by Susan Itell | Nov 8, 2015 | Step it up Sunday! |
Good Morning and here is Sunday fun to change up yesterday’s card. Please click here to see yesterdays post and then you can decide! I can already feel the "let down" that I have for you today...BUT….remember, there are many ways to do things and this is really a fun and rewarding technique to do!
I know that this one is totally different with the technique but it is fun and easy. I wish that the card had photographed better but trust me, it really is pretty in person!
The card is basically the same as far as measurement etc but you can see the BIG difference is the snowflake.
I used the watercolor paper and inked up the stamp with Versa Mark and then covered that with clear embossing powder ~ heat set it and then had fun with the Aqua Painter and the Night of Navy Ink.
I know that it is different but it really does make a fun yet artistic statement and you are always so surprised at how the navy just repels from the embossed image. I simply take a Kleenex and wipe away the excess – DONE!
The other change up I did was the BLING – I used the gorgeous Winter Wonderland Embellishments – aren’t this beautiful? They look like a real jewel and a glue dot on the back was all that was needed.
Yesterday I forgot to mention the envelope, Silly Susan …how could you forget the envelope! I used the real red envelope liner paper and I sure am hoping that this gets carried over….just in case I would purchase another pack as it will be perfect for Valentines day!
There you go my friends….I hope that you are not getting tired of these 2 day posts….if so – PLEASE give me some feedback as that is the best way for me to tell what to share with you!
Pace yourself with your projects…the calendar is on a roll…and you know what happens…..the calendar rolls and we get stressed! No stressing allowed….we do what we do to have fun….so go have fun today and I hope that you can have some "me time" to create!
p.s. – you will not want to miss tomorrows post…I promise, after tomorrow I will give you a couple day break on holiday cards but tomorrows card is a "Susan Card" that can be mass produced easily and trust me, it carries a HUGE punch!
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Susan Itell | Nov 1, 2015 | Christmas, Step it up Sunday! |
Here you go….same card as yesterday with just a couple of minimal changes! You might not catch them at first glance so I will help you out,…there are 4!
1 – I matted the focal DSP with Real Red.
2. – I matted the "cardinal" on a piece of scrap of Vanilla Coaster Board to give it a bit more stability and depth.I used the green glue, let it dry and then fussy cut at the same time, the cardinal and the coaster board.
3. – I added the thick bakers twine and a simple bow
4. – To the berries and also on the wings of the cardinal….I added some Dazzling Details – I realize that it is super hard to see in the pictures but this does add a great shimmer effect! (Trust me – I am not a huge BLING-BLING person, but this does add a great touch!
In the below picture you can get a glimpse of the Vanilla Coater Board ….you know that I adore that and I simply added the cut out cardinal to the coaster board…(adhered it with green glue) and then cut it out.
Here is a great tip…when you cut out an image like this…take your black marker and rub it against the edge as it finishes the total picture!
Time to have a chat about Blender pens….they are super easy to use. I know that many people prefer these over the Aqua Painters but in my opinion, they are two totally different items with different looks.
It is hard to see but I think using the blender pens did make a difference for a subtle look. The great thing about the blender pens is that you can reuse them time after time and this is the best way to get "THE FEEL" of watercoloring.
CONFESSION OF AN HONEST STAMPER: As I was typing this for the post, I looked at this and said to myself, I should have used the Real Red Envelope Paper to line the envelope!
WHY??? A couple of reasons, if you like this card and want to duplicate it (and this would be a great one to make many of), you get (2) sheets of paper in the DSP pack and therefore you would be able to make 18 cards from (2) sheets of paper and then just used the real red envelope paper to line!
Here is my take for this week. I love this card. (as I said it does make me smile and think of my Mom) but I would make it like today…most likely without the bakers twine as I feel like it was too stark….definitely do the red mat of paper, and also change the liner to Real Red….see, I told you that I was honest!
I hope that you have enjoyed the past 2 days of post and I think that you can see that this stamp set is one that produces a fun but wow card and the best thing….IT IS SUPER EASY!
As I said yesterday, the word JOYFUL is all that is needed on the inside and whomever is lucky enough to receive it will smile, and be full of JOY = MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Below you will see the parade of products used for todays card….feel free to click on them to preview the product….it is a great way to see the product and all of the details etc….Thanks for popping in and please share the Simple Stampin' love with your family and friends….
My Mom was a special person and wow, do I miss her but one thing that she always said was "word of mouth is the best form of advertizement one could get".…so please share my blog and encourage your family and friends to get on the FUN TRAIN and get a dose of inspiration!
Until tomorrow…hopefully we can have Milos Birthday party and I will be sure to share some fun pictures!
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Susan Itell | Oct 11, 2015 | Christmas, Step it up Sunday! |
Good Morning and here is a different take on yesterday's card! They both work… it comes down to time! Classic, clean and simple they are…but today's just take a bit more time with the addition of another layer of paper….(Tip Tip Taupe) and some quick stamping in the background!
You can click here to see yesterdays post and then look at them side by side and then you decide! Personally, I do not think that you would go wrong with either one.
One thing that I did not touch on so much yesterday was the precision plate. It is in the new catalog and my guess is that it will be carried over as it is a super addition to the Big Shot! It is meant to make it easier to get "more detailed" dies out.
It does that but please do not think that they fall out…BUT the thing that I love is that the cut is very, very clean, none of those "straggly" pieces that hang off and I simply use the paper piercing tool to do a quick "poke" – I love it and YES, I do think that it is worth the purchase!
You can see that I am using the Tip Top Taupe new In Color, something that I must admit that I have not used a tin but I do think that it is a great neutral that works with many color palettes! It works great with the Vanilla and I also used a small snowflake stamp to give a tone on tone effect!
The other switch was the colors of the background of the ornament…again, they both look great and I think it is totally a personal preference as to what you like….but you can easily see that this card can be made with a multitude of different color combinations!
Did you notice that I added a girls best friend = pearls!
The one thing that is a must (in my opinion) is the vanilla coaster board – this adds that extra special touch that make people look at it and say…..how did she do that! It is all about the "staples" that we have (besides the stamps, paper and ink) that make the whole journey work! (I call them secret weapons)
I chose to do the same thing for the envelope today as I think that it is super clean and classic. One think that I do suggest when you use a super dark paper like this is to use the entire framelit. Usually I do a "short change" and cut my paper to 3" X 6" and then use the envelope framelit.
I think when you are using card stock and also when it is super dark like this one….it is important to line the entire envelope so you do not see a "line/seam" where the "cut off" piece is. Again, just my thoughts but I think it does make a difference .
There you go, another fun weekend post. I hope that you are having a fabulous weekend and I am looking forward to a productive week ahead! Please remember that tomorrow is the last day for you to take advantage of the weekly deals……I am placing my order for some Fast Fuse refills….I love a deal – how about you?
Until tomorrow…please have a great day and make someone smile – trust me, you will smile instantly!
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Susan Itell | Sep 27, 2015 | Christmas, Step it up Sunday!, Super Easy |
I told you that I had today's card…."in my head" and it worked! I just love that when it happens! I know that many of you might think that yesterdays card was harder but remember, sometimes it is not about being hard….it is about how you can change tings up and make it "feel" different!
For me,,,whipping out the sentiments in the coaster board is super easy – once you get used to it – SUPER EASY! Today I did the opposite – I used the framelit to be flat, nestled in….and it produces a super fun look!
Here you go with then side by side….I think that it is a super card and I would be super proud to send this out to family and friends! SIMPLE….CLEAN – DONE! (just the way I like it)!!!
Hopefully the following 3 pictures will help you see the stages that I did to put the sentiment in and also how I secured it.. As alway, please feel free to email me if you have specific questions. I just love the color scheme and the plaid is always so festive and fun
We need to talk if you do not have this punch – I admit, when I saw it come out I thought that it was a silly punch but trust me, I am eating my words! – I love the ease of it and I love that you can really do any size that you need!
DOTS….DOTS ! I love my DOTS! The best advice I can give you is – JUST GO FOR IT….trust me, I make boo-boos all the time but that does not stop me – Remember,,,,we are NOT Hallmark!
You know me,,,the envelope is my favorite,I used the same color scheme I as yesterday!
I think that it is amazing at how changing the background paper makes a huge difference! I adore Mossy Meadow – I think that it adds a richness and depth.
It is just a personal preference….you simply cannot go wrong with either one!
Here is a run down of the dimensions for today's card! As I said yesterday, this would be a super easy card to mass produce and it is so affordable as the paper stacks….YEP – a blue ribbon winner. You will see all of the goodies I used in the strolling store! (Isn't that great that you can shop from your home and in your jammies!)
Here you go!
- A-2 base in thick whisper white….yep – it is the best, could not… would not be without it!
- The Mossy Meadow is 4" X 5 1/4"
- The Plaid is 3 1/2" X 4 3/4"
- The White Banner Piece id 1 1/2" X 5 1/4" – (remember, you want to add additional langth as it will get snipped shorter once you use the banner punch – the best rule of thumb I use is add 1/4" for each side)
- The Red Banner is 1 5/8" X 5 1/2" (and YES – I did use the envelope paper and it worked like a charm, I was worried that because the paper was so thin that I would not get a "clean" cut but it works great. The sentiment was also using this paper.)
- White gel pen….you just have to have it!
There you go! Simple changes to give a little different feel and flair! I hope that you enjoyed this post.
Pop back tomorrow and you will be hungry for some sweets! Get ready to run to the grocery store, I will share with you a yummy that is a huge tradition in our home!
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Susan Itell | Sep 20, 2015 | Fall Cards, Step it up Sunday! |
I am so glad that so many of you enjoyed yesterdays card and I hope that this card today makes you happy as well! Click here to see yesterdays post and then todays card is the "Stepped up version" Let me clarify, when I say stepped up, it might mean just adding some layers, changing colors up a bit, changing an orientation of the card etc…
You all seem to enjoy these post and my hopes are to show and teach you that there are many ways that you can make some changes that can softly change the feel of your card!
Before we get to the card, I need to say that I am doing the happy dance that my Mom's friend is filled with joy and I think it will work out…..I helped rescue a dog, a very special dog for her. At the end I will share the scoop! There are no words to say how happy my heart is.
I apologize for the icky pictures – it was super late when I took them and the lighting was not the best…sorry! I think that you can get the idea of the card and can image how luscious the fall colors together are! I just love Fall…..tomorrow the weather is going to be perfect for our party!
Here are the main differences of the 2 cards!
- I added the layered level, 4" X 5 1/4" and then I corner rounded the layer as well as the A-2 card base.
- For the banner, I ran it through the Big Shot with the Wood Grain embossing folder
- The Mossy Meadow Circle, I added leaves that are on the Cottage Greetings stamp set (I know, you can hardly see it int he pictures but trust me, it's cute!
- I pulled some threads from a piece of burlap ribbon and added a bow to the cute acorn.
This truly is a sweet card and a fast card to make. If you want to mass produce a card for fall themes, this would be one that I would do – change up the sentiments as you are a shining star –
Now to share with you what I have been up to. First – things like this just happen to me – this was TOTALLY NOT PLANNED or even on my RADAR SCREEN that this would happen!
Thursday I went to a Horse Show….my horses were not showing but I wanted to go and see my "horse friends" and cheer on their horses….at the shows we go to there are many special people, vendors and always a ton of fun!
One amazing organization was there, Danny and Rons Rescue. They are from Camden South Carolina and I urge you to look them up on google. These guys have the biggest hearts and have placed over 4,800 dogs. Simply amazing!
You know me….I went up to the bus as they drove in to see the dogs and help them if they needed it and I saw Milo…my heart knew that this was a special dog and boy was I right. I spent some time with him and immediately thought of Earlene.
She is 82 years old and amazing. Truly one beautiful person inside and out! She has lost her husband and also lost her daughter in January and I have known that she has wanted a companion.
I came home and called her son talk to him about it and he said, "Let's make this happen" – so back in the car I went on Friday and picked him up.
He spent the night with us on Friday and yesterday we made the introduction. I went over there 4 times yesterday just to make sure everything was going ok and it is really working out. He is an AMAZING little guy and definitely a companion dog.
He was shot in his leg and has a limp (Earlene likes that as she says she limps!) She walks outside with a walker so I wanted to make sure that she was able to handle him and the walker etc….and he was perfect – I could go on and on about my day but I am sure you are bored and I am pooped! Busy day for me tomorrow but please keep sending great thoughts that this pair is meant to be –
My JOY tank is so darn tootin' full!
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Susan Itell | Sep 13, 2015 | Christmas, Step it up Sunday!, Super Easy |
Here you go….the stepped up version of yesterdays card – Please click here to see yesterdays post and then below you will see both of the cards side by side to see the differences and which one you like better (I like them both but you know what I am going to say = it comes down to time as I think they are both great)
As I shared with you yesterday, this is a great bundle….super simple Christmas Trees are always a classic and the sentiments in this stamp set are equally as special!
Below you will see the differences that I made. Again, it is not that they are huge differences…but they are little changes that do make a difference, especially when you are holding them side by side.
It was hard to get a great picture of the gold stars and then the heat embossing with the Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder….it is a subtle but fun shimmer! Yesterday, I just used the versamark but let it dry…today I sprinkled the "shimmer dust" and the heat tool came out to make is shimmer and shine!
To do the tree trunks was super easy. I just took a wee bit of soft suede scraps and just ran the "trunk part" through the big shot with the framelit. (You could also easily freehand cut them out but this works perfectly)
The little fru-fru of the gold thread does set off the gold stars and shimmer. I just love the boldness of the real red ribbon against the warm feeling of the crumb cake!
I was thinking….this paper stack gives you (24) of these polka dot sheets which means that you would be able to make 48 envelope liners from one stack of paper….not this is what I call super practical!!!! Love those dots but I also like the plaid that is in this stack – you'll be seeing that in another post!
There you go my friends…another 2 day post for you to see some simple changes that can make. There are times that you are in a "Saturday mode" and then there days that we are in a "Sunday mode"…that's what makes this whole stampin' fun journey so much fun for each of us!
Remember, what ever mode you are in….
they are gifts of Art from you Heart….just go get inky!
Yesterday I was working on the super cute boxes for those of you that purchased $50.00+ from me this month….they are super cute! Please remember to use the hostess code of YHNMUJNJ and click here to see the fun box and also the embossing folder that will be yours with a $75.00+ order! (actually you will receive both with the $75.00 order)
We had a most needed day of rain yesterday so today, I am going to have an affair with some weeds that are calling my name! Thanks for popping in….you all are the best!
Until tomorrow….
p.s. – We are on 3rd base…..Eddie ate 3 meals in a row…this is a 1st for about 2 weeks – he had a big day yesterday! I hid a basket of tennis balls in a closet and we played a game…..
Like this:
Like Loading...
