Together!

It's Tuesday, which means it's time to share a project created for Topflight Stamps. Apparently I'm still in a Valentine's Day mood and felt like match-making, so I joined the birdie on  Zinski Zini #28 Cling Mounted Stamp with the birdie on Zinski Zini #29 Cling Mounted Stamp by PaperArtsy. You've got agree that they make a cute couple! I added the hazard sign from the France Papillon #1 Cling Mounted Stamp Set because sometimes love requires caution. 

Topflight Products Used:

Zinski Zini #28 Cling Mounted Stamp by PaperArtsy 

Zinski Zini #29 Cling Mounted Stamp by PaperArtsy

France Papillon #1 Cling Mounted Stamp Set by PaperArtsy

Love Birds #155 Clear Stamp Set by AALL and Create

Hearts and Dots Stencil by Alexandra Renke

Periwinkle and Pink Jellybean Prism* Ink by Hunkydory Crafts

Onyx Black VersaFine™ by Tsukineko®

Blending Brushes by Time for Team Design

PSA: There are lots of fantastic new products at Topflight Stamps, so you should definitely click on over there after reading my instructions. especially since there are loads of new goodies. BTW, if you'd like to get 12% off your order at Topflight Stamps use THIS LINK!

Other Products Used:

Solar White Classic Crest® Cardstock by Neenah Papers

Avalanche Cardstock by Bazzill Basics Paper®

Tuxedo Black and London Fog Memento™ Inks by Tsukineko®

Copic® Markers:

   Birds: RV91, RV93, RV95, B91, B93, B95, B97, N3, N5, N7

   Bird's Cheeks: R32

   Flowers and Hearts: R32, R35, R39, R56, R59, R89

   Sign: N0, N1, N3, N4, R35, R39

Repositionable Label Paper by Avery®

Stamping Platform
STAY-tion by Wendy Vecchi for Ranger Industries
Scalloped Stitched Frame Die Set by Gina Marie Designs

Crystal Sparkly Embossing Powder by Stampendous!®

*Prism Ink stays wet longer than most dye inks which makes it highly blendable. You can also emboss with it. It's inexpensive, so you can have all the colors, which will make your "must have it all" self happy. 

Instructions:

1. The bird on the left (Zini #28) was stamped first onto the image panel, then onto label paper, which was fussy-cut and placed over the image to be used as a mask. 
2. Step #1 was repeated with the second bird (Zini #29) .
3.  The hazard sign was stamped onto the image panel to complete the scene. Then it too was stamped, fussy-cut, and used as a mask. Gosh. I'm so predictable. 
4. The image panel was placed onto the STAY-tion.
5. The Hearts and Dots Stencil was placed over the image panel and both were secured with magnets
6. The ruler was placed horizontally over the image panel and the stencil.
7. Pink Jellybean Prism* ink was brushed over the stencil,  Crystal Sparkly embossing powder was sprinkled over top, then heat embossed. You'll note that some of the dots around the hearts were uninked, I decided that was okay because perfection is overrated. 
8. Periwinkle Prism Ink was brushed over the the image panel.
9. The horizontal mask covering the bottom of the image was removed and grey ink was brushed over the masked image. I went with Memento ink because I wanted to use my Copics to add shadows.
10. All the masks were lifted and the images were colored with Copic markers. Shadows were added below the images.
11. Onyx Black VersaFine ink was used to stamp the combined sentiments from the Love Birds #155 Clear Stamp Set onto the bottom of the image panel. I used my stamping platform for this step. Please note that I should have done a better job of centering the sentiments, but that imperfection adds to the handmade charm of the card. Or that's what I'm telling myself.
12. The image panel was adhered to an A2 card that was created with Avalanche white cardstock.
13.  The other side of the Avalanche white cardstock was cut with the frame die-cut, which was used to frame the image panel and finish the card.

Thanks for visiting today!

Owl You Need Is Love!

It's Tuesday, which means it's time to share a project created for Topflight Stamps. Since it's February and Valentine's Day is rapidly approaching, I decided to make a Valentine's Day card using two of the six owls included in the Owl You Need is Love Clear Stamp Set #156 by AALL and Create. I created the background papers with colored cardstock, the Hearts and Dots Stencil by Alexandra Renke, and Periwinkle and Dusky Rose Prism Inks by Hunkydory Crafts.

Here's the card.

Here's a photo of the card laying flat on my table to show the shaker contents and to reduce the glare. Ordinarily, if I had problems with a photo, I'd go outside. Alas, we've had a blizzard and there's snow drifting against the front door.

Topflight Stamps Products Used:

Owl You Need is Love Clear Stamp Set #156 by AALL and Create

Hearts and Dots Stencil by Alexandra Renke

Onyx Black VersaFine™ Ink by Tsukineko®

Periwinkle and Dusky Rose Prism Inks by Hunkydory Crafts

3-D Adhesive Foam Roll by Hunkydory Crafts

Black Blending Brushes by Time for Tea Designs

Premier Blending Tool by Hunkydory Crafts

Premier Ink Blending Sponges by Hunkydory Crafts

PSA: There are lots of fantastic new products at Topflight Stamps, so you should definitely click on over there after reading my instructions! BTW, if you'd like to get 12% off your order at Topflight Stamps use THIS LINK!

Other Products Used:

Solar White Classic Crest® Cardstock by Neenah Papers

Tuxedo Black™ Memento Ink by Tsukineko®

Blue and Pink Cardstock by Bazzill Basics Paper®

Copic® Markers: 

   Owl Feathers: E30, E31, E33, E34, E35, E43, E44

   Owl Beak and Talons: Y21, Y26, Y28

   Owl Eyes: Y06, Y35, Y38, RY1

   Heart: R83, R85

Heart Nestabilities™ Die Set by Spellbinders®

Woodland Branch Die by Memory Box

Embossable Window Plastic by Judikins

Clear Detail Embossing Powder by Stampendous!®

Rainbow Heart Confetti by Kat Scrappiness

With Love Sparkle Blends by Doodles Paper Playground

Stamping Platform
STAY-tion by Wendy Vecchi for Ranger Industries

Instructions:

1. Choose two owls you want to use and stamp them with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink onto white cardstock. 
2. Fussy-cut both owls then color them with Copic markers. Edge the owls with a N7 marker and set aside. They'll be fine as they have each other for company.
3. Cut pieces of blue and pink cardstock to 6" square.
4. Use magnets to secure the Hearts and Dots Stencil onto the blue cardstock square on the STAY-tion.
5. Use a blending brush* to apply Periwinkle Prism ink over the stencil onto the blue cardstock. Remove the stencil and the cardstock from the STAY-tion. 
6. Clean the stencil and the STAY-tion.
7. Repeat steps #4 and #5 with a clean brush, pink cardstock, and Dusky Rose Prism ink.
8. Clean the stencil and the STAY-tion.
9. Trim the blue stenciled cardstock to 5.25" square. 
10. Use the Premier Blending Tool and Premier Ink Blending Sponges to edge the blue cardstock.**
11. Cut an aperture in the blue stenciled cardstock panel using a heart die.
12. Use magnets to secure heat embossable window plastic to the base of a stamping platform.
13. Use the heart-shaped aperture on the blue panel to determine the placement of the sentiment. Press the lid of the stamping platform onto the sentiment and lift the lid.
14. Remove the blue stenciled panel.
15. Ink the stamp with Onyx Black VersaFine Ink and stamp the sentiment onto the heat embossable window plastic panel. 
16. Sprinkle Clear Detail embossing powder over the wet ink, dump off the excess, and heat set.
17. Place the blue panel face down and apply adhesive around the heart shaped window.
18. Adhere the clear sentiment window to cover opening. 
19. Apply two layers of 3-D Adhesive Foam Roll around the heart shaped opening and add the shaker contents 
20. Lift the backs off the adhesive foam and seal the opening with the stenciled pink cardstock. 
21. Adhere the shaker panel to a 5.5" square blue card.
22. Cut a scrap of brown cardstock with the Woodland Branch die.
23. Adhere the branch die-cut as shown.
24. Adhere to two owls to finish the card.

*I find that blending brushes are wonderful to use to apply ink over stencils because they get into the smallest areas and don't get shredded by the stencil. They even hold up to metal stencils! 

**I like to use Blending Foam for edging because the tool and sponges give me a better result.

Thanks for visiting today!

Valentine Variations

Greetings! It's Tuesday, so it's my turn to share the projects I created for Topflight Stamps! I'm firmly in the Valentine's Day groove and have made a set of three cards that are a variation on a theme. They all  feature AALL and Create's screamingly cute Love Birds, Paper Rose Studio's' Scalloped Rectangle Frame die set, Hunkydory Crafts' Prism Inks, and my poor neglected  5x7 Gel Press.

Here are all three cards together.

Here's the Love Birds Penguin card, which also uses the Grid of Hearts stencil by Alexandra Renke.

The Together Cat card.

The XOXO Owl card.

Topflight Stamps Products Used:

Love Birds Clear Stamp Set by AALL and Create

Scalloped Rectangle Frame die set by Paper Rose Studio

Grid of Hearts stencil by Alexandra Renke

5x7 Gel Press

Blue Ombre, French Navy, Nautical Blue,  Purple Velvet, Dusky Rose, Rainforest Green, Evergreen, and Arctic Mist Prism Ink pads by Hunkydory Crafts

2" Brayer  by Speedball®

Onyx Black VersaFine™ Ink by Tsukineko®

Other Products Used:

Solar White Classic Crest® Cardstock by Neenah Papers

Avalanche White Cardstock by Bazzill Basics Paper®

140 lb. Mixed Media paper by Strathmore®

Kitten Smitten 6x6 pad by Doodlebug Designs Inc.™

Tuxedo Black Memento™ Ink by Tsukineko®

Stormy Sky Tim Holtz® Distress® Ink by Ranger Industries

Copic® Markers:

   Penguins: N6, N7, N8, C00, C0, B60,

   Cats (colored to look like my babies): C00, C0, C1, C2, C3, R81, B60, BV0000, BG00, BG01, B00, B01

   Owls: E70, E71, E74, E77, E79, E81, E84, E87, R2, Y23, Y35, Y38

Green Bice and Grass Green Chalk Pencils by General's® Pencil Company

Branch Die

Circle Nestabilities® Die Set by Spellbinders®

White Blizzard Nuvo Drops by Tonic Studios

5x7 Perfectly Clear Acrylic Handle by Stampendous®

4" Brayer by Speedball®

Self-Adhesive Removable 8.5" x 11" Labels by Avery®*

STAY-tion™ by Ranger Industries

Stamping Platform

Removable Scotch Tape by 3M 

*The packet of these labels contains 25 8.5" x 11" sheets that make cost-effective masks!

Instructions: 

1. To create the card bases for all three cards, trim three sheets of Avalanche White cardstock to 8" x 5.75", score at 4", and fold. 
2. Use the larger of the two dies included in the Scalloped Rectangle Frame set to cut Avalanche White cardstock twice and the paw print 6x6 patterned paper once.
3. Set aside the cards and the die-cuts.

Penguin Card Instructions:

1. Using Memento ink, stamp the penguin pair onto 140 lb. Mixed Media paper and onto the label paper.
2. Fussy-cut the label version and adhere atop the penguins on the image panel.
3. Adhere a strip of removable Scotch Tape over the base of the card.
4. Place the 5x7 Gel Press on top of the 5x7 Clear Acrylic Handle.
5. Brayer Stormy Sky Distress ink onto the 5x7 Gel Press. 
6. Use the Gel Press as a stamp to stamp the background onto the masked penguin image panel. Carefully separate the Gel Press from the image panel, spritz lightly with water, and heat set.
7. Secure the image panel and the Grid of Hearts stencil to the STAY-tion with magnets then randomly sponge Dusky Rose Prism ink over the Grid of Hearts stencil onto the image panel, starting between the penguins and continuing upwards.
8. Keeping the mask over the penguins, remove the Scotch Tape strip along the base of the image panel.
9. Sponge Arctic Mist over the penguins feet to the bottom of the image panel.
10. Remove the mask from the penguins and realize that the ink bled a little around the penguins' feet. Oops.
11. Color the image with Copic markers.
12. Secure the image panel onto the base of the stamping platform with magnets, position the sentiment as desired, lift the handle, ink the stamp with Onyx Black VersaFine ink, and stamp the sentiment. 
13. Coat the base of the card, including the penguins' feet, with White Blizard Nuvo Drops and let dry several hours. Move on to the next card. 

Cat Card Instructions:

1. Stamp the cats onto Neenah cardstock using Tuxedo Black Memento ink, color the cats with Copic markers to look like your cats, fussy-cut, edge with a dark marker, and set aside.
2. Brayer Ombre Blues Prism ink to the top part of the Gel Press to create the sky.
3. Brayer Rainforest and Evergreen Prism ink to the bottom part of the Gel Press to create grass.
4. Place Mixed Media cardstock onto the Gel Press and pull a print to create a background.
5. Use the two green chalk pencils to add some dimension to the grassy area.
6. Secure the image panel onto the base of the stamping platform with magnets. position the sentiment as desired, lift the handle, ink the stamp with Onyx Black VersaFine ink, and stamp the sentiment. 
7. Color the center of the hearts with the Copic marker(s) that match the background.
8. Adhere the cats to the image panel.

Owl Card Instructions:

1. Stamp the cats onto Neenah cardstock using Tuxedo Black Memento ink, color the cats with Copic markers to look like your cats, fussy-cut, edge with a dark marker, and set aside.
2. Cut a circle from white cardstock using one of the Circle Nestabilities dies to create the moon.
3. Use Dusky Rose ink to stamp the hearts onto the moon.
4. Cut a branch from a scrap of brown cardstock.
5. Brayer Purple Velvet, Nautical Blue, and French Navy Prism inks onto the Gel Press. 
6. Place Mixed Media cardstock onto the Gel Press and pull a print to create a night sky background. 
7. Contemplate adding a spray of stars with white acrylic paint. Decide against it.
8. Use Purple Velvet and Nautical Blue ink to randomly stamp xoxo and "Hugs and Kisses" onto the image panel.
9. Adhere the moon, branch, and owls to the image panel.

To Complete the cards:

1. Secure each image panel behind the openings of the Scalloped Frames die-cuts.
2. Adhere the combined Scalloped Frames/image panels to the card front positioning them close to the top and fold of the card.
3. Trim.

Thanks for visiting today and reading all the above! You're a trooper!

Love Letters!

Valentine's Day is rapidly approaching, so it's time to get busy making love-themed cards so that you can get them in the mail to arrive on time. 

That's just what Mr. Fox is doing in my card using the Fox Mail unmounted rubber stamp by Katzelkraft which you can find out Topflight Stamps!

Topflight Stamps Products Used:

Fox Mail Unmounted Rubber Stamp by Katzelkraft

The Grid of Hearts Stencil by Alexandra Renke

Periwinkle Prism Ink by Hunkydory Crafts

Pink Jellybean Prism Ink by Hunkydory Crafts

Premier Ink Blending Tool by Hunkydory Crafts

Other Products Used:

Solar White Classic Crest® Cardstock by Neenah Papers

Tuxedo Black Memento™ by Tsukineko®

Copic® Markers:

   Mailbox: E04, R43, R46, R59, RV42, Y11, Y21, 23, Y26, Y28

   Fox: E11, E13, E15, E17, YR20, YR21, YR30

Prismacolor® Premier Pencils by Newell Office Brands

   Deco Blue (PC1015), Burnt Ochre (PC943), Terra Cotta (PC944) Sienna Brown (PC945), Golden Rod (PC1034), 10% French Grey (PC1068), 20% French Grey (PC1069), 30% French Grey (PC1070), 50% French Grey (PC1072), 50% Cool Grey (PC1063)

Prismacolor® Premier Colorless Blender Marker by Newell Office Brands

Masking Magic™ By Gina K Designs™/Thermoweb

Love Me 6x6 Patterned Paper Pad by My Mind's Eye Paper Goods

Red Cardstock by Bazzill Basics

Envelope Die by QuicKutz

Removable Scotch® Tape by 3M

Instructions: 

1. Cut a piece of dark red 12x12 cardstock in half. Score one piece in half and fold to form a 6" square card.
2. Stamp the image using Memento ink onto white cardstock and color using Copic markers. 
3. After coloring the mailbox with the dreaded red Copic markers and be all happy, realize that one of your E markers has gone gummy and messed up your coloring.
4. Try to repair your coloring with the colorless blender. 
5. Epic fail.
6. Decide to try to repair your wrecked fox using Prismacolor pencils, especially because you had just organized your colored pencils so you can actually use them. Serendipity for the win! 
7. Blend out the colored pencils using a Prismacolor colorless blender.
8. Stamp the image onto Masking Magic, fussy-cut, and adhere over the image to mask it.
9. Apply Removable Scotch Tape along the base of the image.
10. Sponge Periwinkle Prism ink over the masked image onto the image panel.
11. Place the Grid of Hearts stencil onto the inked image panel.
12. Randomly sponge Periwinkle Prism ink over the stencil to add subtle hearts.
13. Randomly sponge Pink Jellybean Prism ink over stencil. This will blend with the blue hearts in some places and add pink hearts in other places.
14. Trim the image panel and mat with dark red cardstock cut from the other half of the 12x12 sheet cut previously.
15. Trim 'xoxo' patterned paper .5" larger than the red cardstock, edge with a pink marker, and use to mat the image panel.
16. Cut another piece of dark red cardstock slightly larger than the xoxo piece. and adhere the image to it forming a triple mat. 
17. Cut the red 'love' paper to 5.75" square. Edge with a dark red marker and adhere to the 6" square card.
18. Adhere the image panel as shown.
19. Die-cut the polka-dot patterned paper with the Envelope die three times, fold down the flaps, and edge with a dark grey marker.
20. Use the same die to cut three hearts from a leftover scrap of the dark red cardstock.
21. Adhere the hearts to the envelopes.
22. Adhere the envelopes to the card to finish it up.

Thanks for visiting today!