Stamp Simply April 2023 New Release- In God We Trust

Hi Friends!

This week we are celebrating a few new stamp sets/bundles in the April 2023 Patriotic Release at Stamp Simply! 

I absolutely love the images in the stamp sets of the new release, don’t you?  The flying eagle and star along with the patriotic sentiments are perfect for cards all year round- Memorial Day, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, 4^th of July, Summer, and if course, just because.

I paired the stamps with the Echo Park Let Freedom Ring 6x6 Paper Pad.

If you have not had a chance to check out the inspiration from the Stamp Simply Design Team , I hope you will take the time to do so- fabulous  inspiration from all!

To create my first card:

Trim the fireworks pattern of the Let Freedom Ring paper to approx. 4” x 5 ¼”.  Mount onto navy cardstock, trim close to the edge.

Layer the Let Freedom Ring red striped pattern (approx. 1 ¼” strip) onto navy cardstock.  Cut the layered piece into three pieces.

Add to the background along the edges, use a piercing tool to create holes for the gold brads and insert the brads.

Mount the entire panel onto a white card base.

De-static a piece of white cardstock with an embossing powder tool, ink the star image from the The American Eagle Bundle with Versafine Onyx Black ink, apply clear embossing powder and heat set with a heat tool.

Color the stars with water-based markers and die cut with the coordinating die.

Follow the same steps above and stamp the sentiment from the The American Eagle Bundle, die cut with the Fishtail Sentiment Banners Dies and color with water-based markers.

Mount onto designer paper (also die cut with the Fishtail Sentiment Banners Dies) before adding the sentiment directly to the card front.

Add the die cut stars with dimensional foam to finish off the card.

My second card also features the new The American Eagle Bundle, the new The Pledge of Allegiance stamp set and the flag image from The Red, White and Blue Bundle.  I also used the same Let Freedom Ring 6x6 paper pad from Echo Park and the same sentiment layered as in the first card.

The The American Eagle image and the flag were stamped and embossed with clear embossing powder.

Watercolor pencils and water-based markers were used to color both images.

The new The Pledge of Allegiance stamp set was inked with water-based markers in red and blue to stamp the background panel.

Once stamped in a staggered pattern, a piece of vellum was layered over the background and three gold mini brads were used to adhere the right hand side of the panel.

The sentiment was added with dimensional foam before adding the vertical strips of designer paper strips (from the Let Freedom Ring 6x6 Paper Pad).

The background panel was adhered to navy cardstock, before adhering it to a white card base.

The die cut flag was added directly to the card front and the eagle was mounted using dimensional foam.

Stamp Sets: The American Eagle Bundle, The Pledge of Allegiance, The Red, White & Blue Bundle (Stamp Simply) 

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Water-based Markers- Red, Blue; Watercolor Pencils- Red, Blue, Black

Cardstock/Paper:  White, Navy, Vellum; Let Freedom Ring 6x6 Paper Pad by Echo Park 

Accessories/Tools: Gemini, Jr., Stamp Simply Dies- The American Eagle Bundle, The Red, White & Blue Bundle, Fishtail Sentiment Banners,  Embossing Powder Tool, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Gold Mini Brads (from my stash)

As many of you who follow my blog know, I enjoy playing along with online challenges and will be linking to the Cards 4 Guyz #320 Embossing- Wet or Dry Challenge (both of my cards used wet embossing) along with the Word Art Wednesday #593-#594 Anything Goes Challenge.  

 

Thanks again for stopping by! I hope I have inspired you today and that you will take the time to check out the Patriotic stamps/dies at Stamp Simply!

He Stilled the Storm

Hi Friends!

I am finally getting a chance to post a few of the cards that I have designed recently- this card was designed using the True North stamp set from STAMPlorations™ (I have owned this set for over a year and this is the first time that I had a chance to ink it up).

I am also making an effort to create a card for each of the Splitcoaststampers’ Sketch Challenges and this card uses the SC382 Sketch for the layout (this sketch was from 2012- again, so thankful that the SCS challenges do not have a cut-off date).

I am also be participating Cards 4 Guyz #242 “On, In or By the Sea” Challenge and the STAMPloratons™Never Ending "Anything Goes" Challenge.

To create this card-

Ink the boat image, compass and sentiment with Versafine™ Onyx Black ink, stamp onto white cardstock, apply clear embossing powder and heat set with a heat tool.

Using water-based markers, color the ocean area and the ship.  Watercolor the sky with distress oxide inks and once dry, use an extra fine black marker to add shadows and a few birds.

Fussy cut the compass and die cut the boat/sentiment panel with a square die.  Mount both onto black cardstock and trim close to the edge.  Add a silver brad to the center of the compass.

For the background panel, layer a piece of white cardstock onto black cardstock, trim close to the edge.  Layer a piece of turquoise designer paper onto black cardstock, trim close to the edge, add the ½” Black Seam Binding, add a few silver brads and adhere the entire panel onto the white card base.

Mount the focal image and compass to the card front using dimensional foam.

Finish off the card using a clear glitter pen to add shimmer to the ocean.

Stamp Sets: True North (STAMPlorations™)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black, Stampin’ Write Markers- Pool Party, Tempting Turquoise, Smoky Slate; Tim Holtz™ Broken China, Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide; Spectrum Noir™ Clear Glitter Pen, Pigma Micron™ .03 Black Pen

Cardstock/Paper:  Whisper White, Basic Black, retired Tempting Turquoise Designer Series Paper

Accessories: Gemini, Jr.™, Square Dies (retired Stampin’ Up!), Silver Brads, ½” Black Seam Binding, AquaPainter™

Thanks again for taking the time to visit- I hope all of you have a blessed Easter weekend!

Cast Thy Burden Upon the Lord

Hi Friends!

I pray that all of you are staying safe and well with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.  One benefit of being retired is that we stay home most days throughout the week unless we have an appointment, and of course, church activities primarily on Sunday. 

I am thankful that my husband and I have both accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, so we know the One Who holds the Future!  Therefore, we are being cautious but not fearful and I have peace knowing that "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain"  (Phil 1:21- one of my favorite verses).

As I hope all of you are doing, we are also taking precautions with being careful regarding hand shaking, and of course, washing our hands more frequently than normal!   

In the meantime, I am still trying to ink up some of my stamps that have not seen ink in a while as well as use some of my other supplies.   I have been stamping like crazy and am having fun, but unfortunately, I am not the quickest typist in the world and it seems to me that posting to my blog takes so much time, lol!  

I now have over fifty different cards photographed and ready to share, so I need to get busy posting!

So, in an effort to post the many cards that I need to post, I am going to try to simplify my normal “step by step” process.  

I originally started my blog ten years ago in an effort to help newcomers learn the techniques and steps needed to create a card, but I believe that most of you that visit my blog are now “experienced”.  If you have a question on any of the steps taken, please ask in the comments and I will give you more details.

Tonight I am sharing a card that I designed using the retired Stampin’ Up! sets, Countryside and Blessings from Heaven along with the SU! Warmth and Wonder designer series paper stack. 

I have not inked up either of these sets in a while and while I had them out, I stamped several of the truck images for future cards (I need to replenish my masculine card stash).

Many of you that follow my blog also know that I am also working my way through the Splitcoaststampers Sketch Challenges (in my personal effort to create a card for each of their 790+ sketches ) and used the SC106 Sketch for the layout.

In addition to the SCS Sketch, I am participating with the SUO Challenges #244 “Coloring” Challenge, the Cards 4 Guyz #240 “Something that starts with an “F”” Challenge (“F”= Farm Truck, Farm Apples sign) and the Simon Says Wednesday “Use Some Green” Challenge.

To create this card:

The images were stamped with an archival black ink and the truck was water colored with pencils and markers.  The plaid background panel was embossed with an embossing folder and a few rhinestones were added to finish off the card (see all items used below).

Stamp Sets: Countryside, Blessings from Heaven  (both retired Stampin’ Up!)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black; Stampin’ Write Markers- Granny Apple Green, Call Me Clover, Real Red, Smoky Slate; Stampin’ Up! Watercolor Pencils- Real Red, Basic Black; Clear Wink of Stella™

Cardstock/Paper:  Whisper White, Basic Black, retired Warmth & Wonder Designer Series Paper Pack (all Stampin’ Up!)

Accessories: AquaPainter™, Heat Tool, Big Shot™, retired Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Black Rhinestones

Thanks again for taking the time to visit my blog- I hope all of have a wonderful and healthy week, sweet friends!

Country Road- A Man Plans His Course

Hi Friends!!

This evening I am sharing a card that I designed using the current Country Road (Stampin’ Up!) set along with a verse from the current Godly Man stamp set (Stamp Simply).

This is the first card that I have created with the Country Road stamp set (although I have owned it for over a year- so little time, lol!).  I love the images in the set and thought that this verse sentiment from Stamp Simply would be perfect!

I am using the Splitcoastampers SC243 Sketch Challenge for the layout and am also playing along with Anne Marie's #480 “Turn Up the Heat" Theme Challenge at The Paper  Players, the Cards 4 Guyz “Ink and/or Paint” Challenge and the Simon Says Wednesday "Anything Goes" Challenge.

To create this card:

Cut open a clear acetate envelope (I used one that I had saved from a clear stamp set packaging), open the envelope and tap a bit of Tumbled Glass, Peacock Feathers and Seedless Preserves Distress Oxide Ink onto the acetate. 

Lightly spritz the ink with water, fold the envelope together and use your fingers to “smoosh” the ink, insert a piece of white cardstock (I used a piece from my stash that has a slight wax coating) and press the ink onto the paper.  

Keep repeating this process until you are satisfied with the results (I also used a water brush with some of the ink to even out the splatters in places).

Use a heat tool to thoroughly dry the panel, ink the wheel and grass images from Country Road with Hickory Smoke Distress Oxide Ink and stamp onto the lower part of the panel (again, drying the ink with a heat tool).

De-static the entire panel with an embossing powder tool, ink the weathervane image with Versafine™ Onyx Black Ink (I used my Stamparatus™ tool to line up so I can stamp the image a few times) and stamp onto the panel.  Apply clear embossing powder and heat set with a heat tool. 

Repeat the above process with the tall grass image and heat set the black ink with clear embossing powder.

Once the embossing as cooled, die cut the panel with a stitched rectangle die (saving the portion of the background that you can use for the lower part of the card). Trim the remaining background panel to card front size and mount onto black cardstock (trimming close to the edge).

Dry emboss a piece of gray designer paper (this is a piece from my stash) with a woodgrain embossing folder, cut on an angle for the sketch elements and layer onto black cardstock.  Adhere the layers and add a strip of 1” black satin ribbon.

Mount the entire background layered panel onto a white card base.

Adhere the main focal image with dimensional foam or chipboard (I have been using scrap chipboard lately).

Heat emboss the sentiment from the Godly Man stamp set, trim to a rectangle and mount onto black cardstock.  Add the sentiment to the card front using dimensional foam or chipboard for the area that is not attached to the main focal image.

Use an extra fine white paint pen to add highlights to the grass and finish off the card.

Stamp Sets: Country Road (Stampin’ Up!), Godly Man (Stamp Simply)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black;Tim Holtz™ Distress Oxide Inks- Tumbled Glass, Peacock Feathers, Hickory Smoke, Seedless Preserves; Extra Fine White Paint Pen

Cardstock/Paper:  Whisper White, Basic Black;  misc gray designer paper (not sure of manufacturer)

Accessories: Gemini, Jr™,  Woodgrain Textured Impressions™ Embossing Folder, MFT Stitched Rectangle A2 STAX Set 1,  Embossing Buddy®, Clear EP, Heat Tool, Acetate Envelope, Tim Holtz™ Water Spritzer, 1" Black Satin Ribbon 

I had fun creating this card and hope I have inspired you to get "inky" this week! 

Thanks again for taking the time to visit- I have been busy creating and plan on posting more cards shortly (I have 50+ card designs that I have created recently and not posted to my blog yet, yikes!!)!  Hugs and I hope you have a blessed week!