Creative Cucina

There is a Hostess set in the upcoming catalog that I was able to preorder called A Cherry on Top. I was drawn to it immediately but when I actually tried to use it, I couldn’t come up with much! I have ideas for it, so I’ll keep working with it until my vision matches what’s on the paper in front of me.

For this card, I used Old Olive as the base and one of my favorite papers Summer Smooches DSP. The color scheme for this card is bright and cheery: Old Olive, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, and Whisper White.

I stamped the cupcake in Melon Mambo ink on Whisper White, and cut it out. Then, I stamped the cupcake wrapper on Crumb Cake with Crumb Cake ink and cut it out. For the dome lid, I inked up the stamp with Pool Party ink, then stamped off once on scrap paper. Without cleaning the stamp or reinking it, I stamped it on Whisper White card stock for a lighter effect. Then, I traced over it with a glue pen and added Dazzling Diamonds Glitter. After trimming it out, I adhered the cupcake pieces to the lid piece.

For the background, I ran Whisper White through the Big Shot with the Stripes Textured Embossing Folder. Then, I layered it on Melon Mambo card stock and attached my cupcake display with stampin dimensionals.

The cake base is stamped in Daffodil Delight, cut out and I wrapped some 1/4″ Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon in Daffodil Delight around it for some detail.

For the sentiment, I used my Markers to ink up a stamp from Happiest Birthday Wishes. I matted it on Daffodil Delight card stock and layered it onto a strip of Old Olive 5/8″ Grosgrain Ribbon.

This paper just makes me so happy. I love the colors, but I think I love the pattern even more. It’s one of the papers from Summer Smooches DSP and I thought it would make a great birthday card.

Since the paper is so bright, I kept the rest of the card pretty simple and neutral. The base is Early Espresso, which helps the bright colors really pop. I stamped the Happy Birthday image from Priority Mail in Chocolate Chip ink on Whisper White.

(If you’re wondering why I used Chocolate Chip ink, it’s because I have a new SU firm foam ink pad in Chocolate Chip and it stamps so wonderfully I can’t stop using it! The color of the ink is richer, and the coverage is perfection. I highly recommend them.)

I punched out the window from the DSP with the Curly Label Punch, then lined up my stamped image behind it, using stampin dimensionals between the White card stock and the DSP. Then, I added more stampin dimensionals around the edges of the back of the DSP and adhered it to the base.

The ribbon is my new favorite: 1/4″ Stitched Grosgrain in Daffodil Delight. I slipped it behind the DSP layer and tied a knot in the front.

Just because I had them, I added two Old Olive buttons topped with Basic Pearls and attached them to the card with mini glue dots. Any of the colors in the Brights Button Collection would have looked great, I just went with green.

By mixing the cute silhouette of a little girl and a bold graphic print, this Mother’s Day card has the right blend of modern and traditional. Using the Stampin UP window panes (soon to be retired so get them while they last) makes the silhouette image look like a picture hanging on a wallpapered wall.

I stamped the silhouette, an upcoming hostess set called Priority Mail from the new catalog (to be released June 1), in chocolate chip ink on whisper white card stock, then matted it with early espresso card stock and placed it behind one of the window panes to create a picture frame look. The ribbon slides through slits on either side of the window pane to hold the frame in place. The ribbon I used here is Crumb Cake Seam Binding topped with Early Espresso Quilted Satin Ribbon.

For the base, I used Crumb Cake card stock, layered with Early Espresso and the green chevron patterned paper from Summer Smooches DSP.

The sentiment is from Messages for Mom, stamped in Lucky Limeade ink on Whisper White. I matted the strip with Early Espresso card stock, with a Crumb Cake Small Oval Punch and Early Espresso Designer Label Punch in the back. And because it’s for Mother’s day, what mom doesn’t like pearls? I added two Basic Pearls to the label just for Mom.

Another card I made with Betsy’s Blossoms, from the soon to be released catalog. It features a few new In Colors as well: Primrose Petals and Gumball Green. The colors are bold and bright, and the images are also bold and graphic, so I kept it pretty simple.

The base is Primrose Petals card stock, layered with Whisper White. I stamped the large blossom image in Gumball Green ink, which is a nice bright green. From the same stamp set, I used another flower image, this time stamped two times-once in Primrose Petals and once in Daffodil Delight. I cut out the center of the Primrose Petals flower and attached it to the center of the Daffodil Delight flower. I also cut in between each petal and flared them slightly.

The ribbon is 1/4″ Stitched Grosgrain in Daffodil Delight. I tied it around the Whisper White layer and stamped “Happy Birthday” from Happiest Birthday Wishes in Primrose Petals ink.

This card features a brand new stamp set from the upcoming catalog, to be released June 1st. The set is called Betsy’s Blossoms and includes the bird and flower images shown.

Another sneak peek comes in the way of new In Colors. Can you spot them? The yellowish color is called Summer Starfruit, while the bird is stamped in Raspberry Ripple.

The base is Chocolate Chip, layered with current In Color Pool Party. I stamped the Summer Starfruit card stock with Versamark ink and heat embossed it with White Embossing Powder. I love the effect, and there is a similar patterned DSP coming in the new catalog if you like the look as much as I do.

I chose the sentiment, from Faith in Nature, because I thought it was fitting with the images. I colored the words with Chocolate Chip Marker and the highlighted words with colors I pulled from the card: Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit, and Pool Party Markers.

As I mentioned earlier, the bird is stamped in Raspberry Ripple ink on Whisper White and cut out. I attached it to the card with stampin dimensionals.

To finish the card, I tied some hemp twine around the top layer and adhered the knot with a tiny glue dot.

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.