Creative Cucina

I made this card for a swap last month, but I’m just getting around to posting it now. It features Easy Events, an all occasion stamp set with cute line drawn images perfect for coloring.

The card base is Crumb Cake card stock. I used the same color, cut to 4″ x 5 1/4″, and embossed it with the Stripes Embossing Folder and the Big Shot. To give it more dimension, I used Crumb Cake ink and a sponge dauber to highlight the embossed image.

As for the stamped image, I used Versamark ink and black embossing powder on Whisper White card stock, punched with the 2 1/2″ Circle Punch. After heat embossing, I colored in the image with various Stampin UP Markers. The frosting on the cupcake was embellished with Dazzling Details.

Behind the stamped image, I made a scalloped circle by cutting 2 So Saffron flowers from the Island Floral Bigz Die and layering them. Be sure to alternate the petals to achieve the scalloped effect. Adhere the scallops together, then the white circle on top. I used stampin dimensionals to attach the scallop to the card front.

The ribbon is 1/8″ Taffeta Ribbon in Regal Rose and Daffodil Delight. Tie it around the Embossed Stripes layer, then adhere that to the card base with stampin dimensionals.

I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything on my blog but I’ve been busy! I just got a large invitation order out the door, my work schedule has been more hectic than usual, and I just now had a minute to come up for air! It’s almost time to get Christmas cards in the mail so I decided to make one to get the juices flowing.

This card uses Cherry Cobbler base with a Chocolate Chip textured card stock layer. The stockings were made with the Stocking Punch. I used Very Vanilla card stock and Silver Glimmer Paper. I ran the Vanilla pieces through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder to make them look like knitted stockings. The band around the silver stocking is Very Vanilla Velvet Ribbon from the Holiday Mini catalog. The ribbon is so nice and soft, I’d like to make a card that features more of it.

The sentiment is my favorite Christmas one from Christmas Greetings, stamped in Versamark and heat embossed with White Embossing Powder.  Around the edge of the card, I used the Signo Gel Pen to create a faux stitched effect and to frame out the card front.

Thanks for looking. Hopefully I’ll be back sooner rather than later! My schedule has by no means lightened up but I’ll do my best to keep up!

I’m a big fan of letterpress. I experimented with L Letterpress before and the results are stunning. The only drawback is that sometimes inking the plates can get a little messy. Stampin UP came out with letterpress plates that are really very easy to use. This one is called Fancy Fan Letterpress Plate. I inked it up with Pool Party ink, directly from the pad. Craft ink is best for the letterpress plates but Pool Party does not come in craft ink, and I was happy with the results anyway.

To use the Letterpress plates, you need the Big Shot. Ink up the plate, place it ink side up on the multipurpose platform with 1 tab. Then, adhere your watercolor paper to a cutting mat with snail or dotto. Place the cutting plate/paper down on the inked letterpress plate and run it through the Big Shot. Lift the cutting plate/paper off gently so as not to smear the ink.

Now for the card details: the base is Lucky Limeade, layered with chocolate chip card stock and the letterpressed watercolor paper. I stamped “congratulations” from Congrats (retired) using SU Markers: Pool Party, Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral, and Chocolate Chip. That was layered onto a strip of chocolate chip card stock and adhered to the base with glue dots.

The new home stamp is non SU, colored in with Copic Markers and matted with chocolate chip card stock as well.

A year ago today I was at this wedding for my brother in law and now sister in law. This is the card I made for their first anniversary. The base is chocolate chip card stock, layered with very vanilla and Mocha Morning Specialty DSP, which I L-O-V-E. This particular pattern reminds me of elegant wallpaper with a subtle metallic sheen to it.

The medallion stamp is from Day of Gratitude, stamped with Versamark ink on very vanilla card stock and heat embossed with Gold Embossing Powder. I trimmed it out and added a brown Jumbo Basic Brad in the center. It’s adhered to the base with stampin dimensionals.

At the bottom of the card, I stamped “happy” from Happy Everything (retired) in chocolate chip ink on very vanilla card stock. Underneath, I stamped the other words from the stamp set: “Days, Life, Everything, Together” in chocolate chip and more mustard ink. I decided to skew them a little so I wouldn’t need the stampamajig.

I made this card for a Halloween swap. It features the Out on a Limb stamp set from the Holiday Mini Catalog. The card base Basic Black, layered with Pumpkin Pie card stock textured with the Stripes Textured Embossing Folder for the Big Shot.

Next, I opted to stamp the hanging spiders (also from Out on a Limb) in Black ink over top of First Edition Specialty DSP. To give it more texture, I distressed the edges with the Distressing tool in the Cutter Kit.

The black flocked paper is from Mocha Morning Specialty DSP. The package contains, among other designs, 2 styles of flocked paper. It’s really pretty and elegant. This is cut to 3″ x 4″.

I stamped the branch on Very Vanilla card stock with Early Espresso ink. Then, using the stampamajig, I stamped the witch in Black craft ink and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. I colored in the witch and the moon with Copic Markers, then added dazzling diamonds glitter to the moon with 2-way glue pen. The “Boo” sentiment is from Tiny Tags.

Using the 2 1/2″ Circle Punch, I punched out the stamped image and distressed the edges with the Cutter Kit, then sponged So Saffron ink around the edges with a sponge dauber. To give a little more sparkle, I sprayed the card stock with shimmer spray (made with shimmer paint and 70% rubbing alcohol).

I added another strip of Pumpkin Pie card stock embossed with the Stripes Textured Embossing Folder across the front behind the focal image to finish off the card.

Fall is my favorite season, so it wasn’t a surprise when I fell in love with the new Spice Cake Designer Series Paper, from the Holiday Mini Catalog. The colors in the paper are Pool Party, More Mustard, Pear Pizazz, River Rock, Soft Suede, and Very Vanilla. Other than the great colors and patterns, the paper gives me an excuse to use Pool Party 3/8″ Ruffled Ribbon! Scroll down for directions on how to make the Twisted Ribbon Medallion shown on this card.

The base is Soft Suede card stock, layered with Pool Party and a layer of Spice Cake DSP. Down the front, I added Pool Party 3/8″ Ruffled Ribbon layered with 1/2″ Polka Dot Soft Suede Grosgrain (retired).

In the center, I made a little frame by using the Designer Frames Textured Impressions folder in the Big Shot with More Mustard card stock. I cut the frame out and then sponged More Mustard ink around the edges to add depth. The patterned paper inside the frame is from First Edition Specialty DSP.

As for the Twisted Ribbon Medallion (that’s what I’m calling it anyway), it’s very simple to make.

1. Punch out a circle from card stock using the 1 3/8″ Circle Punch (you can make it any size you want but that is what I used here)
2. Cover the front of your circle with Sticky Strip.
3. Leave your ribbon on the roll and start in the center of the circle. Stick the end of your ribbon down in the middle of the card stock and start twisting the roll until your ribbon starts to twist as well.
4. Keep twisting and spiraling the ribbon around the circle until you get all of the card stock covered.
5. To finish, cut your ribbon off the roll, fold the end over the back of the circle, and adhere it with Sticky Strip.
6. To add a brad in the center, use the cropadile. If your circle is too large for the cropadile to reach the center, you can use your paper piercer as well.

For this card, I used a gorgeous Glimmer Brad (I think this is a Soft Suede one) in the center of the medallion. Then, I layered the medallion onto a Soft Suede scallop circle made with the Scallop Circle Punch.

The sentiment is from Happiest Birthday Wishes, stamped with Soft Suede ink on Very Vanilla card stock. I sponged the edges with More Mustard ink and a sponge dauber, then matted it on More Mustard card stock. It’s attached to the card with stampin dimensionals.

Here’s another card I made with the Hostess set Faith in Nature stamp. The card base is Pool Party card stock, layered with a piece of old DSP I had in my scrap drawer.

The color combination was inspired by the Color Coach. For the main image, I stamped Whisper White with More Mustard ink for the flower, then colored in the sentiment from Friendly Phrases with Island Indigo and Lucky Limeade Markers.

That was layered onto Island Indigo card stock. Then, I used the cropadile to punch a hole at the top for a Polka Dot In Color Brad in Lucky Limeade and some Crumb Cake Seam Binding.

Here, I made use of some distressing techniques. The stamp set featured is Faith in Nature, one of the Hostess Sets. I stamped the pear image with Chocolate chip craft ink on Whisper White and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. Using the aquapainter, I colored in the pear with Lucky Limeade and Calypso Coral ink. The “thank you” sentiment is also from the same stamp set.

Next, I tore across the top corner of the card stock and used a sponge dauber with Creamy Caramel ink to distress the image layer. It was layered on Calypso Coral card stock, distressed in the same way as the image layer.

The card base is Crumb Cake card stock, layered with Chocolate Chip that was distressed along the edges using the distressing tool. A torn piece of  Well Worn DSP was also added to the card front. Since that paper is distressed looking, I didn’t need to do much to it other than tearing it and sponging it a bit. Finally, two orange glimmer brads finish off the card.

Details: Card base is Pretty in Pink, layered with Whisper white that was embossed with Vintage Wallpaper Embossing folder. I made 3 panels for the front, inspired by these dominos I altered.

I stamped the En Francais background stamp on Glossy White card stock with Brown Stazon Ink. Then, using sponge daubers, I sponged on Pretty in Pink and So Saffron ink.

The panels were matted with Chocolate chip card stock and adhered to the base with stampin dimensionals.

To finish off the card, I tied Pretty in Pink 5/8″ Satin Ribbon around the bottom of the card.

Candy Land was the theme for my daughter’s 5th birthday party. She chose it based on both the board game and her extreme love of candy!

First up, the invitation: I used the stamp set Sweets for the Sweet to make the lollipop and candies. The base is 5″x7″ chocolate chip card stock that I gave some texture to using the Big Shot and the Perfect Details Texturz Plate.

The candies were stamped in Pumpkin Pie, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, and Lucky Limeade. I used Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder and Versamark to make some of them sparkle. I wanted them a bit smaller than the lollipop so I used the 3/4″ Circle Punch to cut them down a bit.

As for the lollipop, I stamped it with Daffodil Delight ink and used the Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder on it. A little 1/8″ Taffeta Pretty in Pink Ribbon is knotted and attached with a mini glue dot.

The information was printed on Whisper White card stock. The Candy Land type font is called “Candy Cane” and I downloaded it for free online. Behind the printed information is Pool Party card stock that was die cut using the Big Shot and Scallop Square Bigz Die. It’s attached to the base with stampin dimensionals.

I didn’t have much time to take pictures during the party, but I did manage to take a picture of the candy buffet. I took it with my phone so the picture is not the best quality, but you can see what I did. The little chalk board sign was painted and decorated using various stickers and little lollipop Christmas ornaments.

The lollipop topiary was made using a topiary form (from the floral section of the craft store) and Dum Dum lollipops. Almost 400 lollipops were used to cover the topiary!

Various vases, jars, and containers I had around the house or borrowed from my sister held all the candy. The gingerbread cupcake box was found at Hobby Lobby. I used it for a raffle–the prize being a brand new Candy Land board game. Inside the box, I put slips of paper with the childrens’ names and my daughter pulled the winner.

We still have a lot of candy left over! I’m going to leave the buffet up for a few more days because it makes me smile when I look at it. I suppose a candy buffet in my living room would come in pretty handy with company stopping by, and my daughter certainly won’t complain!