Saying Hello, with Love!

I thought I was finished making Valentine's Day cards this year, but I was wrong!  Some friends of mine started their own stamp company, Winnie & Walter, LLC.. As of the first of the year, 2014, they kicked off their opening with four beautiful clear stamp sets with coordinating downloadable Cut Files.  One of the sets I fell in love with,  The Big, The Bold, and The Happy was sold out almost immediately.  I patiently waited for it to come back in stock, and then placed my order.  While waiting for the stamp sets to ship, I received the coordinating downloadable Cut Files, and immediately made these lovely cards. 

I printed out the "love" and "hello" files with the black backgrounds in the 3"X5" size, and then trimmed around them to leave a small white border.  I then mounted them on colored card bases and used some dies from Impression Obsession and Hot Off the Press to decorate each one.  For the Love Card, I used the decorative Hearts die from HOTP/ Paper Artsy to cut the filigree heart, added a strip of hearts washi tape across the top, and tied a bow with a white ribbon.

For the Hello Card, I used the IO Grapevine Wreath die, and decorated it with the Memory Box tiny Flock of Birds die. Again I used a strip of polka dot washi tape across the top of the card to tie in the black board look color.

Today, (Friday) I received my stamp sets in the mail, and cannot wait to start stamping with them.  I hope you will go by their web site at www.WinnieWalter.com, and see what they have to offer. Also, check their blog, because they have the most wonderful design team assembled, who have shared sample cards using their beautiful stamp sets. I hope you all have a wonderful Super Bowl weekend, and if you aren't into football that much, maybe you can make some beautiful cards to send for Valentine's Day!

Let's Rodeo, San Antonio!

The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo begins February 6, 2014. I have created two cards featuring the Pure Innocence Cowboy and Cowgirl stamps from My Favorite Things.

The cards are both 4 1/2" X 6 1/4" and are made from card panels with front rectangular openings. Both of the images were stamped on Neenah white card stock and then colored in with Copic markers. Then they were fussy cut around each image and mounted inside the rectangular openings with foam tape to give the image more dimension. Accenting each card, the ribbon used on the Cowboy card was a fuzzy velour rick rack, and a dotted grosgrain ribbon knotted on the Cowgirl card. Phrases from each stamp set were used below the images, stamped on coordinating tags.  

I think they made really cute cards, celebrating the Cowboy and Cowgirl in all of us. Enjoy your week!

Live, Laugh, and Love

Birthday Greetings, sent to someone special. I created this card for someone special who had a birthday this past week. I began by folding a sheet of printed scrapbook paper from the Ledger Stack Paper pad from DCWV, Die Cuts With a View. I took one of the 6" X 12" sheets and trimmed it to 6" X 8", and then folded it at 3 1/2", leaving approximately 3/4" for the back of the card which I then added a strip of blue and green swirly washi tape.

Then using the Live, Laugh, Love Clear Stamp Set from Oriental Trading Co.stamped the phrase on the front panel using the Memento Rich Cocoa ink. On a separate sheet of white card stock, I stamped the Pure Innocence "Love is in the Air" girl from My Favorite Things and colored her in with Copic markers. I then fussy cut around the figure and stamped a "Happy Birthday" banner, and cut around it, too.  To attach it between her outstretched arms, I cut a tiny slit in each hand and slipped each end of the banner through the slits.  I then cut a slit in the front of the card and slid the little girl image in the opening.

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. The weather was beautiful here in Texas. Friday, the temperature never rose past the high 30's, yet today it was up in the high 60's.  Sunday it is supposed to be up near 72, bright and sunny.  Monday another Polar Blast will come through and drop the temps down into the 20's and 30's again by Tuesday. Roller Coaster weather here in So. Texas, and they wonder why we are always sick!  Take care, and stay warm.

Mindy

Let Your Dreams Take Flight

Happy Saturday Friends!  Today is one of those chilly and cloudy days that make you feel like staying in bed and pulling the covers up over your head! The card stamping process is hard to do when your fingers are cold, and don't want to work correctly. I am dreaming of spring today, with the birds singing and chirping outside my window. I am therefore creating this card, to celebrate springtime and all the lovely birds that come out to SING!

I started with a side-fold A2 size card and stamped the large feathers radiating from the left corner using my London Fog Memento ink pad.  Then using the solid style feather stamp again, inked it up with the London Fog, and then touched the edges with Tumbled Glass Distressed ink before stamping it on a sheet of Neenah white card stock. I also stamped my left facing Funky Bird stamp in Tuxedo black ink, and colored it in with my Copic marker and Souffle pink ink pen.  I then fussy cut the feather and bird out, and mounted them to the card front with foam tape, to give texture and dimension to the card.  The sentiment was stamped in Tuxedo black ink and stars and dots with the London Fog ink.  I then took some Light Blue corrugated paper, and cut two strips for along the length and base of the card. This gives more texture and dimension to the card, along with a pleasing element that draws the eye to the little bird in the left corner of the card.

I used the other sentiment stamp from the set, inside the card, along with a tiny flourish stamp. The inside sentiment states, "Don't let life ruffle your feathers!"  These are the supplies I used for this card:

cardstock:  Smooth white- My Favorite Things and Neenah white for embellishments

stamps:  Feathers Clear Stamp Set from Hot Off the Press, Funky Bird-left from Deadbeat Designs

inks: London Fog and Tuxedo Black from Memento Ink, Tumbled Glass Distressed from Ranger/Tim Holtz

According to the weather maps on TV, the Polar Vortex is covering most of the US with winter-like conditions.  Stay warm and safe this weekend, and enjoy time with your crafting or your families.

See you again soon.

Mindy

Love You!

Greetings, it's Friday! The weekend is here!  Another fun Valentine's Day card filled with hearts, lace, and lacy butterflies. Enjoy!

I began this card with a delightful dimensional background paper. The white areas of the paper are flocked, and very fuzzy. I accented the background paper with a strip of chevron stripe washi tape across the card.  I then got out my Cuttlebug die cut machine and cut out the lace heart die from Paper Artsy- Hot Off the Press from metallic white card stock. Then using the Paper Artsy Butterfly dies, cut out two butterflies and colored them with my pink Wink of Stella Glitter pen. Since the metallic stock has a glossy finish, I brushed on a layer of the glitter, and then dabbed it with a paper towel, giving it a mottled finish.  I used the same technique on the chipboard words from Maya Road. These chipboard letters are porous though, and after the first layer of Wink of Stella marker, I decided to add another layer of color on top of the chipboard. All of the elements were glued down with Ranger Glossy Accents. When adhering the butterflies, I only glued down the bodies of them, that way the wings are loose, and could be curled and crimped to give dimension.  I also added a tiny bow die cut, again colored with the Wink of Stella marker.

I hope you have enjoyed my Valentine's Day cards this year. They will be sent out to my Valentines next week. I love you all, and hope you will send and receive handmade cards this year.

Mindy

Sending You My Love

Happy Hump Day, bloggie friends!  Today, I am "Sending All My Love to You!" (and I am singing at the same time!)  I love that song!  

The card, features another stamp set from My Favorite Things; Pure Innocence "Will You Be Mine?"

I started with an A2 size card, and stamped the Zebra animal print background stamp from Anna Griffin, twice across the top in ColorBox Orchid ink.  I then adhered a half sheet of paper from  Martha Stewart's Valentine paper pad set.  I stamped the girl's image with mailbox on white smooth card stock with Memento black ink, and colored her in with my Copic markers.  The sentiment is also from the same stamp set, and I stamped it on white also, cut around it in a banner shape and highlighted the edges of the banner with the Orchid Colorbox ink. The sentiment banner and image were attached to the card front with foam tape, to give it some depth and dimension.

The remaining sentiment included in this stamp set, "Special Delivery" was stamped inside the card along with the remaining heart stamp. The tiny hearts inside were colored in with the pink Wink of Stella glitter marker.

This is such a cute card, and would be suitable to send to someone far away!  Remember a family member or friend this Valentine's Day, by sending them a handmade Valentine card. You will be so glad you did!  See you again, soon.

Sweet Memories

Today's cards is a rather simple design, using a few supplies, and only takes a few moments to put together. It could be considered clean and simple, because it is basically a one layer card, with a strip of washi tape at the top for a color pop!

To start, I cut an A2 size card from stock with a top-fold opening.  The using a K&Co. Rub-On Magic glitter set, adhered the stick-on stickers on the front of the card. The stickers are made from a double-sided adhesive, you just cut them out of the sheet and rub them on your card, like rub-ons. When you remove the safety sheet, you then sprinkle loose glitter included in the kit, on the adhesive and then tap off the loose remaining glitter. If you apply the glitter, one color at a time, you can keep the excess and put it back in the resealable tubes.  I used both the red and pink glitter on these designs. The pink, was adhered to the large heart, and the scroll border.  The red, to the small heart and the sentiment. I also used my Quickie Glue pen to lay down a little glue in the flower inside the large heart, and then sprinkled some of the red glitter onto the flower.   After dry brushing some of the loose glitter off the card that wasn't glued down, I sprayed the card front with Krylon Workable Fixatif, to lightly seal in the glitter that clings on to the adhesive images.

I don't use loose glitter much, because more of it sticks to me than the card, in most cases. I do like the look of glitter, and usually use markers and glitter mixed with glue (Stickles) to add bling to my cards. When I do use the loose stuff, my "glittering" personality shows for at least a week!  Have fun, and try a new product or technique this week in your card making and crafting!

Mindy