My 10 Favorite Cards From 2014

Can you believe that it is already the last day of the year? I know I can't! It seems that December and blogging don't work for me–only one blog post in December so I thought I better get another one in before 2015!

Anyway, I decided to round up my ten favorite cards to share with you. Click on each photo to be taken to the original article.

Enjoy and Happy New Year! See you in 2015.

In The Pink

I guess I was in the mood for pink when I got home from my Walmart shift yesterday! Once again, I was drawn to the Wondrous Wreath stamp set and framelits.

I wanted to use varying shades of pink with just a hint of black to add some pop. I chose Pink Pirouette for the card base and front matte, Rose Red and Melon Mambo for the wreath and Basic Black for the contrast. The Pink Pirouette matte uses the Decorative Dots Embossing Folder, one of my favorites.

Instead of berries on the wreath I used the little flowers, popped up with Dimensionals. The ribbon is the now retired Regal Rose 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon.

Here's the card from an angle.

For my second card, I used Melon Mambo Blendabilities to color in the Blended Bloom stamp. I fussy cut the flower and mounted it with Dimensionals on Basic Black.

The easel card base and banner are from Melon Mambo. The matte is Whisper White stamped with the Hardwood stamp using Tuxedo Black Memento.

To complete the card, a strip of matching Hardwood was added, topped off with two now retired items: Basic Black 1/2" Scallop Dots Ribbon and Frosted Finishes Embellishments.
Here's a close up showing the Frosted Finishes card stop.

Which card do you like best? Let me know in the comments below!

Card #1
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Card #2
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Wreath Wrangling

I just can't stop making cards—the ideas just keep coming and I want to take advantage of this creative spurt! I was up till almost 2:00 a.m. making cards and didn't feel tired at all!

I have two cards for you today, and you should have figured out from the title of this post that the cards have wreaths!

From my last play with the Wondrous Wreath, I have been planning to pair it with the Daydream Medallions and matching Floral Framelits. Tonight that design came together very quickly.

I chose my favorite, Blackberry Bliss for the card base and berries on the wreath. The wreath was stamped with Crushed Curry and Tangerine Tango. If you haven't already read, 5 Things I Learned While Working With The Wondrous Wreath Stamp Set And Framelits, be sure to check it for tips on working with the stamps and framelits.

To make the shaped card base, I first scored and folded my card stock and then, using the Magnetic Platform, I placed the largest Floral Framelit over the card with the top part above the fold about 1/8." This allowed the card to be cut as the flower shape but with the top still attached in two places.

I also cut a single floral shape using the same framelit. This was adhered to the card front so all the petals looked intact. I cut one smaller shape from Whisper White which was adhered to the inside of the card.

I stamped the Daydream Medallion with Versamark and heat embossed it using white embossing powder. The wreath was adhered with Dimensionals and a now retired Pumpkin Pie ribbon added.

The second card I created was kind of a whimsical treatment of the wreath. After stamping with Coastal Cabana, Bermuda Bay, and Blackberry Bliss, the wreath was cut out and then thrown over a star cut from Silver Glimmer Paper. Of course, it wouldn't be complete without a coordinating bow!

The star was offset and cropped and it and the wreath were adhered with Dimensionals to the Blackberry Bliss matte. The sentiment comes from the Christmas Bliss stamp set and it was heat embossed in silver.

I felt that something was needed in the top right corner so I punched a star with a punch from the now retired Itty Bitty Shapes set of punches and then added two smaller ones punched with the Confetti Stars Punch.

All was adhered to a Coastal Cabana card base.

Drop me a comment below with a link to your own wreath creations—I'd love to see them!

Card #1

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Card #2

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5 Things I Learned While Working With The Wondrous Wreath Stamp Set And Framelits

Have you ever admired a particular stamp technique and drooled over the many cards on Pinterest made using it? When there are so many wonderfully executed cards being displayed, surely the technique is an easy one, right? Not necessarily.

Ever since purchasing the Wondrous Wreath stamp set and matching framelits, I have been itching to try them out. I thought I'd sit down and knock off a few different card versions in no time.

Uh, no.

Stampin' Up! designed these stamps and framelits a little differently from other sets in an effort to make lining things up a little easier. Each of the wreath pieces and the matching framelits (except for the small one) have a tab that is supposed to be oriented up, or at least in the same direction for each piece used.

Since it can be a bit tricky to cut out the wreath and its centre, Stampin' Up! advises us to

1. Use a framelit to cut out the centre of the wreath
2. Stamp the wreath itself (and any of its additions . . . extra leaves, berries)
3. Cut out the wreath itself.

My first problem occurred when I tried to stamp the wreath after removing its centre. The outer part of the framelit left an indent in the paper. Due to this indent, there was a bare spot where the stamp couldn't stamp. I was NOT a happy camper!

I researched online and found that some other demonstrators were also plagued with this indent. However, one enterprising demo, Diane J. Ouellette, found a work-around for this problem.

First she cut the wreath and its centre out of vellum card stock, being sure to mark the top of each piece. She kept the outer part of the vellum, rather than the wreath itself, and the centre piece.

To use these vellum pieces first she would stamp the wreath and any of its additions. Next she put the stamped wreath on the Magnetic Platform and arranged the vellum frame and inner piece over the wreath, using temporary adhesive to keep the pieces in place. Lastly she added both framelits and cut out the wreath. No more indent!

One problem solved! However, my second issue was the stamping itself.

When I stamped I made sure to apply the lessons I learned about photopolymer stamps from 3 Things To Know Before Using The Flower Patch Stamp Set. However, when I stamped the second set of leaves, they didn't look right! It took me a bit to realize that the extra leaves were meant to totally overlap some of the existing stamped leaves! Once I knew that, I had to practice, practice, practice to get the extra leaves placed correctly on my wreath. This is where scrap paper and a lot of patience can be a good friend!

One other frustrating problem occurred while using the Joy framelit included in the set. The two words, Joy and Noel are very intricate and thin. Removing them intact from the framelit can be a real challenge! In order to save my sanity, I resorted to putting a layer of waxed paper between the die and my glimmer paper. This enabled me to carefully remove my die cut word with the help of my paper piercer. I was able to get under the waxed paper and carefully push the glimmer paper out of the framelit.

So, if you are going to be working with the Wondrous Wreath stamp set and matching framelits, remember these things:

1. Cut a vellum template to use with the stamps/framelits.
2. Use the tips for photopolymer stamps I shared in 3 Things To Know Before Using The Flower Patch Stamp Set.
3. Practice, practice, practice stamping and lining up the additional stamps for the wreath.
4. Use a piece of waxed paper between your card stock and the intricate word dies.
5. A ready supply of patience!

Now here are a few shots of my card from different angles and a couple of close ups to show you the sparkle of the Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper and the twinkling Rhinestones.

I hope you will try working with the Wondrous Wreath set—it is truly beautiful! Drop me a comment below with a link to your creations.

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