Stampin' Up! Sponging

The technique of sponging is a wonderful way of creating backgrounds and coupled with Jar of Love and Butterfly Basics, one can have a whole lot of fun creating....

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Jar of Love 

Butterflies to fire flies...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Jar of Love

 The velum makes the jar look real and off set the images to make them look like they are fluttering...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Jar of Love

CN created this lovely card...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Jar of Love

 The ribbon add to the effect of the jar

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Jar of Love

Sponging a background to go with your project is easy - just ink up a sponge off your ink pad or marker, run it in circular motions on a piece of plastic to get the ink evenly distributed and then circular motion, starting off the page an onto your paper - starting with your lightest colour first...

So much fun in what you can create! But practice is the key and stamping after your have sponged adds to the crisp images in the forefront.

Yours in paper craft,

Stampin' Up! Squash Fold Card

Masking focal images and stamping background images over them became a night of playing and with such beautiful works of art, I just had to combine the finished with an easy but cute card fold. Pinterest to the rescue! and a big thanks to DOstamping and her demonstration of a squash fold card.

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Detailed Dragonfly, Water Colour Wash, Work of Art

The background is stamped in Marina Mist and Old Olive (lily pads) mounted on Daffodil Delight and a base of Basic Grey and a Basic Black highlighting strip which was carried over to the inside of the card on the trail of Dragonflies...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Detailed Dragonfly Stamp and coordinating thinlit dies.

The inside is highlighted lined with Smoky Slate and a focal piece of Daffodil Delight - in keeping with the cover.  This beautiful creation was cooperatively made with Terese...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Detailed Dragonfly, Water Colour Wash, Work of Art

Colleen created this gorgeous card on a base of Old Olive, Black Matting and Whisper White to stamp on.  Colleen used the set Butterfly Basics - that fern leaf is perfect for so many cards! and with a little sponging the card was admired by all...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Butterfly Basics "Squash Card" x Colleen

The inside was stamped randomly and lined with sponged Whisper White and again stamped with the fern leaf from Butterfly Basics (137154 - Also Available in WM and CM)

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Butterfly Basics "Squash Card" x Colleen

The card is held together with ribbon and this ribbon 1cm Shimmer Ribbon in Pear Pizzazz (144158) was a purrrfect finish to the card.

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Butterfly Basics "Squash Card" x Colleen

  The card is purrrfect for any occasion...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Butterfly Basics "Squash Card" x Colleen

Just two of the beautiful creations from class, stay close, I have another two cards to showcase...

Yours in paper craft,

Stampin' Up! Masking with Remarkable You

Stampin' Up! have near a dozen background stamps and I LOVE them.  This week our class focused on the  practicing the technique of masking a focal image and then stamping a Stampin' Up! background image over the masked stamps to create these beautiful cards using Remarkable you.

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Remarkable You, masking then stamp over with background

Marion and June incorporated a little paper toll on the flower/leaflets to make them pop.   Using the leaf and a little shaping and colouring with the Stampin' Up! markers...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Remarkable You, masking then stamp over with background

Stamps used - Remarkable You; background is from You've Got This;  greeting is from Butterfly Basics...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Remarkable You, masking then stamp over with background

Michelle created this is a beautiful card in Rich Razzleberry and Daffodil Delight, using Remarkable You; background is from You've Got This;  greeting is from One Big Meaning

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Remarkable You, masking then stamp over with background

The Stampin' Up! Textured Impressions Embossing Folder used on the Daffodil Delight panel is Garden Trellis (143741)

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Remarkable You, masking then stamp over with background

Michelle created this card as well in Marina Mist and Wisteria Wonder using Remarkable You; background is from You've Got This;  greeting is from Blooms and Wishes...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Remarkable You, masking then stamp over with background

The technique is stunning, so much so a couple of special cards were made - but you will have to check out my next post; be sure to subscribe to my blog (add e-mail to the subscription box) or follow me.

Yours in paper craft,

Stampin' Up! Lovely as a Tree - double layer stamping

Welcome to another post showcasing the wonderfully versatile Stampin' Up! Lovely as a Tree (WM128655/CM127793) one of those "must have" Stampin' Up! Stamp Sets the is so versatile it is Stampin' Up!'s best seller.  Today it is used on its own with parts of the tree highlighted using the double layer stamping method which incorporates mating of the stamped image.

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely as a Tree

Woodland Embossing folder (139673) is magic, and looks great when the ink pad is run over it, to accentuate the trees.

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely as a Tree

 The technique is easily achieved.
1. Cut out the desired featured shapes and place on the card stock you are going to stamp on - in this case Very Vanilla on Very Vanilla, with the stitched squares held in place with a dot of double sided tape.
2. Ink your Stamp (Lovely as a Tree, in this case) and stamp heavily on your Very Vanilla card stock with positioned stitched squares.
3. You will notice a halo around each stitched square - that is where the mat comes into place.  Cut coordinating mats and adhere to the stitched squares.
4. Position the above assembly and adhere in place.
5. Sponge, water colour, accent your card as you wish and complete with a base card and greeting.

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely as a Tree

 You can see the stitched squares over lapped a bit but that only added to the effect...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely as a Tree

Love these cards, great for any male occasion, can be decorated for Christmas and even simplified for a Sympathy card.  To complete the post, one in Marina Mist...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely as a Tree

If I can help you unleash your creativity, contact me, I'm more than happy to help you.  If you live in Australia and you are looking for a Demonstrator, please choose me :-).  I have regular classes in Toowoomba and you can shop 24/7 on my online shop.

Yours in paper craft,

Stampin' Up! Lovely as a Tree - double mount stamping

Stampin' Up! Lovely as a Tree (WM128655/CM127793) is one of those "must have" Stampin' Up! Stamp Sets and will be an all time favourite and "go to" for Christmas, scenery and those more difficult cards like sympathy and masculine.  It is timeless and can be used for anything from a focal point or a background image. Today it is used on its own with parts of the tree highlighted using the double mount stamping method.  The card in its basic format...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely as a Tree

The card is stamped and brushed over with an Aqua pen.  To dress it up, restamp the image on coordinating paper and die cut (stitched shapes)  and position over the original image.

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely as a Tree

It is easy to line the images up on the original stamping - sponge the original with ink, add a contrasting ribbon, and mount on a base card.  In this example I added a panel of embossed and sponged Pinewood Planks (143708)...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely as a Tree

From stitched squares to stitched circles and a colour swap - Wild Wasabi on the stamped panel, Very Vanilla for the focal points...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely as a Tree

The images were stamped in Old Olive and the base card embossed in Pinewood planks (143708) and inked over directly off the pad.

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely as a Tree

The double mount stamping technique looks great! And can be created using any colour combination.
I hope you are inspired to dust off your Lovely as a Tree and start stamping - don't own one but would like too?  If you live in Australia, please contact me and I'd love to help you, or you can shop on my online shop 24/7.  Your custom would be appreciated.

Yours in paper craft,

Stampin' Up! Lovely Inside & Out

I have a fun card fold for you today and a fun stamp and coordinating die set to go with it too. Thanks to Stampin' Up! You-Tube videos (which I now cannot find!) I got totally inspired by this set and this hidden message card fold, it is a type of tri-fold, or stand up card but I cannot find anything anywhere... so here is my creations...yes I went crazy!

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely Inside & Out bundle

Lemon Lime Twist - this in colour is SOOOOO much fun!  The card closed is a 4x4 but you can do any size.

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely Inside & Out bundle

 The card, when folded out is simply an "L" shape (imagine an 8" square, fold it in quarters and cut out one quarter - top left quarter)... detailing the inside was so much fun!

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely Inside & Out bundle

On the front flap use the thinlit dies to cut out your feature - adhere Designer Series Paper before cutting out the feature/window with word.
Colour mixing - Daffodil delight was the highlight in the DSP against the graduated Tranquil Tide, it looked GREAT!!

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely Inside & Out bundle

 love the detail of adding stripped washi tape to the edge...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely Inside & Out bundle

 The stamps in the set are so remarkably versatile, I just kept on playing...layer the dies with coordinating straight edge or scallop dies and run them through the bigshot at once - so easy peasy!

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely Inside & Out bundle

 Emerald Envy was the colour used on Whisper White...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely Inside & Out bundle

 More DSP - Delightful Daisy Designer Series Paper

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely Inside & Out bundle

 The inside was stampin fun...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely Inside & Out bundle

From DSP to stamping and DSP inside the window...my son chose this colour combination of Denim Dapper and Powder Pink with Sweet Sugarplum stamping...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely Inside & Out bundle

 He loved helping out with this creation...

A Crafty Cat: Stampin' Up! Lovely Inside & Out bundle

So yes - went crazy creating but hope this shows you the endless possibilities not only with the stamp set, but thinlit dies and DSP.

To learn more or to order these products, contact me or shop on my online shop 24/7 if you live in Australia.  I would love to guide you in the world of Stampin' Up! and paper craft.

Hope you are having a purrrfectly crafty day,