Category: Merriest moments

Artistic, Artistically Inked, Merriest moments, Painted Texture

Happy birthday ickle cus

Catherine

Yesterday was my cousin’s birthday and I wanted to share the card I made for her. I will admit I made this several months ago and I am impressed with myself for not losing it, and remembering to post it! That last one in particular is a real achievement for me! 🤣

This started as an experiment to think of different ways to add colour to the Merriest Moments die cut panel … and I thought that the background stamp in Artistically Inked might be a good one for adding different kinds of texture to the colour rather than flat colour. So I die cut the panel out first and then stamped the stamp in Pear Pizazz and Old Olive randomly all over the panel. I also took the three small flower stamps and stamped them randomly in Mossy Meadow to give a few darker patches.

Next I ran it through the embossing folder and I loved the effect. I wasn’t however in the mood to make a Christmas card so I thought why not make my cousin a special birthday card and throw all the dimension at it … so that’s what I did. I chose a colour palette of subtles: So Saffron, Blushing Bride and Calypso Coral and went to town stamping and die cutting. I blended the inks a little for the larger flower to give the edge a darker colour.

I then die cut and embossed another of the Merriest Moments panels in white to give a background to the green one … I layered them the opposite way round so they didn’t line up. I then die cut a white panel for the centre as I like having that bit clean on these panels. I chose how to arrange my flowers and added foam under the large one and then slotted the leaves in too.

The sentiment I did try using a die cut banner but the ones I have were a little too wide for the sentiment so ended up just cutting a strip and edging it with the So Saffron ink to frame it a little and raised it on foam … for some dimension.

I contemplated the back panel being the Merriest Moments embossing but decided instead to use the Painted Texture one and to distress the edges too. I added the main panel onto this with 2 layers of foam and then adhered this to the card blank made from So Saffron.

I finished off with just a single pearl gem that is Petal Pink which I think worked well enough with the other colours.

Inside the card I added a panel of white and then one flower and leaf leftover from my stamping and die cutting.

No fancy envelope for this … didn’t have any inspiration this time … I ended up just putting it in a Kraft coloured envelope for posting which was cute in itself.

So happy birthday Michelle … and hope you all like the card I made her.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

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Distress oxide ink, Embossing Folders, Indigo Blu, Lacy Brocade, Merriest moments, Old Paper, Pierced Blooms, Ribbons, Sheena Douglass Embossing Folders, Stampin Blends alcohol pens, Stitched framelits, Tim Holtz

Kendra’s card challenge #3

Catherine

Yet another batch of Christmas cards made using the templates and guides from Cards by Kendra. This time I used the one for challenge number 3. You can find all the details at Kendra’s blog.

This particular template makes 16 cards from base of 6 pieces of 6×6. I used papers from the Indigo Blu magazine kit I got last year, admittedly they are double sided so for some of the card layouts I chose to turn over the paper and use the reverse. It definitely gave me more options when I was designing how to finish the cards.

I learnt from last time to not add too many other pieces of cardstock too so I could reduce the weight of the cards.

Here is the full lot…

I used a few different shades of cardstock in the pale blue and greens along with the shimmer vellum in Evening Evergreen. I mainly used images from the magazine kit of stamps or those printed on the paper kit. Occasionally I added die cuts either as part of the sentiment or leaves for the flowers.

I chose to use the die cut snowflake embellishments on quite a few too … sometimes the iridescent side, sometimes the matt side. They worked well with the papers and the feel of the cards I think.

I did a lot of embossing too… this added texture and worked well with the grungy nature of the papers. Especially when I chose to add ink too.

Thoroughly enjoyed putting these together, the whole set took a good few separate sessions over the course of a few weeks. I particularly enjoyed colouring those Holly leaves and berries, although the fussy cutting less so!

Creating these also made me want to do more with the Merriest Moments embossing folder and get the dies and stamps out for that bundle too… so maybe that will be the next set of Christmas cards …. unless another set of papers and one of Kendra’s challenges tempts me first.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Joy, Merriest moments, Paper Pumpkin - Joy to the world, Peace & Joy, Ribbons, Sheena Douglass Embossing Folders, Stitched framelits, Tidings and Trimmings, Tidings and Trimmings, Tidings and Trimmings

Kendras card challenge #2

Catherine

I enjoyed making the cards for challenge #6 so decided to make another set using an older template… template #2.

I chose the Tidings and Trimmings papers and stamps and dies for the main focus… but ended up adding other bits and pieces in too like the shimmery vellum and the sparkly speciality paper… I can never resist going a little mad with those fab Peace and Joy stamps and dies either and felt a big word was perfect as the focus of a few of the cards.

Here they all are…

I make the cards in stages…. cutting, then putting the pieces into labelled envelopes, next the layers of cardstock are cut and added to the envelopes. Then I stamp and cut lots of embellishment pieces so I have a little pile to use. Then I start to assemble but not always finish the card topper (I make these as card toppers first before I add to card blanks/make card blanks). Sometimes I just add layers to the paper pieces and add a few bits into the envelope and come back as I know I want an additional element like a ribbon, or sometimes it comes together immediately with everything to hand. But at least this way I get to just do them a bit at a time and 14 cards isn’t too overwhelming to deal with!

As the template is for US sized cards I did have to fiddle a little with the sizing of the final layers to make it fit the UK size cards but it worked fine. I made the card blanks out of Cherry Cobbler cardstock as I had loads of it and then inside added a white panel and some more dsp strips or panels and a little stamping. They were all different but only took one pic of the inside…

Envelopes again I kept simple with some little banners of dsp leftover from the inside panels and that was all!

So another 14 Christmas cards made. Must admit these were a little heavy because of all the extra cardstock so maybe need to remember this and try to gut the layers a little next time.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Artistically Inked, Banner Pick a Punch, Biggest Wish, Brilliant Wings, Christmas Greetings, Christmas Season, Design Team, Merriest moments, Ribbons, Stitched framelits, Venetian Romance

DT: Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies challenge

Catherine

Hi! Another design team contribution to share with you today… this time my Anthing Goes with Dies one for Happy Little Stampers.

I actually made this card a couple of weeks ago for my friend Valerie who is my Stampin Up upline as her birthday is New Years Day.

I took some old dsp in bright and cheery colours and cut three square panels. I then decided to cut and emboss the Merriest Moments folder and do some cutting and amending to make a square frame. It was Valerie who gave me this idea as I saw she had done the same with some Christmas cards.

Then I added the stitched shape square on top. I also watercoloured onto the leaves using Coastal Cabana, Daffodil Delight and Gumball Green to keep the colours bright in keeping with the dsp.

I stamped and die cut some foliage from the Christmas Season set using the same colours. Always like using Christmas themed sets in a different way!

I layered them up and added this to the card as the main element. Now for the sentiment.

Of course Biggest Wish got used, as did Artistically Inked for the sentiment… one in white embossing on the yellow cardstock. Then I die cut the Butterfly and added some bakers twine underneath as the embellishment.

Finally I die cut three little butterflies as final elements.

For the inside of the card, some banners punched from the paper, some small butterflies also die cut and the sentiment stamped on a strip of white.

I also stamped the flap of the envelope and added a die cut butterfly to finish off!

Love this bright and cheery birthday card for my good friend Valerie. Lots of layers and interest, plus using those Christmas stamps, dies and embossing folder for a totally none Christmas feel card!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Merriest moments, Merriest moments, Merriest moments

New Christmas goodies

Catherine

A quick play with new Christmas goodies from Stampin Up… the fabulous Merriest Moments bundle. Created this card on my first play.

Went for a slightly unusual colour combo… Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral and Just Jade… but think it works nicely.

It was just a little play using scraps from the scraps box.

Love the texture from the embossing folder and the die cut panel. Also those flowers and leaves are fabulous.

Looking forward to playing more with this.

Happy crafting!

Catherine