The Sky Really Is The Limit!

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It is so nice to start a new year with new Stampin Up products with which to play! As can be glimpsed on Pinterest, card making mojo is at a very high level and it seems that the sky really is the limit when it comes to creating!

In preparing for my stamping group on Friday, I knew I wanted to use both the Sky Is The Limit Stamp Set and the Bloomin' Heart Thinlits.

I started my first card by choosing a color scheme of Rose Red, Blushing Bride and Mint Macaron in preparing what could be used as a Valentine card.

I die cut the Bloomin' Hearts Thinlits Die using a metal shim on my Magnetic Platform and also used a dryer sheet under my card stock to ensure that I got both a good clean cut and that I would not be sitting picking out bits! I ran the sandwich through forward and then back and was pleased with my first time cutting results. I also die cut two of the larger flowers and three of the little flowers from Blushing Bride card stock.

I decided on the placement of the intricate heart die cut on my Rose Red matte and then used my MISTI to stamp the sentiment from the Bloomin' Love Stamp Set with Rose Red ink in the bottom right corner. To punch the matte up a bit, I decided to use my Stampin' Distress Tool to distress the edges.

I adhered the Rose Red matte to a Mint Macaron matte and then adhered the heart die cut to the Rose Red Matte using the Fine Tip Glue Pen. It was very quick to add adhesive to even the little parts of the die cut. After placing it on the matte, I put a scrap paper over it and smoothed it with my hands to ensure that it adhered well.

Next, I adhered the flowers to the solid flower spots on the die cut, again using the Fine Tip Glue Pen. It takes a little work to match up the petals of the flowers but you can do it! I then added Wink of Stella to each of the flowers.

After the flowers were dry, I attached a knotted piece of the Mint Macaron ribbon to the left side of the mattes. To tie the knot, I used a new method learned from a great video tutorial by Sage Kimble, that has you use a clear block to tie the knot or bow and then add it to your project. I admit I was doubtful at first but the method works great!

On the inside of the Thick Whisper White card base, I stamped the intricate heart stamp from the Bloomin' Love set, using Rose Red.

Finally, I adhered the mattes to the front of the card base using Dimensionals.

My first attempt at this card before I remade it.

At this point, I finished card making for the day but was not quite satisfied with my card. I kept mulling it over in my mind to try and find ways to improve it. I thought that the card front was just too plain looking but I was unsure how to give it a bit more zest.

When I eventually got back to card making again, I remade the card but instead of scrapping my process, I thought I would share it with you so you could see how I made my changes and the difference that the changes made in the resulting card.

• This time, I used a Blushing Bride card base instead of the white and the colors seemed to blend better with it than the stark contrast of the white. It also served to reinforce the use of Blushing Bride for the flowers.
• Next, though I used Rose Red again for the matte and distressed it as before, I also sponged the edges with Rose Red which created a kind of glow effect on the matte.
• The die cut was done the same way but I sponged the edges and lightly across the die cut itself with Mint Macaron ink.
• Each of the Blushing Bride flowers were also sponged, this time with Blushing Bride ink. I also used my Flower Tool Kit to give a little shape to each flower.
• In adhering the die cut to the matte this time, I only added glue to the solid flower areas which gave the die cut a more 3D and looser look than before.
• I also adhered the flowers differently, choosing to use glue dots in the centre of each flower to allow the flower to maintain its shape.
• In addition, I added a thicker coating of Wink of Stella and completed each flower by adding a pearl to its centre.

I am pleased with the changes that I made and believe that my card was much improved by them. What would you have done differently?

I chose the Sky Is The Limit Stamp Set to use for my second card because this FREE Sale-a-Bration stamp set is only available until February 15 and I wanted my stamping group to see what a great stamp set it is, filling that masculine card niche that we all struggle to fill! You can get this stamp set FREE just by placing an order of $60 or more with me!

I had already used the stamp set in my Sale-a-Bration Freebie Sneak Peek but wanted something different for class. I liked the idea of using twine for contrails but knew that I would need to use a different card format for them to be effective. In the end, I chose a completed card size of 8.5 x 3.5", long enough to provide a nice swoop of twine!

I cut a Pool Party card base and attached a thin, Basic Black matte using Dimensionals.

On a 8.25 x 3.25" Whisper White matte, I used my cloud template to sponge clouds using Pool Party and a sponge. Toward the bottom, I tried to add a bit of plain sky and also made sure to sponge all the edges of the matte.

Using my MISTI I stamped the plane image on Whisper White using Jet Black Stazon ink. I did this twice to ensure a deep black color. I then fussy cut the plane.

After deciding on the placement of the plane, I used the MISTI again with the Stazon to stamp the sentiment in the bottom right corner of the matte.

I punched three clouds using the Tree Builder Punch and edged each with the Wink of Stella. I drew a mark at the end of the plane and then drew three curved lines out from the plane to the left edge of the card. To make it easier to draw the lines I used a flex curve ruler. I used the 2-Way Glue Pen to trace over the lines and then adhered Basic Black Baker's Twine. I used scissors to trim off the excess twine. I attached the finished matte to the black matte using Fast Fuse Adhesive.

Next, I used doubled Dimensionals on the left side of the plane and a single Dimensional on the right to attach the plane to the card front, as if the plane was turning. I layered one of the clouds over the end of the plane's wing to enhance the 3D appearance.

Close up showing the dimension achieved with the strategic use of Dimensionals.

I layered two more clouds in the top left of the card front to complete the card.

For the inside of the card, I thought it would be fun to have the plane execute a barrel roll!

This time I used Basic Black Archival ink and I stamped off twice on scrap paper before stamping the plane, upside down, in the bottom middle of a Whisper White matte.

Without reinking, I stamped two, right-side-up planes on either side of the middle one. I thought by stamping them lighter it would give the illusion of the plane flying in from farther away, doing the barrel roll and then flying away again! Do you think that I achieved this? Drop me a comment below!

I hope you enjoyed reading about the cards for my stamping group!

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Bittersweet Card Class

June 19 was the wind-up for our monthly card class. I always look forward to each of our card classes but because this was the last class before our summer break, it was also a little sad to think we wouldn't be stamping together for two whole months!

At our wind-ups, we always bring food to share and last year we started having our food first so that we could socialize as a group before we got down to the stamping end of things. It's always fun to sample the different treats and though we didn't know who was bringing what, it all worked out well!

Just before we broke up to head down to the craft room, the group presented me with two lovely gifts and a handmade card! Such sweet ladies! As I started to read the card, I got a little emotional so I saved it to finish reading later. The gifts and the card were much appreciated!

The two cards we made for this class were very different in nature.

The first card was a fun, lighthearted card to construct. Using the Sprinkles of Life stamp set can't be anything but fun, right?

The ice cream image was stamped in each of three colors of ink–Pool Party, Bermuda Bay, and Island Indigo–on the coordinating card stock and then punched with the Tree Builder stamp.

The cone was stamped on Tip Top Taupe and fussy cut. It was adhered to a Whisper White matte and then each layer of ice cream was stacked on top using Dimensionals.

The sentiment was stamped in Bermuda Bay and then a length of Coastal Cabana Thick Baker's Twine was knotted around the matte. It was then adhered to a Bermuda Bay matte with Dimensionals and then adhered to the Bermuda Bay card base using Fuse Fast.

A Wink of Stella pen was used to highlight the ice cream layers.

Close-up showing the shimmer from Wink of Stella pen.

Looks good enough to eat, doesn't it?!
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Our second card was designed to be a sympathy card.

The MISTI and the woodgrain stamp from the Build a Bouquet stamp set was used to stamp with Versamark on a 4 x 5.25" Basic Black matte. It was heat embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder and then the matte was trimmed to the size of the stamp. It was adhered to the black card base using Dimensionals.

On a strip of Basic Black card stock 5 x 1" (just shy of 1") the sentiment from the You've Got This stamp set was stamped in Versamark and then heat embossed with the gold. The Triple Banner punch was then used to flag each end. It was adhered to the matte using Dimensionals.

The Pansy Punch was used to cut two flowers from Gold Foil and one from Basic Black. Two flowers were punched from Basic Black and one from Gold Glimmer using the Petite Petals punch.
Each group of punched flowers were put together and pierced through the centre using the Piercing Tool and Piercing Mat.

Two 1/8" brads were heat embossed with Gold and one was colored black with a Sharpie marker. These were used to attach the flower groups. The three flowers were adhered with Dimensionals at the top of the card.

A matte of Naturals Ivory card stock was stamped with Versamark and heat embossed with Gold. The edges were also inked and embossed. The matte was then adhered to the inside of the card.

I think that the gold embossing gives a rich look when used on black. Have you tried embossing on gold? Let me know in the comments below and link me up to your creations!

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