More "Because I Care" Cards

I have enjoyed the level 1 hostess set "Because I Care" a lot. I think it is currently one of my most used stamp sets. Here are three more cards I came up with.

For the above card I used Espresso, Cherry and crumb cake paper. My favorite part of this card is the taffeta ribbon and safety pin from the vintage trinkets accessories. I also used the French Filigree background stamp set using crumb cake ink.

I cased this card from the latest issue of Stampin Success (a magazine for Stampin Up demonstrators). I embossed the flower and sentiment using versamark ink and gold embossing powder. I also used the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. This card is simple but elegant. It would also make a great anniversary, wedding, or sympathy card.

For the last card I used Marina mist paper and ink. The punch is one of my favorites and can be found on page 25 of the holiday mini catalog. I have been using the Vintage Wallpaper EF a lot but I have to admit that I think the Final Press EF used on this card is one of my favorites.

Cracked Glass Technique- Lovely as a Tree

For these two cards I used the cracked glass technique found here. This is one of my favorite stamps sets (Lovely as a Tree)- it is timeless and so versatile.

For the first card I used Espresso, Artichoke and Vanilla paper. I stamped the tree using the espresso ink. Then I used my woodgrain background stamp over it. If you double click on the picture you can enlarge it to see this better. Then I used the cracked glass technique. The hardest part was holding the paper and trying not to burn myself with the heat gun. I used my Vintage Wallpaper EF for the texture. I also sponged espresso ink on top to make it look more vintage.

This bottom card is very similar to the top one with a few minor changes. I used cajun and crumb cake paper instead of the artichoke. When I stamped the tree. I stamped it in cajun ink first then rolled my stamp in the espresso ink. I got to use some of my favorite accessores on this card - the espresso taffeta ribbon and the vintage trinkets. I also used the Tiny Tags stamp set and punch for the mini tags on the safety pin.

I have been having such a good time stamping lately. I think I have taken some of the pressure off myself when making a card and just having fun playing with my stuff.

TFL.

I have been wanting to try some new techniques and www.splitcoaststampers.com has some great tutorials and this was one of them. The tutorial can be found here. It is hard to see in the picture but I stamped one of the leaves from the Autumn Splendor set on the espresso paper using espresso ink. The I embossed it using my square lattace EF. The paper on the right of the card is actually gold paper that I stamped with the woodgrain background. I stamped the large leaf from the Autumn Spendor set using chocolate chip craft ink then embossed with clear embossing powder. I did this on the polished stone paper I made. Finally, I stamped the sentiment from the Day of Gratitude stamp set using versamark and gold embossing powder. Despite the above description it actually went together fairly quickly (which is good for me as it usually takes me a LONG time to come up with a layout.)

A birthday card for a friend

This card is for my friend Heidi who had a birthday this last Thursday. I used the thumping technique on the flourish stamp. I first stamped the image in Baja Breeze ink then used my Not Quite Navy marker to thump (color) various parts of the stamp. I also used my new Very Vintage Roller. I used Baja Breeze ink on Baja Breeze paper. The embossing was done with my favorite embossing folder - final press.

Day of Gratitude Cards

I have been really busy making a lot of cards. I usually have a hard time using my DSP. Most of the cards I make are without any DSP. I love Stampin Up's Designer paper. Once I purchase it I always have a ton left over - so my goal is to try and use it more on my cards. Another reason it is hard to use is because when I only get two pages of each design I have to be careful when planning my craft night so that there is enough paper to go around. But here is what I came up with for some of my fall cards.
I knew when I saw the Day of Gratitude stamp set I wanted it. And the thick textured DSP is so beautiful and fun.

For this card I used a Sizzix tags die I got at Michaels. Don't you just love the buttons that Stampin Up has? I love that the colors match perfectly. I embossed with the Polka Dots embossing folder and the Autumn Spice DSP. Also, I love the deep rich color of the cajun craze paper & ink.


Again, on this card I wanted to use my new tag dies for the Big Shot. Besides using the Day of Gratitude stamp set I also used my new woodgrain background stamp (it is hard to see in the picture because I wanted a real light background). I used crumb cake ink on the woodgrain stamp and stamped off once. The leaves are from the Autumn Splendor stamp set. I colored them using my blender pens and ink pads (I got the coloring technique from here.

This last card is one of my favorites. For the main image I used the Wandering Words stamp set that was in last years holiday mini (I just didn't use it enough last year and couldn't wait to bring it back out). I colored the stamp with my markers. Again, I used the Polka Dot embossing folder. On the green DSP I used my Baroque Motifs stamp using old olive ink. I stamped the leaf using the Day of Gratitude stamp set and then cut the leaves out and used dimensionals. This card took me awhile to come up with but I had a great time creating it!!

TFL