Creation Station September Hop--From Simple to Artfully Stepped Up

 

It's that time again--time for the monthly Creation Station Blog Hop.  Welcome!  We have really got some great inspiration for you today. We are creating simple cards, then artfully stepping them up.  Check out each Creation Station designer's blog by hopping using the "Next" link at the bottom of the blog post.  You'll be glad you did!!!

Just in case you didn't yet know this about me, I am totally inspired by the leaves of Fall--I walk my yard collecting fallen leaves to decorate my craft room and inspire me.  I love crunching leaves underfoot and "wading" in big piles of leaves --especially now that I have a grandson who wades right in with me even when the piles are over his head!  Leaves haven't started falling here yet, but I am totally inspired by the Gorgeous Leaves Bundle (#158609/includes Gorgeous Leaves stamp set, #153365 and Intricate Leaves dies, #153566, at 10% off).

For my projects today, I used Blackberry Bliss, Cherry Cobbler, and Cajun Craze as my leaf colors with Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake and Soft Suede as my neutrals.  I added Gold to my stepped up card.

My simple card features three maple leaves, one of each color stamped on Very Vanilla card stock and die cut.  They are arranged over a piece of Crumb Cake card stock that was stamped three times in Soft Suede with the timber grain background image from the stamp set. The greeting is from the Very Versailles stamp set (#149275).  It was stamped on a 5/8" strip of Very Vanilla card stock with Blackberry Bliss.  The ends were punched with the Banners Pick-a-Punch (#153608) to form a label.  The card base is Blackberry Bliss.

For my stepped up card, I used the Blackberry Bliss card stock as a layer and added a Crumb Cake card base.  Instead of using the timber grain stamp image, I embossed the Crumb Cake top layer with the Timber 3D embossing folder (#156406) inside of which I applied Soft Suede ink side before running the piece through the Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine.  This brought out the grain just a bit more. 

Most of the maple leaves arranged on the Crumb Cake layer were created with the three leaf colors, using refill inks dropped on a baby wipe as the stamp pad.  The mottled colored leaves are what I always see in my yard.  Three of the leaves were stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder (##155555, Metallics collection).

Instead of a punched label for the greeting, this greeting was fussy cut.  It is layered over a piece of Cherry Cobbler & Gold metallic ribbon (#156312).  Several Gilded Gems (#152478) complete this stepped up card.   

Now, let's head over to The Creative Teacup Blog and see what wonderful creations Yvonne has for us today!  

To Yvonne's blog . . . 

Enjoy the rest of the hop!

--Sara Nell

 

Always Thinking of You--#tgifc309

We have a "Designer Take Over" challenge this week at TGIF Challenges.  This month, the designer is Tanya Rees, who designs beautiful and fun cards. I always love her projects!  She challenges us to stamp our own designer series paper.  

I've been feeling a bit "vintage" this last week--my daughter turned 40 years old!  So I pulled out a favorite vintage-look stamp set, Very Versailles (#149275) and used the leaves image to create my designer series paper:

The leaves were stamped in Old Olive ink onto Very Vanilla card stock.  The background was then splattered with Champagne Mist shimmer paint (#147044, this is retiring and is now available only while supplies last).  

The ornate medallion piece was stamped twice using the Stamparatus (#146276).  First it was stamped in Soft Suede, then with Champagne Mist shimmer paint (it was sponged on to the cleaned stamp using a sponge dauber.)  If you look closely, I think you can see the shimmer--it's really pretty in person!  This was layered over a piece of Very vanilla scalloped lace trim (#149593).  

The greeting is also from the Very Versailles stamp set and was stamped in Soft Suede on a 5/8" strip of Very Vanilla card stock.  The ends were punched with the Banners Pick a Punch (#153607).   A layer of Old Olive card stock and a Very Vanilla Thick card base complete the card.

Head over to the TGIF Challenges Blog to see more wonderful stamped designer series paper.

Wishing you a joyful Easter celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

--Sara Nell

  

Always Thinking of You--#tgifc255

Today I have used the Forever Blossoms stamp set (#151457) paired with a greeting from Very Versailles stamp set (#149275) to create a card with a floral background.  I've been wanting to make a background with a simple blossom and leaf design for a while and  this week's TGIF Challenges sketch was the right inspiration to get me started.  Thanks, gals!

The blossom and leaf were stamped in Jet Black StazOn ink, then watercolored with an Aqua Painter (#103954) and Old Olive and Petal Pink ink.  Once the inks were dry, the background was watercolored with Pool Party.  The left-hand border was created with a piece of Petal Pink metallic-edge ribbon (#151594) and a scalloped border punched out of Old Olive card stock with the Decorative Ribbon Border punch (#143721).   These were adhered to the stamped piece with Tear & Tape adhesive and the finished piece was adhered to the Basic Black card base with Multipurpose Liquid glue. 

The greeting was stamped in Versamark and embossed with White Stampin' Emboss Powder.  It was adhered to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals. 

Check out other projects created using this sketch over at the TGIF Challenges Blog here.

Hope you are staying safe!

--Sara Nell

Creation Station September Blog Hop--His & Hers

Can it be September already?   Yes, it can!   And it's time for the Creation Station Blog Hop.  Our theme this month is "His & Hers".  The design team is designing two cards using the same layout, one for a guy and one for a gal.  There's lots of inspiration for you on the hop this week, so hop along using the "Next" button at the end of each blog. 

I have used a simple layout for my cards:  each has an embossed background layered on a coordinating piece of card stock and then on the card base.  There is a 1-1/2" strip of designer series paper layered on the front 1" from the left-hand side of the card.  Both cards have twine wrapped on the left-hand side of the designer series paper strip and metallic pearl accents.  The embossing folder for each card was inked on the inside before embossing the card stock to accent the embossed pattern:  Whisper White craft ink on the "His" card and Crumb Cake classic ink on the "Hers" card.

The "His" card features the Sailing Home stamp set, Smooth Sailing dies and the Come Sail Away designer series paper.  The background piece was embossed with the High Seas 3D embossing folder on Balmy Blue Card stock. The second layer is Night of Navy and the card base is Sahara Sand.  The lighthouse was stamped in Sahara Sand.  The sea plant is Sahara Sand and the wheel is Soft Suede.  The twine is Night of Navy/Sahara Sand baker's twine.  A bit of the Night of Navy from this twine was used to tie on the anchor trinket from the Sail Away Trinkets.  The greeting was stamped in Night of Navy on Whisper White card stock and fussy cut close to the letters.

The "Hers" card features elements from the Pressed Petals Suite:  Scripty 3D embossing folder, Pressed Petals specialty designer series paper, and the Pressed Petals Specialty Washi Tape.  The card base is Crumb Cake with layers of Mossy Meadow and Rococo Rose.  The Mossy Meadow twine is from the Magnolia Lane ribbon combo pack. The greeting is from Very Versailles stamp set and was stamped in Mossy Meadow ink on Crumb Cake and fussy cut close to the letters.   The Mossy Meadow leaves were punched out with the Sprig punch.  The vellum leaf was punched out of Old Olive Vellum from the Perennial Essence vellum card stock pack using the Leaf Punch.

Tips for the Flower:  I found it easiest to use my silicone craft sheet to arrange the flower petals from the Pressed Petals washi tape.  The petals stayed together much better when I used a glue dot on the tip of the petal as I arranged them in the flower shape.  Once the flower was completed I used my Embossing buddy to remove the sticky on the back outside edges of the flower so the flower would not flatten out on my card.   I used glue dots to adhere my flower to the card and a glue dot to adhere the Gold Faceted Gem to the center of the flower. 

Now let's head on over to Jennifer's blog to see what she has for us today--she' an amazing stamper!

To Jennifer's Blog . . .

Thanks for stopping by today!  I'd love to know what you think of my "His & Hers" creations!--Sara Nell