My little corner of the web to share my card creations and hopefully inspire others to create. We all need a calming outlet in this hectic world, so do what you love and love what you do, and start creating!
Welcome back everyone! I have been taking a bit of a break for a few reasons, but slowly moving back into work mode.
Today, I am going to feature a great company out of California, called Kitchen Sink Stamps. I came to know of them this past summer while attending a stamping convention, called Junkie
Fest, which was hosted by the Stamp Junkies, an amazing online Facebook group. Kitchen Sink Stamps has hundreds of designs and specialize in multi step clear stamps, where the images look very real. If you haven't checked them out....get on it!
Anyways, I have created several of these cardinal cards to use as Thank You notes that I am sending out this week. I had surgery one week before Christmas, and many, many people did wonderful and kind things to help my family and I out this last while, and I certainly wanted to create cards to share my gratitude.
I kept all the cards similar as I wanted to get about 25 done in a short time while I was able to sit up (on bed rest...flat) and created them over 3 times in just over an hour. So not bad!
I started with an A2 white card base, then matted with olive green cardstock and a wood grain, snowflake patterned paper, all from Recollections. Then using Neenah white cardstock, I cut a bunch of mats at 4" x 2 3/4" and matted them again on the green.
Image from Kitchen Sink Stamp
Then it was time to load my MISTI and get stamping! I started with the branches. I stamped the first layer using Versafine 'New Sprout', second layer is 'Olympia Green', followed by 'Vintage Sepia' for the pine cone layer.
For the cardinal, I used Rangers 'Antique Linen' first, followed by Lawn Fawn 'Lobster', then Hero Arts 'Red Midtone'. Last layer for the beak and a touch of detail is Versafine 'black onyx'
The cards received different sentiments on the outside, yet all read Thank you on the inside.
This "Peace" stamp shown here, is by Hero Arts.
After the cardinal was done, I added a very slight shadow under his belly with a C3 Copic marker.
For just a bit more depth and keeping it easy, I went around the edges with a foam piece and a bit more antique linen ink.
Finishing touch was the random snow using Nuvo drops in 'white'
I hope you enjoyed today's quick card and please do head over to Maria's wonderful company Kitchen Sink Stamps. She has great designs, and a sale on many sets right now!
Remember...be creative, think of others and kindness always matters.
There was tons of great product in the box, and it made it easy for me to create a huge batch of cards....31 in fact! I won't share them all, but certainly enough to get you inspired and digging into your kit.
Card One:
For the first card, I kept it nice and simple. I absolutely loved this plaid paper, so I knew I wanted it to be the focal point of this card.
I started with an A2 size card base in cream, and matted the next two layers 1/8 inch smaller than the next. I then cut a 1 inch strip of green and matted the light purple on top and wrapped a little bit of the twine around it, before adhering to the card. Next came the 2 inch circle for the sentiment. I used the 'thank you' die that was included in the set, and cut it out of a scrap of white to make it pop.
Card Two:
The second card, is an A2 sized card and once again, simple in design. I used the dark grey cardstock from the kit and matted with a piece of white paper I had in my stash already. I wanted to draw out the brightness in the polka dots of the next paper. For the embellishment, I used five of the little triangles from the kit, to create a sweet little banner across the corner and tied them off with twine bows.To finish off, I used the Thank You sticker in the opposite corner.
Card Three:
For this card, I used the gorgeous butterfly paper. I so often gravitate to butterflies on sympathy cards, not sure why, just one of my things!
I started with an A2 size card and matted with the purple linen paper from the pack, then the butterfly one. Before adhering to the card base, I added a piece of sheer ribbon from my stash around it. Next layer is 3x4 and matted the same, but raised up with foam squares to add detail. I felt a little bow would add a touch of elegance, so I slipped it to the side. Lastly, I stamped a simple sentiment, using a Hero Arts stamp, and attached it across the front. Even with the foam and bow, it is still low profile enough to go through the post no problem.
Card Four:
For this card, I kept it simple and great for any occasion really. I started with this lovely little floral print paper as my base, and wanted to draw out the green a bit more, so I grabbed a leftover Christmas paper that match perfectly and matted them into a 5x7 card. Next was the banner down the side with a pink from the kit, matted onto more green. I had a little remnant of the twine leftover and just the perfect size to add on. I used one of the awesome sentiment stamps from the kit and stamped in black, cut it down to a 2 inch square and matted once again with green. The bird sticker and few drops of Nuvo in Plum Pudding, rounds out card 4.
Card 5:
This card might be my favourite of all! I just loved the colour and texture, so much. For this one,I knew I wanted the lace to be the feature, so I decided go big or go home, and cover the front in it!. I took a 3x4 inch scrap of cardstock and chose two different lace patterns from the kit, and just cut a bunch of strips a tad wider than the paper and put them in a pile. From there, I simply adhered them to the 3x4 piece, by alternating the white and ivory until it was covered. I used 11 pieces in total.
I knew I was going to use the purple flowers, so I found a purple scrap on my desk that matched really well and mounted it to that. From there, I glued it to an A2 card base and made my floral focal. I pulled the leaves off of another flower just to fill the cluster up a bit more, and stuck it all down with sticky dots. I used the Thinking of You sticker and two leaf stickers as well. To finish, I tucked in a couple pearls.
Card 6:
Another simple card, where all the product comes from the kit. A2 card base cut from the white cardstock, followed by two pieces of patterned paper for matting. I tucked a strip of lace around the paper before adhering to the base. I really loved this glossy pink striped paper, so just left it as it was and matted on a white back. Loved the Happy Birthday sticker to finish off. Like I said....quick and easy!
Card 7:
So this card started out with one idea, yet ended with another! Anyone else ever have that?
I began with a square base of 5.5 x 5.5 inches for my card base, in white cardstock. Next I grabbed the grey cardstock from the kit for stenciling the butterflies.
I used the butterfly stencil, and inked over the top with versamark ink, then added the LFL ivory embossing powder and heat set. Once this was cooled, I added their little bodies using the stamp set. I love this stamp and stencil duo, as there are so many combinations to make from them. I initially was going to mat in the silver cardstock that came in the kit, but I found on the grey paper the ivory read more as a gold, so went with that instead. Added some foam tape behind and another layer of grey. To finish off add brightness, I added many drops of white gel pen all over.
Card 8:
This beauty has lots of detail and one of my favourites as well.
I choose two patterned papers from the kit, and went about distressing the sides by sanding and addding ink. From there, I used a dollie and touched it in a few spots with gold ink splatter, and cut in half. To balance the gold, I ran a strip along the side, as well as a strip of lace. From the kit, I used the paper flower and On Your Special Day sticker, and pearls. I wanted to add a bit more, so I cut few leaves out and wrinkled them up before gluing in. Last but not least, I cut two filigrees from the same matting paper, and tucked them in. Both the leaf and swirls are from Gina K Designs
Card 9:
When you have a Love from Lizi kit, you always have to make a shaker card, because the sequins included are so beautiful! They really do capture all the colours of the kit so well.
I loved this dainty yellow and blue floral paper, so much, I wish I had more of it! I started with the two mats attached to a 5x7 card front, then set about making a shaker piece. I stamped the image from the set on white cardstock, long with a few small butterflies. Since the paper was alcohol ink friendly,I added a touch of yellow to each with a Y23 Copic marker. I had already cut a frame out of the blue cardstock before adhering , so just added some acetate for the window. Sequins next, then foam, then all sandwiched together on the card front. Trimmed up the frame using the LFL Peel offs (love those) as they match so well, and add more sparkle. I stamped and heat set one more butterfly from the kit, used Y11 and Y23 Copic to color, then fussy cut him out for the corner.
Card 10:
For card 10, we finish off with another simple design using kit contents. A2 card base, mattd with two layers of pattern paper. Before adhering, I added a matching lace piece. I die cut an oval from another pattern, and pulled it all together with the two little stickers. Great card to have on hand for many different occasions.
I made several more cards, I haven't shown individual , but here is a snippet of the sets. I created two box sets, 6 cards in each box. One is all Thank you cards and the other is an assortment.
I hope you found some inspiration within my blog today, and are able to dig into your LFL kit when it arrives at your door!
I also want to take a moment and send a huge Thank You out to Love from Lizi, for inviting me to be a guest designer this month. I always love working with your product Lizi, and all the great stash building staples that are in there!
Head on over to Love From Lizi, to check out her shop
Hi everyone, Today, I get to share the unboxing of the awesome new card kit from Love From Lizi, also know as LFL December 18 Card Kit I am super excited to be guest designing with her kit this month, and I look forward to sharing all the neat things I am making with it.
So lets dig in!
This box of excitement landed at my doorstep yesterday, and I was immediately in love with it! Purple and butterflies are two of my favourite things, and they were both in a kit.....together! Also, as makers, we have been looking at and working with holiday paper crafting for months already, so not seeing Christmas in a box, is a breath of fresh air and a nice break by this point.
First off, I take out the large bag to see what it holds. Inside, I find 5 pieces of cardstock, two of which are white Copic marker friendly, which is awesome to work with for stamping and colouring. Lizi's kits always include the 5 pieces of cardstock so you can just cut in half right away and have your ten card bases if you so choose, or use them for matting like I often do. There are also two metallic pieces of cardstock included , in silver and gold, both with a matte mirrored finish. I LOVE these two pieces! Look how pretty they all are?
Next in the bag, is 16 sheets of 8X8 patterned paper. What a selection of gorgeous prints! Some are double sided, others have a touch of glitter, or spot gloss, and one of my favs is the canvas textured paper. Paper that has texture just adds one more layer of oomph to a card......we not only look at cards, we feel them, and canvas paper does a great job of grabbing our attention. Of course, all these patterns coordinate with each other beautifully. Also in this bag was a matching set of puffy stickers for lots of different occasions, such as birthday, thinking of you and thank you, perfect for card making. As well, there was a sheet of Peel Offs in Sky Blue. Lizi's kits always have fun Peel Off colours included. Did I mention I am addicted to Peel Offs.....they are such a great finishing touch to so many projects!
Now, can we talk about my favourite part of the kit?? The stamp and stencil butterfly set!! Stunning, and such a great combo to keep in your day to day stash. These are going to get a ton of use in my studio for sure!! So many combinations to use the two together or separate. The stencil could be used alone to create a background, or they align with the stamp set to add even more detail. Did I mention this is my favourite.......just love them!
Now, onto the embellishment bag which is packed tight with amazing, crafty goodies also.
The Nuvo Crystal drops bottle included in this kit, is called Plum Pudding, and could be used for all seasons really, as it is that pretty in tone. Another awesome stash builder in the kit that you could use over and over, is the Love From Lizi embossing powder, in ivory pearl. Such a gorgeous sheen to it.
The embellishment bag also has 5 white paper dollies, a sheet of pearl stickers, a bag of adorable purple heart shaped buttons, beautiful paper flowers in two shades of purple, the beloved sequins mixes, and lace. I love that the lace is super soft and white. This means you can custom colour it how ever you want. You could add ink, or stains, or may favourite tea dying! So pretty and so perfect for this kit theme. Another fun addition to the embellishments, was a bag of little paper triangles and twine to make a banner or bunting with.
Last, but not least, are the two adorable dies that are included with the kit. One is a script font that reads "thank you" and the other is a little heart, that says "with love" in the middle of it. I really appreciate the size of these for card making. Lots of sentiment dies are large scale, but these are nice and delicate.
So crafty friends, I look forward to creating cards and more with this months kit and to share with you soon via video where I will make 10 cards with one kit and of course the matching blog post. This kit was just released in limited quantity, and if it is like the last few kits, it will sell out fast. So, hop on over to her website to pick up this kit and much more! There are some wonderful add-ons to this month's kit as well. You can find the kit atLove From Lizi
**Affiliate links are used at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support -Kim
Remember...be creative, think of others and kindness always matters.
Hoping on here to share this adorable set I recently purchased "Super Cool Pals" from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps. I am just in love with these two little friends!
I started off by stamping in Memento black ink, onto Neenah Solar White cardstock. I kept the colouring simple, and used a handful of Copics and worked with traditional Christmas colours.
Once the image was coloured, I simply added a bit of colour to the sky with tumbled glass Distress Inks, and added a touch of white paint splatter to give a snowy finish.
Simple mat of red and green, and done like dinner! I absolutely love this set, and can't wait to make several more cards using it. Jump on over to this great Canadian owned business and stock up on some new stamps! www.kraftinkimmiestamps.com
Remember...be creative, think of others and kindness always matters.
Hello everyone, I am deep into Christmas creating over here, so I thought I would pop by and share a few cards and tags I made today using the super cute Mama Elephant set that is filled with playful reindeers. The set was released awhile ago, however, I just picked up the stamp and die combo recently, when I saw it on sale. I started off by stamping a full sheet of Neenah solar white cardstock with the images, using Gina K Designs Amalgam ink, and went to town colouring them with my copics. All the reindeers are coloured similar with E31 and E33, and the hoofs and antlers were E37. The grey is W1. I kept them all fairly simple, with not a ton of shading,as I was trying to get 30 images coloured in one take while the baby was napping.
As for the paper, I used only scraps I had on hand. I have been working hard at using bit and pieces up and not cutting into a new sheet right now. Later in the season, that will come, but for now, there are so many scraps, there is no need.
I also made 12 Tags. Once again, scrap bits for these cuties. I sell tons and tons of tags at my Christmas shows, and I know these guys will be some of the first to go this year. Or I may just keep them for myself!!
In total, I made 20 cards and 12 tags so far with this set, and I am sure a few more will follow.
I know many crafters are starting their Christmas creations already, so keep going and those that are procrastinating, like I usually do, get on it! Hopefully you see something that sparks you, and inspires you.
Remember...be creative, think of others and kindness always matters.
In today's post, I will be working with these stunning stamps and die from The Ton Stamps. I own many stamps and inks from them, they are hands down one of my favourite companies out there. The quality of the product is top notch and some of the most visually impressive designs on the market right now. If I am scrolling around on social media, I can always spot The Ton Stamps designs on a card, there is something distinctive about Effie's stamp detail, that makes them pop!
So this July, I got to meet the lovely owner of The Ton Stamps in person, and I was in awe! She is equal measures of gorgeous, talent and genuine, through and through! I LOVED chatting and hanging out with her, and her mom, as well as taking her phenomenal make and take. I learned so much about watercolouring!!
Me, giddy to meet this delightful human, named Effie, the owner of The Ton Stamps!!
Like I said earlier, I own several products from The Ton Stamps, however, I only discovered the large pop up dies while they were all spread out in front of me at the make and take. Wow!! Are they ever neat! I played around with the peony pop up die there, but knew when I got home, I needed to order the Butterfly one......just so pretty!
I purchased the Monarch Pop-Up Dies and the Beautiful Butterflies 3 Stamp set, and that is what I will be sharing with you today.
I started by creating background paper using the stamps. Using black Versafine, I stamped a random pattern all over the paper, added Hero Arts clear embossing powder and heat set. I kept the colouring of the butterflies super simple, because I wanted to create half a dozen 8x10 sheets, so just a quick bit of orange and yellow went into them, using my Zig markers. At first, I was going to keep the background white, but decided to add colour to one sheet to see if I liked it. Guess what? I did! So I added Distress Ink, in Spiced Pumpkin and Scattered Straw all over the paper, and a few drops of water and ending up loving how it turned out. Sometimes, you just need to play around with things!
I cut the patterned cardstock I had made, down to my card base size of 5 x 7, and mounted on black.
I had a specific person in mind while making this card, so added a 'Thinking of You' stamp and die sentiment from Gina K Designs to it.
Couple of sequins from Simon Says Stamps in Moonshine, rounds it out for me.
Now to the inside and using the fun pop up die.
To start, I took a sheet of watercolour paper and added Distress Inks in the same colours I used before, and covered the entire paper in an orange wash of colour, and set it aside to dry. Then cut out the outline using black 110lb cardstock. Once the watercolour paper was dry, I die cut the back of the wings out. Now it was just a matter of adhering all the pieces together, which was really easy. For this, I used Craft Tacky Glue from Tonic. Once the butterfly was assembled, I simply added him to the card base at the fold. Found some older Basic Grey patterned paper in my stash and added it in to cover up the tabs that are on the back of the butterfly and to add some more pretty to the whole look. Final touch for this guy, was a few white dots scattered on the orange using a white Copic marker.
I created another butterfly and added him to a large flower I had made earlier, that was sitting atop a wedding gift.
Nice little take away for the bride, to have.
I loved working with this die set, very easy with impressive results. Can't ask for much more!
When you get a minute, hop on over to the website and check out Effie's incredible product, you won't be disappointed! https://www.thetonstamps.com
Now, I better write a message inside to my sweet friend Julie, who is dealing with a tough medical blow right now, and get it into the mail for her. (P.S. Julie, close your eyes, you did not see this card!!)
(Not an affiliated post, just love for The Ton Stamps) Remember...be creative, think of others and kindness always matters.
