Endless Birthday Wishes

If you are looking to get a lot of bang for your buck, Endless Birthday Wishes is your stamp set (Click here).

First, it’s cool that it’s photopolymer.  I love Photopolymer for anything with words because unless I’m super tired (or drinking wine while stamping 🙂 ), it always comes out straight.  However, I love the stamp set for more than just birthdays.  For example, I recently used the word “celebrate” for a Chanukah card.  You can use the dots in so many projects.  And as a bonus, there’s even a cake with the stamp set.  Usually greeting stamp sets just have words, so I think the cake is a lovely bonus.

Here’s the card I made with it:

The card was for a guy so I kept the colors neutral.  It’s hard to see in the picture, but one of the rows of sequins was silver.  (I use the past tense because one of my kids loved the silver sequins so much, she removed them from the card for her own use.  LOL.)  Below are the supplies I used.

Stamp set: Endless Birthday Wishes
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Bermuda Bay
Ink: Basic Black, Whisper White Craft Ink, Bermuda Bay, Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Blending pen, 2″ punch, Silver and Bermuda Bay sequins

Enjoy!
Best,
Rina

Triple Fold Card – with Video!

If you are ready for a fresh new card, you have come to the right place!  Why create a regular card when you can do a triple fold card!  It is EASY to make and you can get two cards from one sheet of card stock.

Here’s my card:

Neat, isn’t it?  My favorite part of it is that it stands up nicely for displaying.  Anyone would LOVE receiving this type of card, don’t you think?

Here’s what the inside looks like:

And here’s the other side:

To make the card:

1. Start with a piece of 8 1/2 x 10 1/2 piece of card stock
2. On the short end, mark at 2 1/2 inches on each end with a pencil
3. Putting the paper in landscape on your scoring tool, score at 3 1/2 and 7
4. Make a diagonal cut between the two pencil marks
5. Accordion fold with the bone folder
6. To put the designer paper on the inside, cut three pieces 3 1/4 x 6
7. Line up the paper to where you want it on the card, mark both sides lightly in pencil and cut.  Do this for each of the three exposed parts.
8. Decorate the card and enjoy!

This is one of those projects where it’s easier to see it then to follow directions, so I made a video for you.

Stamp Set: Sprinkles of Life
Accessories: Dazzling Diamond Glitter,  Cherry On Top paper, Tree Builder Punch
Colors: Tip Top Taupe, Watermelon Wonder, Bermuda Bay

Enjoy,
Rina

 

Guy Cards

I am stamping impaired when it comes to making masculine cards.  I love flowers and glitter and all things pretty.  “Guy” cards don’t typically fall under this criteria.  It is my brother’s birthday so I needed something masculine.  Morty likes to fence, workout, computers, etc.  He is not one for flowers.

Instead of using a traditional birthday stamp, I used a simple, yet elegant stamp set called Amazing Birthday (click here).

I couldn’t help but add a little ribbon . . . I think it still looks masculine — I know my dear brother will love it. (Morty, if you’re reading this, I love you!!!!  Best wishes for the happiest of birthdays.  XOXOXO).

See, it’s not hard to make a guy card —  the trick is to pick a stamp set that’s clean and simple.  I also didn’t “force” the colors.  I used a nice neutral and a medium blue and green.  By using neutrals with the other colors, the card still looks elegant (gotta have elegance . . .) but has no glitter.  Absolutely none.  (Okay, let’s not count the gold ribbon . . .)

Here’s the stamp set:

Tip: To make the large stamp set show more than one color, I first inked the stamp in Crumb Cake and stamped on Whisper White.  I then stamped the same stamp using Early Espresso and Island Indigo on scrap whisper white paper.  I cut the pieces out of the scrap paper and adhered to the crumb cake.

Supplies Used:

Stamp: Amazing Birthday
Ink: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso and Island Indigo
Paper: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Garden Green, Whisper White and Island Indigo
Ribbon: Crumb Cake Stitched Satin (yummy!), Very Vanilla Satin ribbon, Gold 1/8 ribbon

Good luck making your OWN masculine cards,
Rina

Fun Birthday Stamp Set

There are some stamp sets that are just plain FUN to use.  Sprinkles of Life (click here) fits in that category.  There are so many options, from cupcakes to ice cream cones, to trees and clouds.

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Check out the card I made below.

I love how easy it was to put together — and with the punch that accompanies the stamp set (click here), it was so easy!  Add a little coordinated paper and it’s done.  Of course, I used some glitter.  What’s a card without sparkle?

Stamp Set: Sprinkles of Life
Accessories: Dazzling Diamond Glitter, Watermelon Wonder lace, Gold Cord, Cherry On Top paper, Tree Builder PunchColors: Tip Top Taupe, Watermelon Wonder, Blushing Bride, Delightful Dijon, Cucumber Crush

Make something beautiful today!
Rina

Out of our Comfort Zone

The funny thing about comfort zones is that they are so incredibly comfortable, we don’t even realize we’re in one. Apparently, among the many comfort zones that I reside in, I also have a stamping comfort zone.  Who knew?  I realized this after reviewing my posts on my facebook page (BTW, if you haven’t “liked” my page, you should do so! ).

As I was scrolling through facebook, every card and every picture I had posted, had something in nature.  From leaves to flowers.  Even birds!  Now, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with stamping things from nature.  I think nature is beautiful, especially in the fall.  I am on a crazy nature kick because the world around me is surrounded in beautiful color. Here are some pictures from my walk yesterday.  Breathtaking, no?

But I need to expand my world.  I need to stamp something that has no nature.  So here you have it!  A Birthday cake.  I wanted to put flowers on it (wouldn’t mini punched out flowers look adorable on the cake layers?) but I restrained myself . . .

I used the stamp set “Build A Birthday.”  Just like my nature cards, this was FUN!  You just grab a color an keep building up.  If you have a stack of birthday cards you need to make, this is your set  . . .

Have a GREAT day.
XOXOXO,
Rina

Birthday Card – Cute Stamp Set

This stamp set is one of my absolute favorites.  I think it’s because of the cute fonts 🙂  I am a gal who loves a nice font.  It’s called Endless Birthday Wishes (140273).

Here’s the first card I’ve made so far using this fab stamp set:

We can never have too many birthday cards in our arsenals, can we?

As Rosh Hashana is quickly approaching, I’d like to wish you a sweet and fabulous new year.  A friend of mine told me something beautiful today.  She explained that the reason why we wish people a SWEET new year and not just a happy one is because we want everything that happens during the year to APPEAR sweet to us.  How many times does something happen that seems bad but ends up being really good in the end?  It’s tough to go through it, even when you know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.  Having a year where we see the sweetness right away sounds lovely to me 🙂  Wishing that for you!

XOXO,
Rina

Flower Bouquet

Dear Friends,

For the past few months I’ve been teaching several friends how to sew.  It’s been a ball!!  For the past few years, I’ve been focusing on paper crafts and I forgot how much fun it is to use fabric.  My sewing machine has been OUT and humming away.  My girls have worked on quilts, my friends have made bags, and I just ordered some more fabric for more bags for all of us to work on.  I wish I had thought to take pictures.  I’ll be taking in the future so I can show you some fun times.

Today I was inspired today from my shopping trip to Trader Joe’s.  They had the most beautiful flowers!!  Here’s a card I made using some of the beautiful colors I saw.

Stamp Set: Flower Patch and Flower Fair framelits
Colors: Cherry Cobbler, Island Indigo, Perfect Plum, Crushed Curry, Blushing Bride, & Smokey Slate

Happy 7th Birthday!

A few weeks ago we got to celebrate my daughter’s 7th birthday.  I made her a very special birthday card to surprise her.  Oh how I love this little girl’s spirit.  She is full of energy, smiles, and fills me with joy.

The card I made for her uses one of my favorite stamp sets.  It is a three-piece stamp called Lotus Blossom.  I’ve used it in so many ways.  This is the first three-piece stamp set I’ve ever used from Stampin’ Up!  and given how popular it’s been, I’m looking forward to more of them.  You can really take your crafting to the next level.

Just for fun, here are some pictures from the circus we went to on Sunday.  Notice Maya is wearing the headband I made …. There were actually people in the globes.  It was mind-blowing incredible.  Loved it!

⇒ Free kit with every $35 order. Click the tab “Specials – Winter 2015” for more information.

Template #2 Card

If you get my newsletter, you’ve seen Template #2.  I love it because it’s a basic template, but can look so elegant.  Below is the template.  You can also click on the template tab and download a pdf.

Here’s a card I made using the template:

I had so much fun using the Sale-A-Bration stamp set using the Lotus Blossom Stamp Set.  The flower comes in three pieces so you can add color gradients and dimension.  It is so lovely — and fun to use!  And it’s FREE with a $50 order till the end of March.

Here are the supplies I used to make the card:

• Lotus Blossom Stamp Set (FREE during Sale-A-Bration)
• Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, Garden Green, and Momento Tuxedo Ink
• Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack (133701), Basic Gray, Crushed Curry, and Soft Sky
• Vintage Faceted Buttons (127555), Sponge, Doilies, Gold Baker’s Twine

Another Masculine Birthday Card

Dear Friends,

My lovely Father-in-law will be celebrating a birthday soon — so I needed another card for a guy!!  No glitter.  The men in my life do not like glitter.  What’s up with that?  Here’s the card I made.  I almost had to sit on my hands to keep myself from spiffing it up.  I did use some gold ink.  It looks green in the card below, but the circle with the cake in it is gold.

I sent it off before writing down the card dimensions — oopsie.  Sorry about that.  Instead, I will write something I love about my father-in-law.

One of the things I love about my father-in-law is his generous spirit.  He will do anything for anyone.  Including shoveling snow, a caring ear or hug, wheeling someone in a wheel chair.  He has a kind heart, which my husband inherited.  Hope he has a great day.

Rina