Creative Cucina

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.