Serendipity Stamps November Blog Hop #2!

Hi there fellow crafters! I hope you are all having a wonderful week leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday! It’s such a fun time of the year!

I’ve been busy making all sorts of holiday cards and have a quick and easy one for you today, but I first want to remind you that today is the first day of Serendipity Stamp’s second November BLOG HOP!!

Serendipity showcases a new set of stamps every two weeks. Just comment on the Design Team’s blogs listed below to enter to win a $20 gift certificate to Serendipity Stamps! Also please note that the stamp and die of the month are Covered Bridge and Sympathy, respectively…both are half off for the month of November!

I also wanted to let you know that Serendipity Stamps is discontinuing many of their wood mounted stamps so they are having a SALE! Be sure to check the Bargain Basement for over 150 items!

Here’s a list of all the designers participating in the blog hop today…

Mary's Blog (Serendipity Stamp's owner)

Julie Warner

Beth Chiu (that's me!)

Vicki Zimmer

Marybeth Lopez

Miriam Napier

I can’t wait to share this card with you today because it is super easy but it looks like you spent a lot of time making it! I used Serendipity Stamp’s Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for my sentiment…

To create this card, I started with a 4.25” x 11” red cardstock piece and and scored it using my Scor-Buddy at 2” and 5.5”. I then cut a 4.25” x 5.5” rectangle from some gorgeous Alexandra Renke Christmas patterned paper (using a rectangle die) and trimmed it into two pieces (one at 2” x 4.25” and one at 5.5” x 4.25”). I adhered these to the top and bottom of my card, making sure that the patterns lined up.

Next, I stamped my sentiment using Distress Oxide Ink in Bundled Sage. I embossed this using clear embossing powder. I die cut this using a circle die and added a scalloped frame from red cardstock around my sentiment.

I added this to the front of my card, leaving half of the circle hanging over the front flap as a tab.

I finished the inside of my card using more Renke paper, and as a final touch I added a Tim Holtz snowflake charm with a bit of jute twine and a white Nuvo drop. 

 See what I mean? Simple but gorgeous…and just think how many different combinations you can make using different patterned papers and different colored inks. This sentiment would look gorgeous in any color!

That’s it for today…as always, thank you so much for visiting my blog today. I am thankful for each and every one of you! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Serendipity Stamps June Blog Hop #2!!

Hi Everyone!

Hope you are all enjoying your summer! The temperature is really climbing here in Atlanta...great weather for staying inside and crafting! 

Keep in mind that today is the first day of Serendipity Stamp's second BLOG HOP for the month of June! 

Serendipity Stamps showcases a new set of stamps every two weeks. Just comment on the Design Team's blogs listed below to enter to win a $20 gift certificate to Serendipity Stamps. The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you have of winning!

Here's a list of all the designers participating in the blog hop today...

Mary's Blog (Serendipity Stamp's owner)

Julie Warner

Beth Chiu (that's me!)

Vicki Zimmer

Marybeth Lopez

Today's card features the adorable Bikini Kitty stamp from Serendipity Stamps. I thought this would be a fun card to send to a friend who needs a little reminder to take time out for herself from time to time (don't we all need to remember this?)

I stamped my image onto Copic X-Press It paper using Ink On 3's Blackout Detail Ink and began coloring with Copic markers. I first colored my sky around the the kitty with BG0000 and BG000.  I extended the beach sand area on both sides using a Sigma Micron .45mm pen and then colored the sand using E31 and E33. Kitty's bikini was colored by blending RV34, R14, YR16 and Y35. I used the same colors for her umbrella but added YG01 for a pop of lime green. The kitty was colored with YR 21, YR23 and YR24, plus a little R20 for her cheeks and ears.

After Kitty was all colored up, I colored and fussy cut an extra umbrella and used a ball stylus to shape it into a more rounded shape and added it on top of the original umbrella using a couple of small drops of COLLALL colloidal silicone...in retrospect it was almost too small of an area to do this technique with, but it still added a bit of interest to the card.

Next, I cut out my image using a rectangle frame die and put that aside while I worked on my card.

I used Kraft colored cardstock to create a top-folding A2-sized card. I then cut an A2-sized rectangle from persimmon cardstock, then turned the rectangle die at an angle and cut it diagonally. I like doing it this way because I like to have the stitched line across the cut line at the top (hope that makes sense...sometimes it's hard to explain things in writing)!

I glued the persimmon panel to another A2-sized rectangle and then placed a o.5 inch strip of Scor-Pal tape above it. I took some kraft colored jute twine and wrapped it around the panel several times, using the Scor-Pal tape as my adhesive. Once this was finished, I added the panel to the front of my card using my ATG gun.

I then used foam tape to adhere kitty's "frame" to the front of my card, being careful not to place the foam tape directly on top of the twine. I used a double layer of foam tape to add the kitty image so that it popped up above my frame.

For my sentiment, I stamped "Just Unwind" from the Meow Mix Cling Set using Versafine Vintage Sepia ink and cut it out using a stitched fishtail banner. I added it below my kitty using foam tape. 

I used Nuvo drops in the colors Ripened Pumpkin and English Mustard to create glossy little "pearls" to add to my card. I didn't add this directly to my card as I have a fear of accidentally making a mistake on my card after all the hard work I've put into it! To get around this, I simply squeeze the drops out onto a piece of acetate, let them dry (usually overnight), and then glue them onto the front of my card. 

I also added a jute twine bow onto my card as a final touch. 

Thanks everyone for visiting today! I hope you all have a fantastic week and good luck on the blog hop!!

Serendipity Stamps June Blog Hop #1

Happy June everyone!

 Can you believe it's already summertime? I've been dreaming about the beach so I decided to create a shell card for you today! Before we get started, let me remind you that today is the beginning of Serendipity Stamp's first June BLOG HOP!!

Serendipity showcases a new set of stamps every two weeks. Just comment on the Design Team's blogs listed below to enter to win a $20 gift certificate to Serendipity Stamps. The more blogs you comment on, the likelier you are to win!

Here's a list of all the designers participating in the blog hop today...

Mary's Blog (Serendipity Stamp's owner)

Julie Warner
Beth Chiu (that's me!)

Vicki Zimmer

Marybeth Lopez

On to today's card! This stamp has got to be one of my all-time favorites from Serendipity...it  features a beautifully detailed Triton shell. 

 Before coloring this image, I decided to go online and study some images of this stunning shell. Some of my favorite images were those where the sunlight was shining behind the shell and the opening was a gorgeous shade of coral. I attempted to replicate this color with my Copic markers. I used shades of cream and light browns to color the rest of the shell. I then fussy cut my image and put it aside while I worked on my background.

To create the background for this card, I stamped with some stripes and distress stamps from my stash using MFT's Persimmon and Extreme Black Ink. I added some jute twine and some Buttermilk and Ebony Black Nuvo drops as well. I then placed my shell on top of the background using some foam tape for dimension.

I layered my panel several times with some black, deep coral, and sand-colored cardstock, using a scalloped die for the deep coral layer. I used more foam tape to pop up some of the layers. I then placed my layers on an A2-sized black card.

For the inside of my card, I stamped the My Life quote by Thoreau using MFT's Persimmon Ink. It's such a beautiful sentiment and is great for an everyday "Thinking of You" card. I added more layers to the inside of my card to give it a finished look.

I hope you all enjoyed your visit to my little corner of the world today. As always, thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful summer!

Serendipity Stamps December Blog Hop #2

Hello Friends and Happy Holidays!

I hope that you are busy finishing up those Christmas cards and sending them out to your friends and families. I have just one last Christmas card to share with you, but first a reminder...

Today is the first day of Serendipity Stamp's second December BLOG HOP!

Serendipity Stamps showcases a new set of stamps every two weeks. Just comment on the Design  Team's blogs listed below to enter to win a $20 Serendipity Stamps gift certificate.....the more blogs you comment on, the more likely you are to win!

Here's a list of all the designers participating in the blog hop today...

Marybeth Lopez
Mary's Blog (Serendipity Stamps owner)
Julie Warner
Vickie Zimmer
Beth Chiu (that's me!)
Miriam Napier

The card I made for today showcases the gorgeous Rejoice die.

I decided to use this die to create a shaker card...I love sequins and anything shiny, especially during the Christmas season. I decided to use both gold and silver for a fun and festive look. 

I first cut my larger frame from silver mirror cardstock and created my shaker using acetate,  a double layer of foam tape, and ivory Stardream cardstock for the back panel. I filled my shaker with TONS of sequins from my stash! I mixed a variety of gold, silver, and clear sequins together and I loved how it turned out!

Next, I die cut a smaller rectangle frame from gold mirror cardstock and a center rectangle from more of the ivory Stardream paper. I cut my Rejoice sentiment from gold mirror cardstock and glued it at an angle onto my smaller frame. Of course I kept having to stop and shake my card from time to time....I'm like a little kid when it comes to shakers!

Now comes the really fun part....adding the finishing touches. I made a little gold bow and attached a crystal star to it and placed that on my panel. Then I glued a few sequins to the front of my card and filled them with gold and white Nuvo drops.

I think anyone would love to receive a fun shaker card like this....the possibilities with this design are endless. You can use any dies for the front of your card and use your favorite color palette to customize your own card. For example,  I think the Hello die would make an especially beautiful everyday card.

Thanks everyone for visiting my blog today. I hope you and your friends and families have a wonderful holiday season filled with all your hearts desire!!

Good luck on the blog hop!