New England Stamper

Blogging Break

Apparently I've been on a bit of blogging break!  I'm taking care of some family matters and traveling overseas, so sadly this break will continue into December.

Here are a couple Top Note boxes that we made in stamp club this month.  They're hybrids of lots of similar projects I've seen posted online, so I'm not sure who to give credit to.  One great source of inspiration is Tammy at Dream, Create and Share.

Thanks to everyone who is still visiting and reading the archives.  I have posted a couple of projects on my other blog Art Ali, if you'd like to pay me a visit there.

Happy Holidays!

Butterfly Color Challenge

Today's Clean and Simple Challenge on Splitcoast is to create a white card with one other color.  For a November day in New England, it was unseasonably hot - 70 degrees!  So, I ditched the Fall and Winter colors in favor of a summery color - hot pink.

I used my Big Shot to dry emboss the background and die cut both butterflies.  The card came together so quickly and could easily be replicated with other color schemes, depending on what you have lying around on your craft table.

I have a busy week ahead preparing for a visit from my mum, but I'll try my best to get into my stamp room and make a few things to share.

Thanks for visiting!

Supplies:

• Stamps: Boho Backgrounds
• Paper: Vintage Cream, Melon Mambo, Raspberry Tart d/p
• Ink: Chocolate Chip
• Accessories: pin
• Tools: Big Shot, SU Butterflies die, Swiss dots embossing folder, modern label punch

Sweet & Simple Saturday

Happy weekend!  I've got another clean and simple card for you today.  I'm not sure about this one - I don't normally color on CAS cards, but change is good, I guess!

The main panel is watercolored with reinkers and an aquapainter.  And it's finished with a little sponging around the edges. 

I hope you have a fun-filled weekend!

Supplies:

• Stamps: Harvest Home
• Paper: Very Vanilla, Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, watercolor paper
• Ink: Stazon, various Earth Elements reinkers, Chocolate Chip (sponging)
• Accessories: Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, hemp
• Tools: Paper piercing tool, aquapainter

All supplies can be purchased here.

5 Ways to Use Patterned Paper

I really love to use patterned paper on cards and I have several go-to layouts that I use when I want to showcase some gorgeous paper I have. These are not my original sketches, but ones that I've picked up and morphed along the way. 

The cards are all standard size (5.5" x 4.25") and I've included the measurements for all the patterned paper pieces, so you can recreate them without reinventing the wheel!

Patterned paper strips measure 1.25" each.

Patterned paper measures 3.5" x 4.25"

Patterned paper pieces measure 1.75" x 1.75" and 1.75" x 3.25"

 

Patterned paper squares measure 1 3/8" (I used a square punch).

Patterned paper squares measure 1".  Quilt card tutorial here.

I just LOVE this Fall paper from Stampin' Up! called Autumn Meadows - I'll definitely stock up on this before the mini catalog ends on January 4!

Hope you're having a fabulous week!

Sponge and Shimmer Autumn Leaves

Here's another card we made at Stamp Club this month.  I showed the Sponge & Shimmer technique that I came up with a while ago.  You can see a tutorial I wrote about it on Gingersnap Creations.

We brayered So Saffron ink onto a Very Vanilla panel, sponged on a variety of coordinating inks, then painted the whole piece with a thin coat of the new SU Shimmer paint (love that stuff!).  Once the panel was dry, we stamped it with leaves from Autumn Splendor. 

Here's another card I made using the same technique.  Silhouette stamps work particularly well with this background.

If you've got any questions, please leave a comment and I'll get back to you.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Supplies

Card One:

• Stamps: Autumn Spendor, Harvest Home (sentiment)
• Paper: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
• Ink: So Saffron, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, Chocolate Chip
• Accessories: Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, Champagne Shimmer paint
• Tools: Brayer

Card Two:

• Stamps: Upsy Daisy
• Paper: Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
• Ink: So Saffron, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, Chocolate Chip
• Accessories: Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, Champagne Shimmer Paint
• Tools: Large oval punch, scallop oval punch

All supplies can be purchased from my Stampin' Up! website.

Sweet & Simple Sunday

I had been drooling over some cards that my blogging buddy Susan made with this set, so when I received this Berry Christmas set at the SU regional a couple of weekends ago, I was really excited.  This one goes out to Susan!

The pink ornaments were made by punching out c/stock with the largest hole on the Crop-a-dile.  I glued them to the wreath with a dot of liquid adhesive and adhered the glitter with a two-way glue pen.  

We made this at stamp club this month and while I have to make this card with a Stamp-a-ma-jig, I was amazed that some people can eyeball it.  I take my hat off to them because I certainly can't!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!

Supplies:

• Stamps: Berry Christmas, To You and Yours (sentiment)
• Cardstock: Whisper White, Melon Mambo
• Ink: Certainly Celery, Melon Mambo
• Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds
• Tools: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Cropadile