Bamboo Beauty beachy scenic card

Here’s a scenic card I created recently and it’s another that falls under the “SIP” category (Stamps, Ink & Paper): 

These are the “before” and “after” shots adding some twine on the card front as an accent. Otherwise, they’re exactly the same card in both photos (and the shows the difference that lighting makes!) This card was mostly CASEd (Copy And Share Everything) from a YouTube created by a demonstrator named Michelle Zindorf…you can see her original card and tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijqpcXfos-Y  and you’ll then notice that I’ve added my own tweaks to the card design. 

It’s ingeniously created using a sticky notepad sheet!! Using blending brushes, you apply several ink colors —you would never have guessed it was applied on a base of Basic White cardstock! Add some foliage on the side with the Bamboo Beauty stamp set and a few birds flying low…what a peaceful scene!

I used ink colors of Pacific Point, Balmy Blue, Crumb Cake, So Saffron and Old Olive on a square of Basic White. This was then mounted directly on an Old Olive card base. 

Sadly the Bamboo Beauty set has retired but I’m sure you can still find it on online websites. 

Thanks for stopping by & have a wonderful day!

 

Bamboo Beauty - simple any occasion card

A beautiful stamp set of bamboo stalks and leaves, this set was a “must buy” for me as soon as I saw it. But I had a hard time breaking it out of the stamp case! This is my first card made with the set a while ago. It’s a style known as SIP (Stamps, Ink & Paper) and demonstrates how beautiful a card can be without fancy die cuts or umpteen layers (which is usually more of my typical style!)  

I wanted a simple card, added a hint of a shaded background (created using a blending brush and a Pacific Point stamp pad). The bamboo and leaves were inked with Garden Green and the mat is also Garden Green. I added a pearl but left it without sentiment as I wanted it to be for any occasion. I ended up creating a dozen of these for donation to a handmade card fundraiser for a local senior center lunch program. 

And here’s the stamp set:

Stay tuned…My next post will showcase a beautiful beach scene card featuring this set….

Cards using the Texture Chic Memories and More Set

I bought the Texture Chic Memories and More cards the other day. I don't usually buy the Memories and More sets but I really wanted to get something from the Texture Chic Suite, without getting the entire suite of products. The Memories and More set was offered at a reduced price as one of the weekly specials in September. The Memories and More set is a collection of cards in various sizes that use the same patterns as the printed paper pack (DSP). I added card bases in white or Petal Pink then added a 4x6' card from the set for the front of my card (cut down to 4x5.25"), and a strip of the remaining card to inside. Some times the words were perfect so I save a few of those! Here are a some of the cards I made with this kit:

And there remained plenty of other material to use on more cards (or scrapbooking pages)...but that's for playing another day. 

“Heal your Heart” Peony Garden Condolence Card

Condolence cards are so hard to make! I never know what to say, and then, do I even have a stamp other than the perfunctory “sending sympathy” ?? YES I ACTUALLY DO! I have an older Sale-a-Bration set called “Heal your Heart” with several support and sympathy stamps and even a handwritten script Thank You stamp!

I used one of the pretty soft gray floral prints from the Peony Garden DSP pack and created a simple gatefold on a light gray card base. The sentiment label gets its shape from the Label Me Lovely punch and a length of gray ribbon from my craft stash finishes this off. Inside I adhered a leftover strip of the printed DSP inside and stamped another sentiment from the same stamp set. 

If you’d like to purchase a card like this, please email me. I’m currently busy prepping for the holiday season and won’t make time to list this one on my Etsy shop (KikumiDesigns.Etsy.com) for a while! 

Thanks for stopping by & have a wonderful day!

Hydrangea Hill Barn Door Birthday Card

Have you ever bought a paper pack that was too pretty to start using? That was this paper pack for me. Hydrangeas are so beautiful! And this paper pack captures the lilacs, blues and pinks of this flower so well. I decided to do a barn door card. Why is it called a “barn door”? It’s because the card opens like this:

 

A simple but neat design! I started with cardstock in Fresh Freesia (11”x4.25”). I scored the card stock at 5.5” then used my paper trimmer to cut along the score line from the top of the card down 2 1/8”. The piece that was cut off was trimmed down to 1 7/8 x 5 and then run through the Cut & Emboss machine using one of the Meadow embossing folders. 

Inside the card is a Basic White panel 4 x 5.25” and three pieces of the DSP measuring 1 5/8 x 1 3/4. To decorate the white area beneath (and the envelope) is a flower stamp from my craft stash. The sentiment is from the Boho Indigo set atop of Highland Heather grosgrain ribbon. A few small pearls finish off the card!

This card is available at my Etsy shop, while quantities last at https:KikumiDesigns.etsy.com

Thanks for stopping by! Hoping I’ve inspired you today!

Bouquet in a Bottle

Yes you can put a message in a bottle but I prefer some pretty flowers! I made this cute card at a friend’s card making event (back in June) using the Bottled Happiness stamp set and coordinating Vintage Bottle Punch to introduce the new incolors for 2022-24. It uses Tahitian Tide, Sweet Sorbet, and Parakeet Party. The flowers and leaves are part of a “two step” set…one stamp includes the flowers and a second stamp has all the leaves and supporting stems! Because it’s a clear stamp, you can see through it and position the stamp perfectly!

Here’s a close up of the sentiment and a great way to add a background to a die cut - and it works with almost any punch or die cut! All I've done here is to punch out a second piece of the same shape, cut it in half then reattach it so that it looks like a border around the top and bottom of the sentiment piece. Works like a charm without having to use another punch or die cut and looks neat!

Mountain Air

 

I love this masculine/gender neutral card! It reminds me of a famous phrase by Ansel Adams: “the mountains are calling and I must go”!! 

The card base is Crumb Cake and the Mint Macaron mat layer is embossed with the Trees 3D Embossing Folder. I’ve sponged the blue skies in Balmy Blue and stamped the mountains using Crumb Cake. The trees were stamped using Pretty Peacock (retired) and you’ll notice that I’ve stamped using the “stamped off” technique to give the illusion of trees fading into the distance. Another stamped set of trees were die cut and the knotted twine (from my craft stash) added a finished touch to the card. 

This card is available for purchase while quantities last from my Etsy shop at https://KikumiDesigns.Etsy.com

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful day!

Have a Peachy Day

Don’t the peaches on this card remind you of warm summer days? Maybe some peach cobbler baking in the oven though it’s so hot outside?? YUM!! (Ice cream too please!)

 

This is my favorite print from the You’re a Peach Designer Series Paper (DSP) pack. I added the scallop edge (from the Peony Dies set) then a bit of the striped DSP also from the You’re a Peach DSP pack. 

 

The sentiment is inked with craft white on Calypso Coral and is from the coordinating Sweet as a Peach set. The fun really begins inside and on the envelope though…

I inked the peach stamp using Pale Papaya. Then I added some dimension by using a sponge dauber and some Calypso Coral ink. I tapped the sponge dauber onto the ink pad lightly, then tapped the sponge dauber directly on my stamp, right on top of the Pale Papaya ink along one edge of the stamp. Then I stamped the image onto some Basic White. Wow, what fun! Then I repeated the steps and stamped the back of the envelope too. I perhaps could have used a darker color instead or in addition to Calypso Coral to get more depth and definition, but I was quite happy with the results. 

 

Hope you've enjoyed this post and that it inspires you to be creative! Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day. 

Pick of the Crop June 2022 Paper Pumpkin Alternatives

 

Have you heard about the Paper Pumpkin monthly subscription kit from Stampin’UP!? It has all the supplies you need to create all the projects in the kit. Usually it has supplies to make 9 cards (but it changes up a little each month) and each month is a different theme. For example, September’s kit is usually about Halloween treat packages. And October and November are usually related to the Christmas holidays. Other than the theme, the exact contents of each kit are a surprise and there are so many ideas shared on the Internet for alternate designs to make with the kit’s contents. (Let me know if you are intrigued to learn more about it…)

I had a ton of fun with this particular kit from June 2022. The (farmers) market is always a fun place to go in the summer so when the theme of this kit was announced, I absolutely had to get it! 

I tend to NOT do the cards as designed in these kits and usually do alternative designs. So it takes me a while before I figure out what I want to do. It only took 2 months this time!

This first card I made (above) is a side step design based on Stampin’Up! demonstrator Vy Tran’s blog post (find it here: https://www.craftingdailydose.com/post/pick-of-the-crop). I added a basket of lavender on the front-most step on the side, more lavender on the second “step” and some grass behind the cart’s wheels. Oh and I cut the awning off and re-attached them using dimensionals so that the cart roof was raised slightly off from the card base. 

 

The second card (above) is a Z-Fold of a picnic blanket and all! Most of the parts of this card were included in the kit except for the wine bottle and wine glass, which came from my stash of stamps. When you open the card, you see the wine glass on the other side of the picnic blanket

The third card (above) was made from the kit pretty much as intended. 

The kit usually comes with extra die cuts - this time there was an extra market cart (among other extra die cuts). I used it on a background of a brick wall (using the Brick and Mortar 3D embossing folder).

And there were still more pieces leftover but ...I need to move on. I hope I pick it up again next spring when I eagerly await the summer farmers’ markets to start up again…

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you enjoyed my creations from the June 2022 Paper Pumpkin kit & have a great day!

Softly romantic Flowing Flowers

 

 I absolutely adore this stamp set! I created these Thank You cards for my recent card workshop…I needed something quick and yet still something that showed off these wonderful stamps. This is a Distinktive (Patent Pending) stamp set; it has a special texture that gives added depth and dimension in a single step, creating photo-realistic images. When paired with softer colors, it gives a gorgeous soft romantic feel with two pearls as the finishing touch.

It's difficult to see in a photo but the ones on the left have been embossed with the retired Scripty 3D folder. And they otherwise only differ based on adhering the top layer straight, or off-angled. The card base is standard A2 at 5.25 x 4.25”. The green mat is Soft Succulent and the flowers are stamped in Polished Pink with the leaves in Garden Green. The sentiment also comes from the same Flowing Flowers stamp set.

The right most two cards are the same design as well, with a slight difference in ink color. The upper right card is stamped in Polished Pink and Garden Green while the card on the lower right is stamped using the retired color Regal Rose and Garden Green. These  cards also have an additional layer of the larger flower in the stamp set stamped and fussy cut by hand, and adhered to the center. I left one card with the extra flower flat, while I curled the petal edges on the second to give it more dimension.

If you love this stamp set too and wish to purchase it, it’s retiring at the end of June and will no longer be available after that. Please check out the set at: https://www.stampinup.com/products/flowing-flowers-cling-stamp-set?demoid=2239522

 

Hope these cards inspire you to be creative !  And thanks for stopping by…

Crane of Fortune & Symbols of Fortune

Happy Memorial Day! Where does time fly to...it's already the end of May! Today I have not one, not two but three cards to share with you. They are all created using the Crane Of Fortune stamp set, coordinating Good Fortune Dies and the Symbols of Fortune Specialty Designer Series Paper.  I've had this stamp/die bundle for a while and yet I was hesitant to start creating with it…it’s so elegant with lots of gold foil! But I'm glad I finally did! I'm holding classes featuring the following three cards in June so if you're local to Portland OR and are interested in an in-person class, let me know! On to the first card:

The card base here is Petal Pink and the gorgeous focal is the crane stamped in Basic Gray. I’ve added a strip of gold behind the sentiment and a leaf die cut from the die set. The sentiment is also from the Crane of Fortune stamp set. 

Second is a Basic Black card base with a Mint Macaron mat that has been dry embossed using the Painted Texture 3D embossing folder. I love dry embossing the mat as it adds interest, without competing with the focal element. Here the focal is an image from the DSP pack, mounted on black. The sentiment and its die cut are from the same bundle and I’ve embellished it with gold die cuts also from the same set.

The third card we’ll make during the workshop has a card base in Basic White which measures 7.5 x 5.5  --- an inch shorter than the usual card base. I’ve added a mat in gold and then the floral DSP. The gingko die cut in gold embellishes the card front and the sentiment says it all!

 

Here is a photo of the stamp set and corresponding dies.

Hope you’ve enjoyed these card designs. If interested, you can purchase supplies and tools to make this card from my Stampin’UP! shop at https://PaperFunTogether.stampinup.net  And if you’re local and interested in joining the workshop, please contact me!

PS This Stamp set is retiring at the end of June, as well as the Specialty Designer Series Paper used for these cards. If interested in purchasing these, they are available until the end of June or while quantities last! Please use the shopping link above.

 

Hope you are inspired to create! Have a wonderful day!

Cathy

Uniquely Artistic - Thank you Card in Bermuda and Heather

Hello there. Happy Monday! I’m sharing a card made with a new stamp set called Uniquely Artistic. First of all, I find a title like that a little intimidating as I’m crafty but don’t consider myself artistic. (Okay, I am nitpicking on the definition of a word…I will let that one go.) I’ve had this stamp set a few months and this is my first attempt at using it. And I don’t remember the last time I’ve used Bermuda Bay, although I love the color! I was trying to mimic the look and feel of a card I made ages ago that was teal and lavender with an old Stampin’UP! set called Petal Parade. I no longer have the card but I loved it and so, I’m sure the look isn’t anything like THAT card, but I’m using similar colors. So here are some photos:

 

 

The Basic White card base is the standard 8.5x5.5” scored at 4.25” to create a 4.25x5.5” card (A2 size). I added a mat layer of Bermuda Bay card stock measuring 4 x 5.25”.  The top Basic White layer is 3.75x5”.

 

It's stamped quite simply with the tall branch & leaf in Bermuda Bay along the left edge and again along the bottom. A single leaf it stamped in the corner. Then using a craft knife, I actually CUT a partial outline of a leaf here and there along the stem. The leaves I partially cut were curled by hand. Hope you can see it in the photo below:

On a scrap piece of paper, I stamped the main floral image in Highland Heather twice, and fussy cut them, staying close to the edge of the stamped design. Then I cut into the flower along the petal lines, but not all the way through so that it stayed in one piece. I rolled the edges of the petals in various directions to give the petals lots of dimension. I repeated this with the second flower and then I adhered them together slightly offset, and then onto the stamped piece. 

The “Thank you” sentiment comes from the Flowing Flowers stamp set and I finished the front of the card off with Pearl Basic Jewels.  Last but not least, I attached the top piece to the Bermuda Bay layer using dimensionals. I loved the resulting clean lines and look but thought it turned out quite elegant too. 

Here's the stamp set with my card design:

 

 

Hope you enjoyed this card design and that it inspires you to create. If interested, you can purchase supplies and tools to make this card from my Stampin’UP! shop at https://PaperFunTogether.stampinup.net 

Have a wonderful day!

Cathy

Bamboo Beauty Friendship Card

Happy Saturday! Hope you’re enjoying your weekend. Today I’m sharing another simple card design that I made multiples of recently to donate to a card sale fundraiser for a local senior lunch program. 

I first used a blending brush and Pacific Point ink on a panel of Basic White card stock to create a light blue background. I then used two stamps from the Bamboo Beauty set and Garden Green ink to stamp the bamboo and leaves. Next I stamped the “friendship” kanji in Poppy Parade ink. I matted the focal panel on Basic Black then stamped the sentiment on a scrap piece of Basic White using Basic Gray ink and punched it out using the Timeless Label punch (now retired). I punched a  second label in Poppy Parade card stock and adhered it behind the sentiment to create a bottom/side border that matched the ink used for the “friendship” kanji. The sentiment label was adhered using foam dimensionals to raise it off the card base. Last but not least, I added a pearl from the Pearl Basic Jewels package.

 I used my Stamparatus tool to make it easy to stamp multiples of this card front for donation.

These are some quick directions, if you’d like more detailed steps, please contact me using the form on the right margin. You can also purchase supplies and tools to make this card from my Stampin’UP! shop at https://PaperFunTogether.stampinup.net

Thanks for stopping by!