My Halloween Happiness Shoebox Swap

What a busy couple of weeks I've had - I'm looking forward to having the weekend off! Working two weeks straight without a day off or time to stamp is not fun! I'm excited for the weekend, the Ancaster Gem & Mineral show is on (I need more rocks like a hole in my head... but I will get some anyways!) and a shoebox swap on Sunday.

I'm sharing my shoebox swap card today. Shoebox swaps are always a fun time, the criteria for the card is that it must use products from the new HOLIDAY HAPPINESS CATALOGUE. I am to prepare all the pieces, cut the cardstock, embellishments, or any of elements of the card that are more time consuming - then just bring the stamps & ink for the participants to assemble and re-create the card!

I decided to do a Halloween swap since it's my favourite holiday, instead of Christmas... it does come first after all! The card features one of my favourite products - the Halloween Happiness stamp I just love this stamp, it's so cute. I've included some instructions on how to re-create my card!

 

I stamped the whole image in summer starfruit ink, then just the bottom in pumpkin pie and used a baby wipe to erase the summer starfruit ink from the stem area and used an old olive marker to add the green. Then I gave it a huff and stamped - I think it gives a nice effect, don't you?

The card base is pumpkin pie, with a basic black layer and a whisper white layer which I embossed with the chevron folder. After I embossed, I used my brayer and started with summer starfruit and lightly ran it over the raised cardstock, then I used pumpkin pie and tangerine tango (cleaning my brayer in between of course!).

The sentiment is stamped from my #1 favourite holiday catalogue product - the TAGS 4 YOU bundle (stamp set + punch). First I inked stamp in versamark, then half in the summer starfruit and the other half in pumpkin pie (being careful not to mess up my ink pads) then stamped my image. I then added heat and stick powder and heat embossed and added some dazzling diamonds and heat set again. I then punched out the image with the label bracket punch. I added a piece of black taffeta ribbon and popped the image up on dimensionals before adding it to my card. I added a strip of basic black across the card with some of new witches brew designer washi tape, I couldn't decide which washi tape I like the best, I think the black skulls (but I love skulls, so it's really not a fair competition!!). Hope you like the card, and I hope the other shoebox swappers will too!

Stampin' Up! Supplies used:
Halloween Happiness Stamp [131859 - $11.95]
Tags 4 You bundle (stamp set + punch) [Wood 133293 - $37.95; Clear 133294 - $32.95]
Heat and Stick powder [100625 - $5.50]
dazzling diamonds [102023 - $5.50]
Chevron TIEF [127749 - $9.95]
Witches Brew designer washi tape [132156 - $6.50]

 Have a wonderful weekend. Happy stamping :)

Blue Birds in the Garden

Hello, I had so much fun creating this card. My name is Beckie and I am paper punch addict!! So it's no wonder that I had so much fun making this card. I really love the in-laid look that the Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder adds to the project - the punched images just seem to pop right off the page.

I started first by choosing the colours - I wanted to pick colours that complimented each other, while being able to give that POP of colour. I went with Old Olive, Night of Navy, Marina Mist and Island Indigo. The impact that the black background gives to the punched images is the key to this dramatic effect. I first made my pattern, then used Tombo liquid glue to attach my pieces and embossed them - except the birds and the greeting - I added them after with dimensionals for a bit more POP to my card.

 

I used the Bird Builder Punch, the Boho Blossoms Punch, the Word Window Punch and the Itty Bitty Punch Pack for the circles in the center of the flowers. I had so much fun making this card, I tried it in some other colours too and they all produce the same effect - a stunning card! I get so many compliments on them... unfortunately they are cards that I will keep in my collection of samples as I can bear to part with them! Check out a purple version I made too!! I used Rich Razzleberry, and Wisteria Wonder.

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies used:

Bird Builder Punch [117191 - $22.95]

Boho Blossoms Punch [119858 - $22.95]

Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack [118309 - $22.95]

Word Window Punch [119857 - $21.95]

Teeny Tiny Wishes [wood: 128748 - $45.95; clear: 127802 - $32.95]

 

 I hope you pull out some of your paper punches and create! Happy stamping :)

Beautiful Wings

Hello... I have a slight obsession with butterflies. When I was younger, I used to collect butterflies. I often found them on the ground (not sure how they died?) but I alway picked them up and took them home. I know that sounds morbid, but I thought they were so beautiful I didn't want to just leave them there to get stepped on or thrown into the trash. I kept them in jars with rocks and twigs, like they are in the garden! I still have some of those butterflies to this day... and they are still as beautiful as they were all those years ago (close to 20 years now!).

I love the 'Beautiful Wings' Embosslit. I love the detail the embossing adds to each tiny butterfly. I started by embossing my background Basic Black piece with the Honeycomb textured impressions embossing folder. I cut the same number of butterflies in both Pool Party and Daffodil Delight. I wasn't too sure about this colour combination, but once the whole project was finished I was quite pleased! I made is so that it appeared as though the butterflies were flying off either side of the page - I turned out just as I'd envisioned.

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Honeycomb TIEF [129378 - $9.95]

Beautiful Wings Embosslits [118138 - $14.95]

Scallop Trim Border Punch [118402 - $20.95]

Sweet Essentials [wood: 132085 - $24.95; clear: 126157 - $17.95]

 

 I hope you like it, happy stamping :)

Bright & Cheery Dahlias

Well, here is another card with one of my go to sets - Regarding Dahlias. I just love that flower image, it is just stunning and allows for so much versatility to make your cards very different and unique all with one image - just amazing!

I stamped the dahlia with versamark and embossed with white embossing powder. I then used a sponge dauber to colour the flower with Summer starfruit (one of my favourite colours), tangerine tango and real red inks, I added a strip of white stitched grosgrain ribbon to the center and added the 'HI' sentiment from the regarding dahlias set also. Punched with the 1 1/4" circle punch and the 1 3/8" circle to mat. Then I added a layered butterfly with both the elegant butterfly punch and the bitty butterfly punch. Hope you like :)

 

Regarding Dahlias

Wood (130324) $24.95; Clear (130327) $17.95

 

1/4" Stitched grosgrain ribbon

Whisper white (129877) $6.75

 

Bitty Butterfly Punch

129406 - $21.95

 

Elegant Butterfly Punch

127526 - $21.95

 

A Holly Jolly Christmas card

Here's my stamping inspiration for today... I created this card for a swap I participated in a few weeks ago. When the holiday catalogue came out, the first thing I had to have was the NEW label bracket punch - I love the ease of punches, the fun backgrounds and other shapes you can create with a punch! I punched the bracket 3 times in Island Indigo cardstock and stamped the "Holly Jolly" Christmas greeting in Bermuda bay and punched it out. I rotated the Island indigo to be like a shadow effect for the stamp. The stamp set "Tags for you" has a Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's day, and Halloween Greeting plus, a genaric "To: and From:" greeting.

I also used the NEW Winter Frost stack - it contains 48 sheets of 4 1/2 X 6 1/2" designer paper, perfect for cardmaking.

I added some 1" squares punched in Bermuda bay to the center of the bracket punches, circles looked cute too, but I went for the squares and added some sparkle with the stars punched out with Silver glimmer paper. Lastly, before I assembled the mat to the card base I paper pierced the scallops for a nice effect. With a bit of the new 1/8" Silver ribbon to make it like an ornament - love this ribbon, so silky and shiny!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:
Tags for you: Item [wood: 131820 -  $24.95; clear: 131823 - $19.95
Label bracket punch [132153 - $21.95]
or you can bundle and save! [wood:133293 - $37.95; clear: 133294 - $32.95]
Winter frost Designer series paper stack [132183 - $8.50]
Paper piercing supplies used:
Paper piercing tool [126189 - $4.95]
Stampin' pierce mat [126199 - $5.50]
Paper piercing pack (essentials) [126187 - $10.95]
Silver 1/8" Ribbon: [132137 - $6.95]

Hope you like it, happy stamping :)