Stash Busting Saturday - Quick Birthday cards

WELCOME TO ART CAMP WEEKEND!

Hi all.Today my daughter and I have setup "art camp" in our family.room. I thought I would whip out some quick birthday cards to get the creative juices going.

Since it is Stash busting Saturday, I dug deep into my craft room to pull out a drawer of washi, some Queen & Co Twinkle drops, and a couple of stamp sets from Close To My Heart with the intention of making a couple of cards that have been stuck in my head for years. 

The two stamps sets I pulled out of my stash were:

1. S2005 Time for Celebration Stamp of The Month (SOTM)
2. D1903 Celebrate Today—Scrapbooking

I also pulled the retired Gypsy ink out of my stash. I love the versatility of the Time for Celebration Stamp of The Month. It can be used for Birthday, Graduation, Wedding Anniversary, Mothers day, Fathers day, ....just about any occasion.

These cards were easy, peasy. For the first card, I grabbed all the purple washi and put some pieces down to represent candles, then I added the Queen & Co Twinkle drops. Lastly l stamped the Happy Birthday from S2005 Time for Celebration Stamp of The Month (SOTM) on the outside and the larger Happy Birthday from D1903 Celebrate Today—Scrapbooking on the inside of the card.

For the second card, I grabbed a set of thin washi and put some pieces down to represent a birthday cake then added candles to the top of the cake, completing with Queen & Co Twinkle drops. Lastly l stamped the larger Happy Birthday from D1903 Celebrate Today—Scrapbooking on the inside of the card.

I hope this inspired you to break out some supplies you have in your stash and make something. It can be fun to rediscover some of those purchases you had tucked away and get the creative juices going. I am thinking I might repeat these two ideas on birthday scrapbook pages......because they are so easy and yet so cute!!

Time to go create some art for Christmas in July week!! Yep, next week is Christmas in July week. We have the Hallmark channel on and we are soaking in those Christmas vibes. We may be breaking out the hot chocolate soon!! Enjoy your weekend!

Stay well and Happy crafting!!

TINA Stanczak

shop |    http://emptynestscrapin.closetomyheart.com

Pinterest |    https://www.pinterest.com/niallsmama

Cricut Affiliate link  | TinaStanczakCricutAffiliateLink

Facebook |     Emptynest   Scrapin   (private group for project instructions)

Stash Busting Saturday - July STOM Birthday cards

WELCOME TO BIRTHDAY BASH WEEK!

Today, for Stash busting Saturday, I am continuing to highlight the July Stamp of The Month (SOTM) from Close To My Heart. As I was cleaning off my work area, I had an idea for another card, using some of the bits and pieces I was about to put away. 

I looked thru my stamp collection and came up with this gem. It is the Febuary Stamp of the Month (SOTM) from 2018, Sunny Thoughts.

I stamped the insides of the cards with the "Birthday Wishes" saying. 

I added the sorbet butterfly patterned paper from Mix In (X9013) on the card base, than added the girl with the bouquet coloring all the flowers with the Coral TriBlend™ Marker, as shown below.

Fair Skin TriBlend™ Marker for the arms

Dull Green TriBlend™ Marker for the leaves and stems

Coral TriBlend™ Marker flowers

True Blue TriBlend™ Marker flowers

I colored a second card in a very similar manner, changing up the way I edged the card. On the second card, I rubbed the edge of the card on the stamped image.  I think I like the thicker outline better. What about you?

I dug into my stash of gems and found some gems Circa 2013? Maybe 2011? and popped them on the centers of the flowers. Not sure if you can see in the picture but there are some itty bitty gems in the centers of the small flowers.

Today's cards may be my favorite of the whole week. Glad I searched thru my stamps and sparkles to find some oldies but goodies. Hope you can find some fun "gems" in your stash!!

See you next week for scrapbook layouts, featuring ???

Stay well and Happy crafting!!

TINA Stanczak

shop |    http://emptynestscrapin.closetomyheart.com

Pinterest |    https://www.pinterest.com/niallsmama

Facebook |     Emptynest   Scrapin   (private group for project instructions)

Finish It Friday - July Stamp of The Month (SOTM) Generic Card

WELCOME TO BIRTHDAY BASH WEEK!

Today, for Finish it Friday, I am continuing to highlight the July Stamp of The Month (SOTM) from Close To My Heart. I had stamped some random images to color earlier in the week while I was working on the other cards, so today I am going to use those images to make some cards with a hope of being able to clean up my work space and move on to a new project. 

Here are the few extra images that I wanted to clean off my desk. 

I started with the 2 bouquets on the sheet with the butterfly. I colored the bouquets exactly the same as Wednesday card, using the Coral TriBlend™ Marker for the big flowers. I loved the way the butterfly paper looked on the base of Wednesday's card so I used the butterfly paper as the base of todays cards.

I fussy cut the boquets and popped them into a homemade envelope. The envelope was made using a sheet a patterned paper from the same March April Mix In paper packet (X9013). 

I added a touch of gold thread and white/gold ribbon to finish off the card.

The second card is much the same except I made the envelope a little smaller and flipped the paper over the tiny stripes are on the outside of the envelope.

I thought I would like the card better with the envelope this way.

Which do you like better?

I still had a couple of images to use. I decided to use Tuesday's technique of round the card stamping for the purple butterflies. The below pic shows the card front as I am coloring it in.

Here is the card front before adhering the monochromatic butterflies.

Here is the finished card.

Well, I think I am finished for the day. I am just going to pop this butterfly and girl with her bouquet into the envelop with the stamps. Maybe I will have a use for them later.

See you tomorrow for "Scrap your Stash" Saturday.

Stay well and Happy crafting!!

TINA Stanczak

shop |    http://emptynestscrapin.closetomyheart.com

Pinterest |    https://www.pinterest.com/niallsmama

Facebook |     Emptynest   Scrapin   (private group for project instructions)

Work on It Wendesday - July Stamp of The Month (SOTM) Birthday Card

WELCOME TO BIRTHDAY BASH WEEK!

Today, for work on it Wednesday, I am continuing to highlight the July Stamp of The Month (SOTM) from Close To My Heart. I am going to push to work outside of my box again, focusing on making a single card for a friend who is out of town. I plan on giving her the card in person when she gets back in town. Have to work fast today since I am leaving on a long drive after lunch. 

For inspriation, I went to artwork from my fellow consultants again today. My inspiration card was created by Tracy Ling from New South Wales, Australia. 

I really liked the balance on the card with the touch of black balancing out all of the white on the card base. I do not own the paper packet Tracy used for the stripes of color so I decided to go with the butterfly print paper from a retired Mix In paper packet from the March April catalogue. 

For this card, I stamped the boquet on a 3 1/2" (tall) by 3" (wide) piece of white daisy cardstock. I masked off the girl when stamping such that only her arms were stamped, as shown on Tracy's card above.

I decided to color before cutting or gluing any other bits andpieces just to make sure I could get the colors right. This older paper features sorbet so I first colored the large flower with the Coral TriBlend™ Marker, which is almoat the same color. I was able to blend the dark, mdium and light by coloring the dark first, then the light then adding the medium to blemd. 

Then I colored in all the leaves and stems using the Dull Green TriBlend™ Marker, the same as yesterdays cards. Next I added the yellow and Hydranga flowers. 

Fair Skin TriBlend™ Marker for the arms

Dull Green TriBlend™ Marker for the leaves and stems

Coral TriBlend™ Marker flowers

Hydrangea TriBlend™ Marker flowers

Light Yellow TriBlend™ Marker flowers

I had 3 flowers left with no color. I ended up coloring them using the medium tip of the Coral TriBlend™ Marker to get the right color balance on the card. Here is the finished product.

Again, I was pretty happy with the way this turned out. Pushing myself to work outside my comfort zone is sometime hard but always worth it once I get over the hurdle of starting the project.

Join me on Friday for Finish it Friday where I hope to finish some other cards I started using the July Stamp of The Month (SOTM).

Stay well and Happy crafting!!

TINA Stanczak

shop |    http://emptynestscrapin.closetomyheart.com

Pinterest |    https://www.pinterest.com/niallsmama

Facebook |     Emptynest   Scrapin   (private group for project instructions)

Technique Tuesday - Stamping OFF the Edge (Birthday Card)

WELCOME TO BIRTHDAY BASH WEEK!

Today, for Technique Teusday, I continue to highlight the July Stamp of The Month (SOTM) from Close To My Heart. I am going to push to work outside of my box again, making a couple more birthday cards. 

For My Beautiful Friend—July Stamp of the Month

I turned to facebook again for inspiration. I found this really beautiful card made by fellow consultant Michelle Stewart....yep, I can do this. I can stamp off the edge of the card.

Step 1) Stamp Happy Birthday inside the card. I always stamp the inside first so if I mess it up, I can cover it up & make it the front of the card.

Step 2) take a card base, tape it down to the All-purpose Mat  & stamp around the outside of it using the edges of the girl with the boquet stamp. I just kept turning her so different parts of the boquet edge were being using as I moved around the card in a clockwise direction. I stamped on my All-purpose Mat then pulled the card up & wiped up the ink before moving to the next step.

Step 3) Stamp the boquet girl, stamp the "Just for You", and the small butterflies on a peice of 4 3/4 by 3 1/2 white daisy cardstock. 

Step 4) Color NOTE: I always put a piece of scratch paper under the card when coloring since I was coloring on the edges. I probably should have done my coloring on my All-purpose Mat but I forgot to move it to the table where I was coloring.

I will admit, I handed my daughter the markers and asked her to color. She colored the purple flower card, then I copied the look on the pale pink flower card. 

I am so much happier with today's cards.  I showed these cards to some ladies with whom I was doing on online crop, and they asked where I got the patterened paper.  #Success

Finished Cards

Here is a list of the markers used to make these cards:

1. Fair Skin TriBlend™ Marker for the legs and arms
2. Dull Green TriBlend™ Marker for the leaves and stems
3. True Blue TriBlend™ Marker for the small butterflies and the dress
4. Hydrangea TriBlend™ Marker and Purple TriBlend™ Marker for flowers, card on left
5. Pale Pink TriBlend™ Marker for the flowers on the right card

So happy with todays results!! I am getting better with coloring. These cards turned out lovely. Now, to get them in the mail so this weeks birthday girls get their cards on time!!. 

Join me tomorrow for Work On it Wednesday.....you guessed it featuring another birthday card using the July Stamp of The Month (SOTM).

Stay well and Happy crafting!!

TINA Stanczak

shop |    http://emptynestscrapin.closetomyheart.com

Pinterest |    https://www.pinterest.com/niallsmama

Facebook |     Emptynest   Scrapin   (private group for project instructions)

Motivation Monday - July Stamp of The Month (SOTM)

WELCOME FELLOW PAPERCRAFTERS!

This week (week 18 of COVID 19 isolation) I am working with the July Stamp of The Month (SOTM) from Close To My Heart. Out comes my terrible secret....for all the crafting supplies I own, I do not usually make handmade cards. 

For My Beautiful Friend - July Stamp of the Month

I decided to dive right in with a birthday card that was inspired by a card I saw on facebook. 

This month I need birthday cards for a long list of people. Last week we celebrated 3 famly birthdays and 2 friend birthdays. This week there are 2 more family birthdays. I need to get rolling. 

Monday July SOTM card

I stamped the corners first with the stamp on the bottom left corner of the stamp sheet. Next I stamped to left and right sides with the stamp on the bottom right of the stamp sheet. I used the same stamp on the bottom of the card, first placing a post it note on the left corner. I needed to cover the corner because the stamp was too long and I did not want to cover up the corner stamp.

To complete the card, I stamped the Happiness saying, followed by the large butterflies, then the small butterflies. After stamping all the outlines, I started coloring. I am not much of a colorer...just like I am not much of a card maker.  Lol, I am thinking you could tell by looking at the card. It's Monday, try something new with me.

I starting with the flower in bottom left corner, experimenting with bright pink and Pale Pink TriBlend™ Marker. The two colors did not blend at all. 

Coloring the flowers

On to another color combination. I gave blending the medium and light Pale Pink TriBlend™ Marker a try on the flowers in the bottom right. These blended too well. The flowers do not look like they have any shading at all. In the end, I just used the light tip of the Pale Pink TriBlend™ Marker to color all of the flowers.

I colored the small butterflies light yellow using the Light Yellow TriBlend™ Marker.  For the larger butterflies I used the light tip of the Orange TriBlend™ Marker on the inside of the butterfly and then colored the same yellow marker on the tips of the wing.  Another fail! I used the medium tip of the Orange TriBlend™ Marker close to the butterfly body and then tried to blend using the light tip of the Orange TriBlend™ Marker. Yeah, not thrilled.

After coloring the butterflies, I decided to "fix" the card by adding some shimmer to the large butterflies and popping another "flying" butterfly on top of the ugliest of the butterflies.

Very seldom to I feel like I am adding lipstick to a pig but in this case....lol. Well the point of Motivatin Monday (or Make it Monday) is to simple motivate myself to make something. Which I did. 

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves, it was just a piece of paper. After all both Van Gogh and Monet painted over their canvases whenever they were not pleased.

Hoping for better results tomorrow for Technique Tuesday.

Stay well and Happy crafting!!

TINA Stanczak

shop |    http://emptynestscrapin.closetomyheart.com

Pinterest |    https://www.pinterest.com/niallsmama

Facebook |     Emptynest   Scrapin   (private group for project instructions)