Happy Birthday, Sister!

By | May 6, 2019

May 6, 2019 – My sister Karla is celebrating her birthday today, and now she shares the occasion with the newborn royal son of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan of Sussex!

I used a bird image and a couple of flowers from the retiring 141477 Birds & Blooms Thinlits dies as the focal point of this simple card. I didn’t have a stamp that said, “Sister,” so I spelled the words out with the 146676 Make a Difference photopolymer stamp set, and I love the way it came out! I also used some sentiments from the 148618 Itty Bitty Birthdays stamp set, both on the front and inside.

The colors used on this card are Highland Heather, Early Espresso, Granny Apple Green and Whisper White. The Gingham Gala Designer Paper is a perfect finish for this fresh spring look!

The Make a Difference set includes stamps for the back!

Wedding Wishes

By | May 4, 2019

One of the happiest occasions that friends and family can share is the wedding of two people, beginning their new life together. We recently attended such a celebration, and I enjoyed making this special card for the occasion!

At this time of the year I often work with stamps and dies that I know will be retiring by the time the new catalog comes out in June. This beautiful set, 141767 Floral Wishes and the coordinating 141482 Detailed Floral Thinlits dies will be available for only one more month. I used Whisper White, Pool Party and Bermuda Bay cardstock and inks, as well as Layering Ovals Framelits, Stampin’ Dimensionals and Whisper White Baker’s Twine to create this card.

Congratulations!

Eighty-Seventh Birthday!

By | May 1, 2019

Best Birds Dad Birthday 2019

I have always tried to make very special cards for my parents, so Dad’s 87th birthday card was a joy to create.

The 141525 Best Birds photopolymer stamp set and the coordinating 141477 Birds & Blooms Thinlits will both be retiring when the new catalog comes out in June 2019! This is a darling set that I have loved working with over the past couple of years. Everything else used to make this card will still be available this coming catalog year. The feathers were collected on my walks around the neighborhood; the blue one may have come from a Blue Jay, and the white was from one of the Egrets that live along the nearby creek.

(Other materials used are Stitched Shapes Framelits, Layered Leaves embossing folder, Whisper White, Early Espresso cardstock, and Bermuda Bay cardstock and ink, and Linen Thread.)

Happy Birthday to my dad, in the center of the picture, and the center of our hearts!

Dad Birthday 2019

(Vernon Krause with neighbors Dave York (left)  and John Martin (right.)

The Birthdays Continue…

By | November 6, 2018

They say great minds think alike, and this card may prove that point:

Reggie by Karla 2018

My sister Karla also made a large, Beatles-themed card for Reggie’s 64th birthday yesterday (see detail below.) She printed the pictures and the song lyrics on vellum for a retro vintage look.

Reggie by Karla 2018 Detail

What a cute and clever card; Reggie loved it!

Yesterday, November 5th, was not only my husband’s birthday, but also that of our twin friends, Ariel and Rachel. Their milestone this year was turning “Sweet Sixteen.” I made them each a Post-It Note box to celebrate:

Ariel and Rachel 16th

Ariel and Rachel 16th Inside

Best wishes to all of our family and friends with birthdays this month!

They Say it’s Your Birthday!

By | November 5, 2018

Happy Birthday to my husband! I’ve been waiting 46 years to make this card for you, and it’s really for both of us, since it’s only 6 days until my “64th.”

Reggie 64

Happy Birthday to us!

Val & Reg at 12's Wedding

P.S. You did lose your hair, and yes, I still need you!

Happy Halloween!

By | October 31, 2018

Greetings for all Hallows’ Eve!

According to catholiceducation.org, “it was in Ireland, Scotland and England that All Hallows’ Eve became a combination of prayer and merriment.” I can thank my Anglo and Celtic ancestors, then, for the fun celebration that we call Halloween today!

In keeping with the family connection, one of my relatives will be receiving this card from me today:

Party Animal

Made with a lot of new Stampin’ Up! products, this cute card provides no tricks, only treats!

I used this color scheme on this card , including a new SU! cardstock color, Mango Melody:

And here’s a card that we received in the mail yesterday from my sister-in-law, Kathy Degree:

In the detail image on the right, you can see how Kathy attached the cutout with black twine to make a free swinging ghost, back and front!

Here are the supplies that I used on my Party Animal card (click on any picture to read more, or to order from the online store with Hostess Code WSBKVS6T:

Price: $110.00

Supply List

Have a special Halloween holiday with your family and friends tonight!

 

 

Stamping With Sisters and Friends!

By | October 18, 2018

Pratt Road, Jeffersonville, VT

Pratt Road, Jeffersonville, VT

Fall is my favorite season, and for the past few years Reggie and I have spent a week or so in Vermont with our family and friends. What a treat to be in New England when the leaves are changing color and the nip in the air tells us “we aren’t in (California) anymore,” to paraphrase Dorothy!

This yearly visit always includes a fun stamping get-together! This year we were at Sherry’s house in Colchester, which is great, because if I have forgotten to bring anything, she will most likely have it in her downstairs workshop.

In honor of the season, we made a leafy card with colors from nature; this one would make a nice Thanksgiving card!

Grateful Leaves

This simple thank you card with a Pumpkin Pie background has a needlework theme with a quilt and doily stitching motif. It reminds us that staying inside with a quiet needlework project might be just thing during the cooler days to come.

October Thank You

Here are my Vermont stamping pals with the cards that we made together:

Vermont Stamp Group Fall 2018

These are the supplies that we used to create these cards; click on any picture to read more or to order online:

Price: $110.00

Supply List

Enjoy this special time of the year!

Grateful Leaves October Thank You

Monoprint Card Backgrounds

By | October 6, 2018

A couple of years ago when I was visiting my sister-in-law Sherry in her Vermont stamp art studio, she showed me how she makes prints with her Gelli Plate, a monoprinting system using acrylic paints brayered onto a soft jello-like clear surface. After the paint is applied, she lays embossed cardstock onto the painted surface to pull off some of the ink, creating patterns that appear when the print is pulled off the surface:

Gelli Plate Single

These papers are then perfect to cut up and use as backgrounds for stamping and die cut projects. I actually made a set of these cards last year, using the monoprint backgrounds that Sherry and I made. Some of  the dies and stamps are retired and no longer available, but this technique could be used with any die cuts and stamps!

Gelli Plate Set 1

There are lots of ways to make your own backgrounds; brayering ink or paint onto bubble wrap and applying it to the cardstock, wrapping a toilet paper roll with rubber bands and rolling it into ink before rolling over the cardstock, or sponging different colors of ink randomly onto your project.

Gelli Plate Set 2

You can clearly see the impressions that were made in the paint with the embossed patterns; each piece of monoprinted paper is unique and truly makes a one-of-a-kind background to highlight the white die cut images.

Some of the products that I used are still  currently available and are listed here:

Use your imagination and your own die cuts and stamps to create something that is unique and special!

Moonlight in Vermont

By | September 26, 2018

My father-in-law Harold Degree was born on September 26, 1933 in Vermont. So today, as he turns 85 years old, we are celebrating his milestone by creating a special card!

Harold 85th front

It’s always fun to design a special card for the occasion, and there are a few aspects of this card that I especially like. First, I was able to use the Dashing Deer Bundle again, a new Christmas set, in a different way to evoke a rural fall scene in Vermont, complete with a huge harvest moon!

Harold 85th angle

I also used stamps and die cuts from a few other sets to make a card that reflected exactly what I wanted to convey; Stitched Shapes Framelits for the moon, Detailed Leaves Thinlits for the scalloped design at the bottom, and the Enjoy Life stamp set for the grassy meadow where the deer are grazing. (The stamps used for the number “85” are retired, but I’m sure you’ll agree that they work perfectly here!)

Here are the colors that I used for this card:

The entire list of supplies is here (with the exception of the retired set that I used to stamp the number “85”):

Price: $110.00

Happy 85th Birthday to Harold!

Harold at Cooperstown

Dear Reindeer

By | September 19, 2018

There is another “dear” reindeer image from the Dashing Deer stamp set; this one with a damask-style design on the body, and another set of gorgeous antlers like those that we saw on the leaping copper deer a few days ago!

Bermuda Deer front

Dashing Deer stamps and Detailed Deer Thinlits Dies (Holiday Catalog pg. 9)

Aside from the images themselves, there is something I really like about this card! The combination of Bermuda Bay, Real Red and Whisper White are really pleasing together, and give this a classic, yet contemporary, look.

Bermuda Deer angle

Rather than a moon background, this time we have a snowy scene made with the Softly Falling embossing folder. Perfect!

Here is the color combination again; it’s really one of my favorites for Christmas and winter cards:

Here are the supplies that I used to make this Dear Reindeer card; click on any picture to read more, or to order online. (As I mentioned before, these stamps and dies can be purchased in a bundle or separately):

143263

Price: $110.00

Supply List

This one was fun! But there are other deer images in this bundle that will encourage us
to create even more great cards. Stay tuned!
Bermuda Deer side

Falling for Leaves!

By | September 17, 2018

I know that fall will officially start in about a week by the calendar, but I’m already in the mood for cooler weather and autumn colors and images, including leaves!

The new Falling for Leaves photopolymer set and the coordinating Detailed Leaves Thinlits Dies (on pg. 45 of the Holiday Catalog) are just what I was looking for:

Mango Falling Leaf front

I made a background riot of ferns, seed pods and dried grasses like you would find in any field at this time of the year, accented by a larger die cut leaf using one of our new core colors, Mango Melody.

Here is the color selection that I used to evoke the seasonal change from summer to fall:

These are the stamps and dies that I used on my project:

Falling for Leaves Bundle

Here are all of the supplies that I used to make my card (the Falling for Leaves stamps and the Detailed Leaves Thinlits Dies can be ordered together as a bundle, as shown above, or separately.) Click on any picture to read more or to order online:

Price: $110.00

Supply List

Note: The Precision Base plate can be helpful when cutting with detailed dies such as the leaf image on this card. The Big Shot Die Brush is also a great help in removing the small cut pieces quickly from a detailed die cut!

Reindeer by Moonlight

By | September 15, 2018

It’s about 100 days until Christmas; not too early to start planning for your special handcrafted cards this year!

Luxurious materials, colors and textures are perfect for holiday cards, so I’m happy to share this reindeer card with you:

Copper Moon Deer front

Dashing Deer and Detailed Deer Thinlits Dies on page 9 of the Holiday Catalog.

First of all, I have to tell you how excited I am about the new Tin Tile Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (HC pg. 43) that I used for the background of this card! The Dynamic embossing folders make deeper, dramatic impressions, and as recommended, I sprayed a little water with a Stampin’ Spritzer on the Rich Razzleberry cardstock first, before rolling it through the Big Shot. Impressive!

Copper Moon Deer angle

I used a scalloped circle of Vellum cardstock to make a moon background for the leaping copper reindeer. Here’s a tip for working with vellum: attach the copper pieces to the vellum circle with Mini Glue Dots, and then add more Mini Glue Dots on the back of the vellum, underneath the die cut images. This will enable you to attach the vellum to the card without any adhesive showing through.

A new feature on the Detailed Deer Thinlits set is simple but genius: there are seven flower/snowflake dies that are all the same (four open style and three solid) so when making multiples of the same image, as I did here, you can get them all made during one turn of the Big Shot. This saves a lot of time!

Here are the colors that I used on this card; click on any picture to see all of the products that Stampin’ Up! offers in that color:

 

And here are all of the supplies that I used to make this card (note: the stamps and the thinlits can be purchased as a bundle, or separately.) Click on any picture for more information or to order online.

Price: $110.00

 

This is the first card I’ve made with the Dashing Deer Bundle, and now my imagination is off and running! What colors, textures and materials can you dream up to make some beautiful holiday cards with them?

Do These Wings Make Me Look Fat?

By | September 14, 2018

You can put bat wings and a mask on the elephant, but he’s still not the Batman! That’s ok, though, because this elephant is one of the darling images in the new Trick or Tweet stamp set that appears on page 50 of the 2018 Holiday Catalog.

Elephant Bat

I used my Stampin’ Blends pens in Smoky Slate and Rich Razzleberry to color him in! (I have found that the best black ink to use as an outline with these pens is the Basic Black Archival ink.)

Here are all of the images in this set:

Trick or Tweet Set147722  Trick or Tweet  (Clear Mount)  $18.00

This set doesn’t have a “Happy Halloween” stamp in it, so I made my own by using letters from the Labeler Alphabet photopolymer set.

Elephant Bat inside

It’s easy to build your own sentiment; just line the photopolymer letters up on an acrylic block and stamp!

I used my favorite “go to” Halloween colors on this card:

You really can’t go wrong with this combo!

Elephant Bat angle

I used the Oh My Stars embossing folder on the Pumpkin Pie banner under the image.

Here are all of the supplies that I used to make this card (please note that I used a different black ink for the inside sentiment since I was using photopolymer stamps; Memento Tuxedo Black ink is washable with water, and won’t deteriorate your stamps as stronger cleaners might do.)

Price: $110.00

Now the next question has to be – if we dressed Ziggy up like the Batman for Halloween, would the mask and wings make him look fat?

Ziggy Still Life

 

Black & White &… Green?

By | September 12, 2018

Sometimes I get a request to make a card that is specifically tailored to the recipient. I was recently asked to to make two of these specialty cards; one for a man and one for a 12-year-old boy. It wasn’t until later that I realized that I had made each one with the same color scheme – black, white and green, not your typical color choices. Also, each one of these cards was commissioned with specific details, so although I used Stampin’ Up! cardstock and accessories, no stamping was used on either card. Instead, I found royalty-free images online and printed the sentiments on my computer:

Circuit Board card front

This card was requested by Jim for his friend who had once been involved in the creation of a certain type of circuit board. I used gold metallic thread on the front for a wire look, and the inside sentiment that Jim composed was so perfect for this card!

Circuit Board card inside

A polka dot envelope lining was the finishing touch for this card:

Circuit Board card envelope

The second card was requested by my husband for one of his Sunday School students. Josh is all in with everything Star Wars, so of course that was the appropriate theme for his card:

Yoda front

I was fortunate to find a Star Wars style typeset that I could download onto my computer for the inside sentiment:

Yoda inside

Here are the Stampin’ Up! supplies that I used to make these two cards:

I hope both guys enjoyed their “just for them” cards: I enjoyed the challenge of coming up with these special  cards (even if I didn’t get a chance to use my rubber stamps!)

Thankful for Fall!

By | September 5, 2018

Although it isn’t technically fall yet, when Labor Day is over and school is back in session, we feel the change of season approaching. Today is September 5th, the first day to order from the 2018 Holiday Catalog, and if you’re like me, you will welcome the chance to start working on cards appropriate for the season!

Here’s a card that I designed using the new Falling for Leaves photopolymer bundle:

Cajun Leaf front

The stamps and dies in this set are beautifully detailed, with many different possibilities for creative expression!

Falling for Leaves Bundle

I used a palette of earthy colors on this seasonal card:

The Tranquil Tide 1/4″ Velvet Ribbon is also a new product in the Holiday Catalog!

Cajun Leaf angle

Here are the products that went into making this card; click on any picture to read more, or to order from the online store:

Price: $110.00

This is just the first card that I will be sharing made with the Falling for Leaves bundle; more to come!