Be Kind

Greetings! It's Saturday, so it's time to share a project created for Funky Fossil Designs! I am an aging hippie who likes to make encouragement cards, so I decided to make one with the Feeling Groovy Bundle, which includes the A5 Hippy Chick Clear Stamp Set (out of stock on its own), the Feeling Groovy 6x6 Patterned Paper Pad, and the Stay Groovy 6x6 Stencil. This bundle is a fabulous deal at £20. 

Here it is!

Products Used:

Feeling Groovy Bundle by Funky Fossil Designs

Solar White Classic Cardstock by Neenah Papers

Black Textured Cardstock by Bazzill Basics

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Copic Markers: 

 Skin: BV000, BV0000, E21, E11, E000

 Cheeks: R20

 Hair Y23, Y21, Y11

 Dress: V25, V22, B14, B12, B02, RV34, RV32

 Hamsa: Y38, Y35, Y23, Y21, Y11, YR02, V25, V22, B14, B12

 Touch-ups: N6, N4

VersaFine Clair Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

White Gelly Roll Gel Pen by Sakura

Black Prisma Marker by Sakura

Low-tack Tape

Glassboard by Glassboard Studios

Stamping Platform

Instructions:

1. Create an A6 card from black textured cardstock and set aside.
2. Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink to stamp the hippy chick and the hamsa from the A5 Hippy Chick Clear Stamp Set included in the Feeling Groovy Bundle.
3. Fussy-cut both images and color with Copic markers.
4. Use the N6 and N4 Copic markers to touch up the stamping if needed.
5. Use a white Gelly Roll gel pen to add a highlight to the Hamsa's eye.
6. Edge both images with the Black Prisma Pen.
7. Cut ⅞" off of both sides of the peace symbol patterned paper from the Feeling Groovy 6x6 Patterned Paper Pad which should make your patterned paper background panel measure 4¼" x 6". 
8. Place the background paper onto the base of a stamping platform and secure with magnets and/or low-tack tape.
9. Position the "be kind" sentiment stamp facedown on the upper left and the flower/heart stamp facedown halfway down the right side of the background panel. 
10. Press the platform's lid onto the back of the stamp, lift the lid, ink the stamps with Nocturne VersaFine Ink, and stamp. Re-ink and stamp if needed to achieve a good impression.
11. Clean and dry the flower/heart stamp and reposition it facedown towards the bottom of the background panel.
12. Press the platform's lid onto the back of the stamp, lift the lid, ink the stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Ink, and stamp. Re-ink and stamp if needed to achieve a good impression.
13. Edge the background panel with Nocturne VersaFine Ink and stamp.
14. Adhere the background panel to the reserved black card.
15. Adhere the colored, fussy-cut hippy chick and hamsa images as shown to finish the card.

Thanks for visiting today!

A Halloween Memory-Dex Album Tutorial — Part 2, the Sequel

As promised, I'm back with the sequel to Tuesday's tutorial created for Topflight Stamps which showed how I created the front cover, inside front cover, and inside back cover of a Halloween Memory Dex Album which was made with a Black AALL and Create Memory Dex Album Cover. Today's tutorial will share how I created the back cover and spine of my album.

Here's the back cover!

Here's the spine!

Topflight Stamps Products Used:

Undecorated Black Square Album Cover by AALL and Create
Boosentials Clear Stamp Set 1203 by AALL and Create
Be Witchingly Clear Stamp Set 950 by AALL and Create

Hocus Pocus Clear Stamp Set 570 by AALL and Create

Ephemera Die-cuts 21 Pumps and Skulls by AALL and Create

Boo Washi Tape 65 by AALL and Create

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Nocturne, Blue Belle, Medieval Blue, Purple Delight, Avocado, and Shady Lane VersaFine Clair Inks by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Premier Ink Blending Tool by Hunkydory Crafts
Essential Metallic Colorista Markers by Spectrum Noir

Other Products Used:
Solar White Classic Crest Cardstock by Neenah Papers

Olo Markers: V2.7, V2.6, V2.4 (Hat)

Copic Markers:

 Hat: N7, N6, Y28, Y26, y23, Y21,Y06

 Ghosts: B60, B21, <B21, BV000, BV0000, C0, C00

 Eyeball: R02, R00, YG95, YG91, YG23

 Window Frame: C4, C3, C2, C1, C0, C00

 Window Panes (top part of window): B39, B29, B18

 Outside of Ephemera:  B29

Small Curved Tip Scissors by Fiskar's

Finger-tip Detail Craft Knife by Fiskar's

Black Pigma Marker by Sakura

Low-tack Tape

Curved Border Die: Source Unknown

Craft Mat

Low-tack Tape

Repositionable Sticker Paper

Stamping Platform

Instructions:

Step 1:

Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink to stamp the witch hat from the Hocus Pocus Clear Stamp Set 570 , the potion bottle, and both ghosts from the Boosentials Clear Stamp Set 1203 onto white cardstock. Stamp the ghost pair two more times so you end up with six ghosts.

Step 2: 

Fussy-cut all the images.

Step 3:

Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink to stamp the eyeball from the Be Witchingly Clear Stamp Set 950  twice — once onto white cardstock and once onto repositionable sticker paper. Fussy-cut the sticker paper version.

Step 4:

Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink to stamp the window from the Boosentials Clear Stamp Set 1203 onto white cardstock.

Step 5:

Use the finger-tip craft knife and scissors to fussy-cut the window as shown.

Step 6:

Use Copic markers to color the witch hat, all six ghosts, the eyeball panel, and the window. Use a black marker to edge them all. Sorry that there's no photo.

Step 7:
Use the B29 Copic marker to edge the flowers selected from the Ephemera Die-cuts 21 Pumps and Skulls set. No photo again. Oopsie.

Step 8:

Adhere the repositionable sticker eyeball over its counterpart as a mask. 

Sponge Blue Belle VersaFine Clair Ink over the masked eyeball onto the small panel and onto a 4.825" x 4.25" piece of white cardstock.

Sponge Medieval Blue then Purple Delight VersaFine Clair Inks over the larger panel, blending as you go to create the background panel for the back cover. Heat set when done.

Step 9:

Use a wavy border die to cut white cardstock. Another missed photo op!

Step 10:

Sponge Shady Lane VersaFine Clair Ink onto the wavy die-cut. Sponge Avocado VersaFine Clair Ink over the die-cut and blend. Heat set.

Step 11:

Adhere the wavy green die-cut to the base of the blue background panel.

Remove the mask from the eyeball panel. Adhere the colored window over the eyeball panel so that the eyeball is in the bottom part of the window. 

Adhere all the elements to the background panel.

Step 12:

Adhere the assembled background panel to the back cover of the album. Yep. No photo.

Step 13:

Cut a piece of black cardstock to 2" x 4.25". Layer the Boo Washi Tape 65 over the black cardstock, wrapping it around the back. Use red-liner tape and glue to adhere this piece to the spine.

Thanks for visiting today!

Color Combo Challenge 198

Greetings! I'm sharing a card created for Lost Coast Portal to Creativity's June 2025 Color Combo Challenge 198. There are two options for this challenge. You can use Lime, Lemon, and Black or Terracotta, Turquoise and Black. This time I opted to use Terracotta and Turquoise with the Mini Butterfly Collage Rubber Stamp by Lost Coast Designs.

Here it is!

Products Used:

Mini Butterfly Collage Rubber Stamp by Lost Coast Designs

Solar White Classic Crest Cardstock by Neenah Papers

Terra Cotta and Rust Textured Cardstocks by Bazzill Basics

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Copic Markers: 

 Building: E27, E15, E13, E11, C4, C3,C2, C0, Y26, Y23

 Butterfly: BG57, BG49, BG45, BG34, BG23, BG09

Die Set Unknown: I wished that all companies would mark the dies!

Turquoise Vintage Double Dot Patterned Paper by BoBunny

Glassboard by Glassboard Studios

Stamping Platform

Instructions:

1. Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink to stamp the Mini Butterfly Collage Rubber Stamp onto white cardstock.
2. Color the scene with Copic markers.
3. Use a scalloped rectangle die to cut terracotta cardstock.
4. Use the coordinating plain rectangle die to cut rust cardstock.
5. Mat the image panel with the scalloped rectangle die-cut, then adhere to the plain rectangle die-cut.
6. Cut a piece of Turquoise Vintage Double Dot patterned paper to 5.25" x 4" to create the background layer.
7. Color some of the tan accents with the E13 Copic marker to make the patterned paper match the image panel better.
8. Edge the patterned paper with the E13 marker to eliminate those nasty white edges.
9. Adhere the matted image panel to the patterned paper.
10. Adhere the background to a rust A2 card.

You still have lots of time to participate in Lost Coast Portal to Creativity's June 2025 Color Combo Challenge 198. I hope to see your art there!

Thanks for visiting today!

A Halloween Memory-Dex Album Tutorial — Part 1

Greetings! It's Topflight Tuesday! This week the team's focus is on AALL and Create's wonderful products. AALL and Create has many wonderful Memory Dex Die Sets and black, white, and kraft Album Covers, so I decided it was time to share a two-part tutorial showing how to create and decorate a Halloween-themed Memory Dex album! 

Here's the cover!

Here's a photo of the inside of the album that shows the inside front and back covers and the first page of the album, which I shared on October 14, 2024.

Topflight Products Used:

Undecorated Black Square Album Cover by AALL and Create

Dotted Love Die Set DI-82 by AALL and Create

Dreamy Manor Die Set 66 by AALL and Create

Dee of Darkness Clear Stamp Set 1198 by AALL and Create

House of Faces Clear Stamp Set 1053 by AALL and Create

Boosentials Clear Stamp Set 1203 by AALL and Create

Cobweb Stencil 144 by AALL and Create

Premier Ink Blending Tool by Hunkydory Crafts

Nocturne, Blue Belle, Medieval Blue, Tulip Red, and Strawberry VersaFine Clair Inks by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Essential Metallic Colorista Markers by Spectrum Noir

Other Products Used:
Solar White Classic Crest Cardstock by Neenah Papers

Raven (black) and Ash (grey) Textured Cardstock by Bazzill Basics

Copic Markers: YG61, YG63, E21, E23, E25, E29, E44, E47, E55, Y32, R02, T2, T3, T4, W0, W3, W5

Crafting Glue

Low-Tack Tape

Craft Mat

New Canvas Palette Hybrid Ink by Stewart Superior

Circle Punch

Repositionable Sticker Paper

White Uni-Posca Acrylic Paint Marker by Mitsubishi Pencils

White Gelly Roll Gel Pen by Sakura

Silver Metallic Gel Pen by Pentel

Yellow Patterned Paper: Source unknown

Glassboard by Glassboard Studios

Stamping Platform

If I were you, I'd go grab a cup of something caffeinated or leisurely because my tutorials are verbose!

Instructions:

Here's a photo of the package and the album itself.

Step 1:

Cut a black cardstock to 3" x 4". Score at .75", 1.5", and 2.25". Fold on the middle (1.5") score line to make a mountain fold. Fold at the .75 and 2.25" score lines to make valley folds.

Step 2: 

Fold the piece created in Step 1 in half. Place the fold butting up to (but not over) the cutting edge of largest die from the Dotted Love Die Set DI-82. Use low-tack tape to secure the die to the cardstock as shown on the photo. Note that the photo has a gap between the edge of the die and that there is a gap where the cutting edge of the die meets the cardstock. The cutting edge of the die is against the craft mat on this photo.

Run the cardstock/die combo through your die-cut machine twice to make sure that the "dex" notches are cut.

 

Step 3:

Add liquid glue to the center portion of the die-cut as shown above. 

Step 4:

Press the two sides together to form a notched ridge which will become the binding for the album.

Step 5: 

Add red-liner tape to the center of the back of die-cut. Apply glue to the rest of the back, then adhere to the inside spine of the album.

Step 6:

Cut two pieces of grey cardstock to 4.75" x 4.125". Place the Cobweb Stencil 144 onto the cardstock. Use a Premier Ink Blending Tool to sponge white ink over the stencil onto the grey cardstock. Repeat for the second piece. Edge the panels with the white ink, then. heat set.

Step 7:

Place one of the panels onto the base of a stamping platform and secure with magnets and/or low-tack tape. Place the spiders from the Dee of Darkness Clear Stamp Set 1198 facedown on the image panel. Press the lid of the stamping platform onto the spider stamps and lift. Ink the stamps with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink, and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again if necessary to attain a good impression.

Clean and dry the spider stamps and re-position them facedown on the panel. Press the lid of the stamping platform onto the spider stamps and lift. Ink the stamps with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink, and stamp.

Repeat the above with the second stenciled grey panel. When done, heat set both panels. 

Step 8:

Use a stippling brush to stipple Nocturne, Tulip Red, and Strawberry VersaFine Clair Inks to create some splatter, spotches, and spatter to add visual interest. Heat set when done.

Step 9:

Adhere both spider web panels to the inside covers of the album. 

Step 10:

Cut white cardstock to 4.825" x 4.25". Use a circle punch or die to cut a circle from repositionable sticker paper and adhere to the top right of the panel as a mask. Use a Premier Ink Blending Tool to sponge Blue Belle VersaFine Clair Ink onto the white cardstock. Use another Premier Ink Blending Tool to sponge Medieval BluVersaFine Clair Ink around the edges. Repeat sponging with Blue Belle VersaFine Clair Ink to blend the inks a bit more.

Step 11: 

Use the Dreamy Manor Die Set 66 to cut white cardstock.

Step 12: 

Trim the bottom part off of the die-cut. Cut a strip of white cardstock to 4.825" x .25" and color with T3 and T4 Copic markers. Set aside. Color the haunted house die-cut with Copic markers. Add some splotches of odd colors to shab it up. 

Use the gold Essential Metallic Colorista Markers to color the metal fence on the left. Use a white Posca paint pen to fix any glaring bits to the white woodwork of the house. Use a silver metallic gel pen to add nails to the boards over the window and door.

Step 13:

Lightly trace the house onto yellow patterned paper and cut it unfussily. Place the yellow paper onto the base of a stamping platform secured with low-tack tape. Place the house over the yellow paper. 

Position the cat from the House of Faces Clear Stamp Set 1053 so that it appears in a window. Press the lid of the platform onto the back of the cat stamp and lift. Remove the house and add magnets to secure the yellow paper. Ink the cat stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again to achieve a good impression.

Clean and dry the stamp. Place the house back over the yellow paper. Position the cat again so that he's in another window. Press the lid of the platform onto the back of the cat stamp and lift. Remove the house and add magnets to secure the yellow paper. Ink the cat stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again to achieve a good impression. 

Repeat this process to stamp a third cat because three's the charm. Heat set the yellow paper and set it aside.

Step 14:

Place the blue cardstock panel from Step 10 onto the base of a stamping panel and secure with magnets. Remove the mask from the moon.

Place the bat cluster stamp from the Boosentials Clear Stamp Set 1203 facedown over the moon on the blue panel. Press the lid of the stamping platform onto the bat cluster stamp, and lift. Ink the bat cluster stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink, and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again if necessary to attain a good impression.

Clean and dry the stamp. Repeat the above twice more to create a batty scene.

Step 15: 

Adhere the house die-cut over the yellow cat stamped background. Adhere the grey strip from Step 12 to the base of the panel. Adhere the house over it.

If you've made it this far, kudos!

I'll be back on Thursday with Part Two of the tutorial, which will cover the spine and the back cover, plus the creation of additional Memory Dex cards to add to the album!