You’re such a sweet friend {Purple Onion Designs}

Hi, crafty friends. I have a fun card to share today featuring Flappy’s Watermelon Chill from the new Tofu & Friends Summer Fun collection from Purple Onion Designs, illustrated by Pei.

I colored the image with Copics, fussy cut right up against the black lines and put the image aside while I worked on the rest of my card. I used the second largest die in the Watercolor Rectangle STAX die set from My Favorite Things to cut my white panel down with a fun border. I also used a small circle die to cut a hole behind where I wanted the image to go, as this is a pendulum card. The watermelon rocks back and forth when you tilt the card, which adds a fun element to an otherwise simple design. I stamped part of the sentiment from the Friendly Warm Wishes sentiment set, which is also new with this release, using Parsley ink from Concord & 9th, and filled in the center of the sentiment with letters I die cut using the Parker alphabet die set from Memory Box. It’s an older die set, but I love the sans serif design of the letters.

I used a strip of acetate with a washer at one end to create my pendulum mechanism. On the other end of the acetate strip, I added a button. I lined up my acetate piece on the back of my white die cut panel so the button would go through the hole and adhered the image to the button using liquid glue. I put foam tape on the back of the panel, making sure to leave enough open space for the pendulum to swing freely, then adhered everything to a top fold note card I created from Fire Coral cardstock from My Favorite Things, which is the same color cardstock that I used for the die cut letters. To finish off the card, I added sequins from the Waterfall mix from Little Things from Lucy’s Cards, making sure to place the top ones so Flappy wouldn’t catch when he rocks. Of course, you can’t see him rock in still photos, but if you head to my post on Instagram, you can see him in action.

Simple color palette for this one.

The entire Tofu & Friends Summer Fun collection, with a coordinating sentiment set, is available as a discounted bundle over at Purple Onion Designs. The bundled set is discounted 30 % off the regular price and is available until Saturday, June 15th 2024, so if you’d like to purchase Flappy and a whole bunch of other cute characters, you can save big if you hurry.

You are loved {Rachelle Anne Miller Creative Studios}

Hi, crafty friends. There’s a new image out from Rachelle Anne Miller, and this is Summer Rain, a real cute one. She’s got several large images like this, they usually have a bunch of flowers and some fairies. This one has the little fairy hugging a duck as they’re both sheltering from the rain under a flower, and it’s just so sweet.

The RAM Stamps digital images always come in sets of two, where one has black lines and the other has grey lines to make it easier to print images for no line coloring. I wanted to change things up for this card and decided to pair the two versions. I layered them in Photoshop (the black lined one on top) and erased the background in the black lined version, only keeping the lines for the duck, the fairy and the large flower. I kept the no line version intact and printed my image. This way, I had dark lines for the focal point and soft grey for the remaining scene. I love the look of this.

I colored the part of the image that had the black lines using Copics, keeping the rest uncolored. I stamped a sentiment from the Itty Bitty Gifting stamp set from My Favorite Things directly on the panel using Obsidian ink from Altenew, then added a hugs word above, created using the Sweet Sentiments die set, also from Altenew. I die cut a few from white and one from a piece I’d colored with one of the Copics I used for the image. I still had the sentiment stamp mounted in my Misti, so I could stamp on top of the die cut for a continuous sentiment. I cut my panel down slightly and adhered it to a panel of Wildberry cardstock from Concord and 9th, adhered it all to a white card base and finished off the card with a few sequins from the Starry Night mix from Little Things from Lucy’s Cards.

The image is simple, but I still went overboard with the coloring for this. It happens.

Happy birthday {Rachelle Anne Miller Creative Studios}

Hi, crafty friends. I have a fun birthday card to share today, featuring the Happy Birthday Creator – Numbers stamp set from Rachelle Anne Miller.

The set includes the numbers from 0 to 9, as well as accent images. I created a background from the numbers, and added flowers, a bird and a few other things.

I chose a very limited amount of Copic markers and colored the number in. I didn’t do any blending, this is all flat color. I added a little bit of shadow to the numbers and colored the flowers and small critters in the same colors, which is why the bird is light green and the bee is red and pink instead of the traditional yellow and black.

I adhered my panel directly to a card base. I also stamped and white heat embossed a sentiment from the Bitty Birthday Wishes stamp set from My Favorite Things onto True Black cardstock from Papertrey Ink. I added some dimension behind the sentiment strip, adhered it to the card and finished off with sequins from the Starry Night mix from Little Things from Lucy’s Cards.

The little bit of lift behind the sentiment makes it stand out even more. It also helps that it’s black. I paired the card with an envelope from Altenew. The Pink Diamond color matches the light pink in my coloring.

Very very simple color palette for this one.

I hope you have a great day {Amanda Jayne Designs}

Hi, crafty friends. I have a sweet, simple card to share today featuring this bear in pot of lilies image from Amanda Jayne Designs.

I colored the image and fussy cut, leaving a bit of a white trim around the edge, before putting it aside while I worked on the rest of my card. Onto a top fold white card base, I ink blended Scattered Straw Distress ink in a gradient from the bottom, fading into white. I wanted a little more oomph and went in just at the bottom with Mustard Seed, which is a little bit darker. I used the Sweet hello die from My Favorite Things to die cut hello four times from white cardstock, which I stacked for dimension.

Onto a piece of Berry Sorbet cardstock from Papertrey Ink, I stamped and white heat embossed a sentiment from the Pristine Peonies stamp set from Altenew. I cut it down to a strip, added a few additional strips behind it and started assembling my card. I put foam tape on the back of the image and adhered it so a little bit of it hangs off the edge, adhered my stacked hello die cut partly on top of the pot, partly directly on the card base, and then the sentiment strip on top of the die cut. I like when it’s all connected like this, it makes for a more cohesive design than if I were to add the sentiment strip below the hello. To finish off, I added a few sequins here and there from the White Orchid Sequin mix from Little Things from Lucy’s Cards.

Simple color palette for this one.

Bunny Hugs {Lili of the Valley}

Hi, crafty friends. I have a sweet card to share with you today, featuring this cute Two Little Bunnies image from Lili of the Valley. This is a digital stamp, but there’s also a clear stamp version in the recently released Spring Sweeties stamp set.

I separated the image into two, so I could create staggered postage stamps on my final card. I colored the images with Copics, and used the Postage Collage die from Waffle Flower to turn them into postage stamps. I also die cut a third postage stamp and stamped the sentiment in the center of it using Obsidian ink from Altenew. The sentiment itself is from the Easter Bunnies stamp set from Simon Hurley. Once I knew the sentiment was dry, I masked off the edges of the postage stamp and ink blended the center rectangle using Grapefruit ink from Concord & 9th.

I cut down a sheet of Powder cardstock from Concord & 9th to fit the front of an A2 card, and used the Linen & Canvas impression plate from Papertrey Ink to add some subtle texture to the background. I adhered it to a white top fold card base and arranged my postage stamps, adding various thicknesses of dimension behind each for some interest, before finishing off with a few pearls from Little Things from Lucy’s Cards.

I realize now that I’m missing a few colors in this graphic. I used RV42, R11 and YR000 for the peachy pink.

Celebrate {Rachelle Anne Miller Creative Studios}

Hi, crafty friends. Today is the first Friday of the month, which means it’s RAM Stamps release day. This month’s release is a birthday creator set. If you’re not familiar with the creator sets, they contain lots of different images that you can put together to create different scenes. There are so many options, the sky’s the limit for these. I chose to use this Balloon stamp only for this card, but do know there are lots of other images to choose from in this release.

I printed the image fairly small, I wanted it to fit the width of a portrait style A2 sized card. I colored the image with my Copics, going in somewhat of a rainbow order.

I covered the front of a card base with a piece of pink patterned paper with hearts. I don’t know where this patterned paper is from, it came in a mystery box from Simon Says Stamp a few years ago. I think it might be Doodlebug, based on some of the other patterns in the pack, but I’m not sure.

Above and below my colored piece, I added thin strips of Gold Shine cardstock from My Favorite Things, before mounting it all on foam tape near the top of the card.

I used the Sweet Sentiments die set from Altenew to  die cut the word celebrate. I die cut four out of white cardstock and one from the gold shine cardstock I used for the strips. I stacked them all together for dimension, and adhered the sentiment onto the balloon strings, before finishing off the card with a few sequins from the Heaven Sent mix from Little Things from Lucy’s Cards.

Happy color palette.

P.S. I apologize for the stray hair in the background on the flatlay photos, I didn’t notice it until I wrote this post. #keepingitreal

Thanks a million {Purple Onion Designs}

Hi, crafty friends. I’m sharing a simple card today, featuring Flowers from Tofu from the most recent release from Purple Onion Designs, illustrated by Pei.

I colored Tofu with Copics and fussy cut him leaving a thin white border. Onto my card base I stamped the Touch of Texture background stamp from My Favorite Things in VersaMark ink, sprinkled on Iridescent Sparkle embossing powder from JudiKins and heat embossed for a subtle texture on the white card base.

I wanted an angled panel near the bottom of my card, so I stamped a sentiment from the Bitty Thanks & Gratitude stamp set from My Favorite Things, using Sour Apple ink on Sour Apple cardstock, both from My Favorite Things. I glued a piece of patterned paper below it and mounted it to my card base. I wish I remember where this patterned paper was from, but it came in a mystery box from Simon Says Stamp and there was no label on the packaging, so I don’t know. I put my little cat on foam tape and finished off with a few sequins from the Waterfall mix from Little Things from Lucy’s Cards.

I love these bright, happy colors together.

Hello {Mo’s Digital Pencil}

Hi, crafty friends. I have a sweet card to share today featuring Amanita from Mo Manning. I love Mo’s fairies, and I’ve used this one before – on this card. This time, I flipped the image so she’s facing the other direction, it’s one of the advantages of using digital stamps.

I colored the image with my Copics, cut my panel way down and even cut a little bit around the image for a fun effect.

I decided to cover the card base with patterned paper. This one is from Waffle Flower, it’s from their dot pattern in the Christmas color scheme. It’s not too distracting, the colors work well with the colors I’ve used and the dots work well with this amanita mushroom hat.

I mounted the panel with my image using foam tape and adhered it left of center on the card, so a little bit of the patterned paper would peek out on the right, and a lot of it would peek out on the left.

I die cut the word hello from the Sweet Sentiments die set from Altenew using Pure Poppy cardstock from Papertrey Ink. I die cut four layers and stacked them together for dimension. This is a very fine lined die cut, and I’ve found that using microdot adhesive is a good way to go. Even liquid glue in a fine tip bottle will ooze out the sides on this one, it’s so fine.

I finished off with a few pearls from the Glossy Porcelain mix from Little Things from Lucy’s Cards.

This is such a bright, happy color palette.

For you {Streamside Studios}

Hi, crafty friends. I have some chocolate for you today. Well, a paper chocolate, featuring the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cows digi stamp set from Streamside Studios. This set has five cute cows, a chocolate bar and a bunch of other little accessories that you can use. I replaced the heart and the text on the wrapper for my chocolate, and put one of the cows there instead. This sort of mimics a Stratos chocolate bar, and that’s the look I was going for.

I colored my chocolate bar with Copics and fussy cut right up against the black stamp lines. Most of these lines are straight, which made it super easy to use a steel ruler and a craft knife to get precise cuts.

The Stratos cow is a very happy blue card, so it’s not entirely the same, but I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch with the blue wrapper and the cow on the card.

I created the card base from Something Blue cardstock from My Favorite Things. I used the Angled Mosaic 3D embossing folder from Altenew to give it some texture and interest.

I used the Watercolor Wash Free Form die from My Favorite Things and die cut from white cardstock. I think the free form makes it look like spilled milk, and it was the perfect grounding element for the chocolate.

I used the Sweet Sentiments die set from Altenew to die cut the sentiment. I stacked four die cuts of each word for strength and dimension, the top one from Ballet Slipper cardstock from Concord & 9th, added the sentiment to the card and finished off with a few sequins from the She’s So Lovely mix from Little Things from Lucy’s Cards.

Simple color palette.

Hoppy birthday {Rachelle Anne Miller Creative Studios}

Hi, crafty friends. I’m sharing a simple birthday card today, featuring this cute bunny from the Hoppy Birthday bunny digi stamp from Rachelle Anne Miller. It comes with a greeting and a little mouse, but I opted to use the bunny on its own for my card today.

I colored the bunny with my Copics (I actually only used 6 Copics for this card) and fussy cut around it, leaving a white trim to prefer the whispy lines and squiggles that are so characteristic of Rachelle’s images. I created a card base from Stamper’s Select White cardstock from Papertrey Ink and ran it through my die cutting machine with the Crystal Distortion embossing folder from Simon Says Stamp to create some texture.

Onto a piece of scrap paper, I adhered strips of solid colored cardstock. I didn’t measure, they’re all different widths for a playful look. The colors are (bottom to top) Honeysuckle and Grapefruit, both from Concord & 9th, and then Lemon Tart, Spring Moss, Aqua Mist and Hawaiian Shores, all from Papertrey Ink. I put a few layers of cardstock behind my strips and adhered them near the bottom of the card. I stamped and white heat embossed a sentiment from the Easter bunnies stamp set from Simon Hurley onto a piece of True Black cardstock from Papertrey Ink, cut it down to a strip and used a craft knife (I don’t trust scissors) to create the angle at the end. I glued the piece left of the sentiment to the back of the bunny, put 2mm foam squares behind everything and adhered it on top of the colored strips, before finishing off with a few sequins from the White Orchid Sequin mix from Little Things from Lucy’s Cards.

Color palettes don’t get much simpler than this.