A Christmas Retiform Grid Card

Yesterday I shared another retiform or grid card with a link to a tutorial where I learned how to do this fun technique. If you missed it, you can scroll down to the last blog post. I make Christmas cards all year round to share with my classes and to make sure I am not rushed later in the year. For this Christmas retiform card, I sponged with Broken China Distress Oxide ink and stamped with Ranger Archival Cobalt Blue. Most of the stamps are from a set by Gina K and I filled in with some snowflakes from Inkadinkado.

I am sharing this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Wed. Simon Says Stamp.

Thanks for helping me #spread the joy of creativity!

Packers Retiform Card

I recently re-discovered an older technique called Retiform Stamping or grid stamping after watching this video on YouTube. The technique is easy and fun to do and I decided to go with a Packer theme for this one. I sponged with a green ink to create all the grids, then masked and stamped the Packer images in each grid. The HB to a true cheesehead and the cheesehead stamp are from Peachy Keen. The helmet, football and "have a ball" stamps are from Crackerbox Palace. The two Packer Gs are personalized stamps also from Crackerbox Palace.The fill in stars are old stamps from PSX and Great Impressions. I will be sharing this card in my in home classes in the fall when our Packers are playing again.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Wed. Simon Says Stamp.

Thanks for helping me #spread the joy of creativity!

Personalized Birthday Boy Card with Tonic and Nuvo

I am sharing a sneak peak of a card that is on the Tonic Studios USA blog today with tips on how to personalize a card and add sparkle with Nuvo's glitter markers. Click on this link to get all the details.

And it is a good time to share a new picture of the cutie grandson of mine who will receive this card on his birthday:

Love this boy!! We just had a super fun visit with him and Mom and Dad at the cottage in Eagle River. Can't wait for our next visit the end of the month in Chicago!

I am sharing this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wed.

Thanks for helping me #spread the joy of creativity!

Club Challenge Wallpaper Card

The challenge this month at our local stamp club was to create a card using some vintage looking wallpaper. I chose the beautiful flower swag and the burgundy diamond pattern and created a larger square card. Then I simply die cut Quietfire Designs "Warm Thoughts" out of the rest of the floral wallpaper piece and also out of black fun foam. I glued them together with my favorite glue, Nuvo's Deluxe Fine Tip Adhesive and attached to the wall paper covered card front. Raising the words on the fun foam makes them stand out more but I left the swirls hang free. I added some green Nuvo Crystal Drops for more dimension in the flowers. Here is a closer look:

I am entering this card in the "Use Patterned Paper" challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge. I am considering wallpaper to be designer paper - the old fashioned kind:)

Thanks for helping me #spread the joy of creativity!

Tonic Studios Birthday Fan Fold Card is Live!

I found a new fun fold and created a card with it using some favorite Tonic Studios dies and color coordinated the ribbon with Nuvo glitter markers. For details on how to make this card and to see how the fan fold looks when open, click on this link to go to the Tonic Studios USA Blog. 

Thanks for helping me #spread the joy of creativity!

A Guy's Shirt and Tie Card

I found a tutorial on line by Keenan Kreations that taught the best shirt and tie fold I have ever tried. The video is very helpful and does show using one or two sided designer paper. I taught it in class and wrote up these instructions for the students using one sided dp:

1.    Cut shirt piece 4” x 5 7/8” and tie piece 4 x 4 inches in lightweight patterned papers.

2.    Score shirt piece gently at 5/8” and 1 ¼” on the long side.

3.    From the back, fold down the first fold to the 2^nd scored line and secure with tape runner or adhesive.

4.    Mark and cut in one inch from each side right under the folded top. This can be done by hand or with a paper cutter.

5.    On front side, mark center (2 inch line) and fold each side of the collar to that center line. Set aside.

6.    On tie piece (4”x 4” patterned paper), fold in triangle to mark center with patterned side down. Fold each side to center.

7.    Flip and mark 1 ½ inch down on center line. Fold center point up halfway (or ¾”) and then fold again to top of piece. Tuck the top piece to the back of the folded tie.

8.    Flip and from back, fold the sides of the tie into the center again and secure. If the top of the tie is not perfect, it is OK because it is tucked under the collar when the tie is attached. Attach the tie flat and the collar sides with a little piece of mounting tape or pop dot so it is raised a bit.

I cut a pocket for my shirt with a stitched square die from Pretty Pink Posh and popped it up for dimension. I added an "Enjoy Today" sentiment from Tonic Studios, some tiny buttons to the collar and some white Nuvo Crystal Drops to the sentiment. 

Thanks for helping me #spread the joy of creativity!

Foiled Layered Floral Birthday Wishes Trio #3

Today I am sharing the third card I made for a challenge to make three cards with the same supplies. I am hoping this mini series shows you how to stretch your supplies to create very different looks with the same supplies. This spring I have been loving my Altenew layered dies and the foil products from Gina K. and Therm O Web. Here are the supplies I used for all the cards in this series:

Altenew Layered Floral Cover Dies

Therm O Web Lapis Watercolor Deco Foil

My Creative Time Stitched Oval Dies

Laminator (I use Royal Sovereign, but any will do)

Gina K Designs Birthday Essentials Foil-Mates

Nuvo Deluxe Fine Tip Adhesive

Tonic Studios Tangerine Die-cutting Machine

Misc. cardstock pieces

Ranger Tumbled Glass Distress Ink

Tim Holtz Blending Tool

For this card, I also used Therm O Web's Deco Foil Transfer Gel. I created a stencil by die cutting Altenew's Layered Floral Cover Die A out of a thick cardstock. I attached the stencil to a piece of cream cardstock and applied Deco Foil Transfer Gel through the stencil holes. I removed the stencil and let the gel dry until it was clear. Then I layered a piece of Lapis Watercolor Deco Foil on top and ran it through my hot laminator. It is so easy to make a gorgeous card with these awesome products.

I foiled another Gina K Birthday Essentials Foil-mate for the greeting on the inside of this card. I cut it out with an oval stitched die and sponged on some color with Ranger's Tumbled Glass Distress Ink. If you missed the first two of the trio of cards I made with the same supplies, scroll down on my blog to Wednesday's and Thursday's blog posts.

Thanks for helping me #spread the joy of creativity!