Revisiting the letter press technique

I have done the letterpress technique before - here and here - and quite love it but decided to revisit the technique with my Fresh pigment inks and really ink the impression plate quite heavily.  Then I ran it through my Big Kick as usual with the embossing mats.  I did this with a whole bunch of impression plates and here are my creations:

This one has an Angled Labels window cut out with some acetate and a vellum butterfly (Pretty Peonies die) that has been impressed with the Mehndi Medallion impression late.

 This ink pad is really juicy so the ink looks slightly mottled here but has evened out now.

 My next one uses the Mehndi Medallion impression plate inked up with Pool ink:

 The sentiment is from a new MFT set from a generous friend.  Great font, right?

 Since I am on a hexagon kick still, I inked up the hexagon cover plate with Harvest ink:

 There is a clear window cut out and backed with acetate:

 And my last one was not perfectly inked up with the ink pad so this one didn't turn out quite as well:

 The Cane Print impression plate with some Provincial Gray ink pad and selectively inked Mat Stack 1 sentiments:

Have you tried this tecnique?  Any good results to share?

July 2012 Papertrey Blog Hop - sending a smile

I decided to make a shaker card for my cousin who loves interactive cards!  I die cut a Beautiful Blooms flower out of Amy Butler Lotus patterned paper and then added some acetate for the window.  I punched a bunch of small circles with a hole punch from Summer Sunrise, Melon Berry, Berry Sorbet and the Amy Butler Lotus patterned paper.

I added a Dark chocolate hole punched cirlce and then a gold gem to the centre of the flower.  A banner from Summer Sunrise and an Everyday Button Bits sentiment complete the card.

Shaker cards are so much fun - I will definitely be making more of them in the future!

Supplies:
Paper: Staples 110lb white; PTI Melon Berry, Berry Sorbet, Summer Sunrise; Amy Butler Lotus patterned paper.
Ink: Fresh Tuscan Olive
Stamps: PTI Everyday Button Bits
Misc: PTI Beautiful Blooms die, gold gem, hole punch, foam dots

July 2012 Papertrey Blog Hop - make a wish

I always need more birthday cards - they are often requested for orders and I am constantly sending them off to my friends and family as well.  I went for a clean and simple card using some of the blog hop colours.  I took strips of cardstock from my card here and cut short ones to make candles.  For the green colours, since I have no Simply Chartreuse, I used a sliver of  Amy Butler Lotus patterned paper.

I stamped the Fillable Frames sentiment by selectively inking it to make it into one line and then impressed the whole card front with the Book Print impression plate.  I love the subtle texture this adds.  I popped up the 'candles' with thin slivers of cut foam dots and added rhinestones in amber shades as the flames. 

 
Supplies:
Paper: Staples 110lb white; PTI Summer Sunrise, Berry Sorbet; Amy Butler Lotus patterned paper
Stamps: PTI Fillable Frames selectively inked to stamp it in a line
Ink: Jenni Bowlin fountain pen 
Misc: PTI Book Print impression plate, amber rhinestones, foam dots

July 2012 Papertrey Blog Hop - just a note

Here is my next contribution:

 I took one of the Lovely Layers medallion images and repeatedly stamped it with Fresh ink's Harvest shade.  I then die cut the smaller mat stack out to create a window.  I also die cut the Layerz and original Mat Stack 1 die to make a thin frame.  I adhered this frame to the card panel with some Tombo Mono Multi glue - this works great for thin die cuts.

 I die cut the Pretty Peonies flower and leaves and then stamped the leaves with Brilliance Coffee Bean ink.  The felt takes ink really well so this was perfect!  I layered the die cut Summer Sunrise flower over top (and had to cut it so that it was just the flower was left.

I popped the flower up from the felt leaf layer with foam dots and then some more foam dots behind the leaf layer to adhere to the card base.  I used a little dab of Tombo Mono Multi glue behind each of the leaves that touch the card panel to keep them from flapping about.  Then, the Signature Series sentiment was able to nestle right beside the flower.

I find myself returning again and again to Pretty Peonies - the flowers are so pretty and I often reach for the sentiment too.  What sets do you gravitate towards?

Supplies:
Paper: PTI Berry Sorbet, Summer Sunrise; Staples 110lb white
Stamps: PTI Pretty Peonies, Signature Series Dress Form (sentiment), Lovely Layers
Ink: Brilliance Coffee Bean (on felt and flower); Jenni Bowlin fountain pen, Fresh Harvest
Misc: foam dots, Tombo Mono Multi glue;
PTI Pretty Peonies die, Mat Stack 1 original and Layerz dies

July 2012 Papertrey Blog Hop - thank you

Welcome everyone to the July 2012 Papertrey Blog Hop!  We are so thrilled to see you here!  First, the challenge...

 
Here's my next contribution to the blog hop:

I really love my new set Lovely Layers from Papertrey.  The images are so fun and the dies add some great dimension.

I don't have Simply Chartreuse cardstock (gasp, I know!!) so used some felt instead.  I decided to try stamping it and it worked just fine.  I layered it with other Lovely Layer die cuts and added a gem to the top.  Some foam dots and Tombo Mono Multi glue helped adhere the layers.

For the card base, I added some thin strips of cardstock (Berry Sorbet, Melon Berry and Summer Sunrise) with some Tombo Mono Multi glue and then a sentiment from Signature Greetings.  I embossed the whole front with the Diamond impression plate.  This adds some texture and also helps to really adhere those strips.

Have you ever stamped on felt?  How did it turn out?

Supplies:
Paper: PTI Melon Berry, Summer Sunrise, Berry Sorbet; Staples 110lb white
Ink: Jenni Bowlin fountain pen, Brilliance Coffee Bean (on felt)
Stamps: PTI Signature Greetings, Lovely Layers
Misc:  foam dots, Tombo Mono Multi glue, PTI Simply Chartreuse felt, Lovely Layers dies; rhinestone from stash

July 2012 Papertrey Blog Hop - xox

This month's blog hop has a gorgeous array of colours.  I don't have all of these but made do with what I had.  Here is my first creation: 

I cut a piece of Berry Sorbet card stock and cut it with the spiral notebook die and then stamped it with Lawn Fawn's Schoolhouse Backdrops lines.  I die cut the letters with the block alpha dies and added Simply Chartreuse felt for the 'o', attaching the centre back in and then Summer Sunrise for one 'x' and Melon Berry inked up with Versamark for the other.  I felt like the Melon Berry and Berry Sorbet were too similar in colour without inking it up with Versamark so that it could stand out a bit more. 

I added some Delightful Dahlia stamped leaves behind and then embossed the card base front with the In Bloom impression plate.  Some foam dots helped pop up the notebook sheet from the card.

So glad I got to use this Spiral Notebook die - I got it a while back second hand and was itching to use it! :)

Supplies:
Paper: Staples 110lb white; PTI Berry Sorbet, Melon Berry, Summer Sunrise
Stamps: PTI Delightful Dahlias, Lawn Fawn Schoolhouse Backdrops
Ink: Memento Gray Flannel, Fresh Tuscan Olive, Versamark
Misc: foam dots; PTI In Bloom impression plate, Spiral Notebook die, Alpha Block dies, Simply Chartreuse felt

Stamp-a-faire Homemade Embellishments

I didn't have a chance to do this yesterday so thought I would make some homemade embellishments today to contribute to the Stamp-a-faire challenge for DIY embellishments.

I took some felt, my limitless layers, my Pretty Peonies butterfly die, Wonderful Words additions for the sentiment and some button jute twine and buttons.  After die cutting the butterflies, I used a chevron impression plate to add some dimension.

Here are all five of them together.  I kept the twine on some long and shorter on the others.

 All of the patterned paper is from my new purchase on my trip, Studio Calico's Heyday 6x6 pad.

The great thing about 6x6 pads is that their scale is perfect for cards and smaller items rather than the 12x12 pads where sometimes a flower or graphic image would take up a whole card front! :)

I gathered them all up in a piece of Kraft cardstock with one on the outside as a decoration that can be reused.

 I used some drywall tape around the package - it is sticky but easily removable which works perfectly.

 What embellishments have you made lately that are homemade?  With our multitude of dies and patterned papers, the possibilities are truly endless! :)

Stamp-a-faire creations

Yes, today is Stamp-a-faire presented by the wonderful and talented DT team over at Papertrey Ink.  All day long they are having tutorials and videos to jump start our creativity.  Check it out if  you have a chance!

 I couldn't quite drag myself out of bed at 4 am to start stamping but I did get my order in!  Once I woke up and got some caffeine in me, I started with the morning make n' take: 

 I stamped Lovely Layers and some dots from BB: Polka Dots in a variety of colours.  I then added a vellum strip that I scored and stamped with Brilliance ink - it works wonderfully on vellum (and acetate too!).

 I mounted the panel on a piece of Kraft cardstock using some foam dots.  Now that I look at the picture, I think I will add some bling in the form of gems or Rock Candy stickles.  We'll see ...

Supplies:

Paper: Staples 110lb white, PTI Kraft, Gartner vellum

Ink: Fresh steel blue, mango, slate, navy; Brilliance coffee bean

Stamps: PTI Lovely Layers, Giga Guidelines (sentiment), BB: Polka dots

Misc: foam dots

Next was the ribbon challenge!  I loved what Erin Lincoln did with the negative die cut.  I have done that in the past with ribbon or buttons peeking from behind.  I grabbed my stash of ribbon and went to town!

 

I took a piece of aqua mist that I had already embossed with the hexagon cover plate and made some cuts with the Lovely Layers dies.  I then started to adhere ribbon to the backside of the panel

I added a vellum strip with a Modern Wood Mats sentiment in Brilliance ink.

Supplies:

Paper: PTI Aqua Mist, Gina K chocolate, Gartner vellum

Stamps: PTI Modern Wood Mats

Ink: Brilliance coffee bean

Misc: PTI Lovely Layers dies, Hexagon cover plate

I also gave the limited supplies challenge a go! 

 

I have been dying to properly try out my Happy Hexagons set so I made a background pattern with three hexagons and three Fresh ink colours (merlot, chocolate and harvest).  I am usually pretty good with not smudging but I smudged a big chocolate portion in the centre of the card with my inky finger so I had to improvise. I took my Quickutz nested hexagons and cut out the centre and then made a frame of Scarlet Jewel with two of the dies together. 

I adhered the frame with the best glue ever for this kind of finicky job - Tombo Mono Multi adhesive.

Then, I stamped the hexagons in Versamark and then added a Happy Hexagons sentiment. Finally, I attached the finished panel to a kraft card base with foam dots.

Supplies:

Paper: PTI Kraft, Scarlet Jewel; Staples 110lb white

Stamps: PTI Happy Hexagons

Ink: Fresh ink (merlot, chocolate, harvest); Versamark

Misc:   Tombo Mono Multi adhesive, foam dots, Quickutz Hexagon nesting dies

Here is my take on the tie dye challenge using shaving cream:

 Now I know that most crafters have a wide array of reinkers but I only have one .... gasp, I know!  :)  My ink pads are juicy and I haven't needed to reink yet .... so I made do with my one Fresh tuscan olive reinker, a Broken China Distress Stain and flicked some Studio Calico's Mister Huey's spray mist.  I swirled it around in shaving cream (I gave it a go with shaving gel since I didn't have cream, per se, and it seemed to work just fine!

Supplies:
Paper: SU Basic Gray, Gina K chocolate, Staples 110lb white
Stamps: Happy Trails sentiment
Ink: Fresh chocolate, tie dye technique: Broken China Distress Stain, Studio Calico's Mister Huey's spray mist Estate Green,
Misc: shaving gel, PTI Angled Labels dies, PTI Woodgrain impression plate

I had lots of leftover swirled cardstock so here are my other two creations.  First up, a birthday card:

White felt behind the tie dye mat stack and a Think Big sentiment.  I mounted it on Dark Chocolate card base that I scored with some lines to add a little interest.

Supplies:
Paper: Gina K chocolate, Staples 110lb white
Stamps: Think Big sentiment
Ink: tie dye technique: Broken China Distress Stain, Studio Calico's Mister Huey's spray mist Estate Green
Misc: PTI mat stack 1 die and layerz die, white felt, foam dots

 
I busted out my edgers dies to make a file folder type card.  I cut the Bloom Builders flower using the metal shim (that thing ROCKS!) and used some Glossy Accents in the centre.

 I stamped the sentiment hanging off the strip a bit and then ran the card base front through with the Moroccan impression plate. 

 I used the Tuscan Olive ink for the little Pretty Peonies sentiment that echoes its use in the tye dye strip.

Supplies:
Paper: Staples 110lb white
Stamps: PTI Botanical Silhouettes, Pretty Peonies
Ink: tie dye technique: Broken China Distress Stain, Studio Calico's Mister Huey's spray mist Estate Green,
Misc: PTI Bloom Builders 3 die, Edgers dies; Glossy Accents,  foam dots, PTI Moroccan impression plate

The next challenge was for a card set:

I cut a stack of 8 card bases and used a whole bunch of sets, inks and sentiments.  I added some Rock Candy stickles to the images but before that, I impressed each card front with the linen impression plate.

Here are the cards:

 Here's the whole set with all of the cards together:

 And with the packaging:

 

I love Betsy Veldman's idea of using a brown paper sack for all the cards!  I used an edgers die for the top and bottom with a brad and some twine.

I kept all the cards one layer flat cards so they are easy to mail.  They will go in my suitcase when I go to the island to visit my aunt.  She should get some use out of these - she always gets excited when I give her cards to use!  :)

Supplies:
Paper: Staples 110lb white, brown paper bag
Stamps: PTI Stitches and Swirls, Harvest Berries, Rosie Posie, Turning a new leaf, Wonderful Words additions (for you sentiment), various Think Big Favourites
Ink: Fresh ink (sky blue, chocolate, pear, tuscan olive, navy, merlot, fresh lilac, navy, mango, harvest, provincial gray, slate)
Misc: brad, twine, PTI Canvas impression plate, Edgers die

Thank you to everyone at PTI and all the participants for today's amazing inspiration! <3