorations #116517, Heard from the Heart #111644 wood mount or #12006 clear mount

Ink:  Cherry Cobbler #119669

Marker:  Versa Marker #100901

Punch:  Ornament #119847

Ribbon:  Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding #120992 (Holiday Mini), Linen Thread #104199

Accessories:  Big Shot Machine #113439, Northern Flurry Embossing Folder #120902 (Holiday Mini),

Dimensionals: #104430, Glue Dots #103683

Embellishment:  Gold Glow Smooch Spritz #118770

Thanksgiving Blessings

I am so blessed and thankful for the wonderful family I will be spending Thanksgiving with today.  I hope you all get to celebrate this day with people you love.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I wanted to make a special card to celebrate these blessings, and thought adding some Dazzling Diamonds to the outer edges and center of the large stamped image would make a nice accent.  Well, after I took my Versa Mark marker and went around the areas to emboss, added the Dazzing Diamonds and heated it, there wasn't much to see.  Up close you could see the sparkle, but it wasn't as much as I wanted.  So I went over these spaces again with my Versa Mark marker and then heat embossed with Gold embossing powder.  The results turned out to be sparkling gold highlights.  So my mistake turned into something nicer anyway.  Isn't it funny how that happens sometimes.   

To make today's card I used the following:

Cardstock:  Crumb Cake #120953, Very Vanilla #101650

Ink:  Cajun Craze #1196671, Versa Mark Marker #100901

Stamp Set:  Grateful Greetings #116511, Day of Gratitude #120835 wood mount or #121148 clear mount (Holiday Mini)

Embellishments:  Circle Fire Rhinestone Brads #109110, Gold Embossing Powder #109129, Dazzling Diamonds #102023

Accessories:  Heat Tool #100005, Big Shot Machine #113439, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder #120175

Ribbon:  Victoria Trim #118481

Punch:  Small Corner #119871

Dyed Gold Bow

Yes, I like the card better with the bow dyed gold to match the gold embossing on the antlers and the Smooch Spritz on the card front.  Now it all goes together!

I started the card by embossing a piece of Baja Breeze cardstock with the Northern Flurry embossing folder. I then added Gold Glow Smooch Spritz to the front of the card. I colored over Dasher's body with a Chocolate Chip Marker and went over the antlers with the Versa Mark marker and stamped this onto a piece of Whispe White cardstock.  I heat embossed the antlers with gold embossing powder.  This stamped image was layered onto a piece of Brushed Gold cardstock.    I first tied a piece of Whisper White Organza Ribbon onto the card, but later decided to dye it gold using my retired Gold Metallic ink.  To do this, I too a small piece of a Stamping Sponge and layed the ribbon on top of the ink pad.  I held the ribbon down with the sponge and held the end of the ribbon in my fingers and  ran the ribbon over the stamp pad a few times until I got the coverage I wanted.  I let it dry for a few minutes and then tied it onto my card.  I like this look better, and dying ribbon is easy using this technique. 

To make today's card I used the following:

Cardstock:  Baja Breeze #111352, Whisper White #100730, Brushed Gold #102935

Ink:  Metallic Gold (retired),

Markers:  Chocolate Chip #100071, Versa Mark #100901

Stamp Set:  Dasher #116816, Teeny Tiny Wishes #115370

Ribbon:  Whisper White Organza #114319

Accessories:  Stamping Sponge #101610, Big Shot Machine #113439, Northen Flurry Embossing Folder #120902, Gold Glow Smooch Spritz #118770, Gold Embossing Powder #109129, Heat Tool #100005

Punch:  Small Corner #119871