Feb 16 2017

2-Step Stamped Succulent Flowers!!!

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

I am in love with these 2-Step Stamped Succulent Flowers from the Oh So Succulent Stamp Set in the Occasions Mini Catalog! I know that some of you aren’t a big fan of 2-step stamping because it can be hard to line up the stamp sets but I have a few tips for you! You can also create the card without both stamped images. You can do just the flower base, just the outline, or both! It is all up to you and your personal preference!!!

As you can see in this sample, I didn’t do the 2-step stamping. I just did the solid background flower stamp in the full strength! Both of the cards look fabulous but the one up top has a lot more definition and texture with each flower!

I started with a Tip Top Taupe card base! Then I took a piece of Whisper White measuring 4″ x 5-1/4″. Using the Thank You from the So Very Much Sale-A-Bration Stamp Set, I stamped it in Tip Top Taupe Ink. I love this set for that big scroll-y font! It is just beautiful and you only need a little bit of decoration to create an amazing card! You can see another fabulous sample using this set here! Next I stamped the flowers from the So Succulent Stamp Set. I started with the biggest flower first and then filled in. I did the big flower in Sweet Sugarplum. Then the smaller flower in Calypso Coral and the greenery in Mint Macaron.

For the card at the top, I stamped outline first in full strength ink and then I stamped the solid inside of the flower after stamping off once. This gives that lighter shade and two tone look. I have found that it is easier to stamp the outline first since it is nice and dark. You can see that through the solid image. Also, since the solid image is stamped off once, it is lighter and easier to see through and line up with the outline image. Another way to get the images lined up perfectly is to use a Stamp-A-Ma-Jig! Once I had all of the flowers stamped, I adhered that piece to the card base and then you are all done!!!

I hope these tips help you when you are 2-Step Stamping with the Oh So Succulent Flowers! If you would like to see this all in action, check out the Video Tutorial below or click here! Be sure to give this video a thumbs up if you liked it and don’t forget to subscribe if you are new! I post every Tuesday and Thursday! Also, stay tuned for all of the other samples shown in the video!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Feb 15 2017

Carried Away!!!

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

I am soooo in love with this style of card. I have used it with some many different styles of Designer Paper and they are all so amazing! It is a quick and simple style but yet beautiful! I just love it!!

I started with a piece of Whisper White measuring 4-1/4″ x 11″ for the card base! Then I took a piece of Night of Navy (4″ x 4″) and layered on a piece of the Carried Away Sale-A-Bration Designer Series Paper (3-3/4″ x 3-3/4″). I added this piece to the card front towards the top. For the greeting, I stamped it from the Lift Me Up Stamp Set in Night of Navy Ink. I added some Mint Macaron Sheer Linen Ribbon around the card and tied it into a knot! Simple and fabulous!!!

This one I did with Real Red cardstock layering the Carried Away Designer Paper. I used some of the Gold Metallic Ribbon which is another fabulous Sale-A-Bration item you can pick for Free with every $50 order! I also added a little red star from the Brights Enamel Shapes.

There are so many different ways you can create this card with different Designer Paper, different ribbons, adding some bling and changing up the greeting!

You can purchase the Lift Me Up Bundle, which includes the Lift Me Up Stamp Set and coordinating Up & Away Thinlits, and the Mint Macaron Sheer Linen Ribbon and then get the Carried Away Designer Series Paper for FREE!!! Sale-A-Bration is such a fun time of the year. You get to pick out a free item with every $50.00 in product that you order! It is like you are being rewarded for shopping! Love it!!!

What is your favorite Designer Paper that you can wait to use to create cards like these? Let me know in the comments below! I have another sample to share later using the Falling in Love Designer Paper. Stay tuned!!!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Feb 14 2017

Technique Tuesday – Poppin’ Pink!!!

Posted on February 14, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Celebrations Duo Embossing Folder, www.LaurasStampPad.com

Happy Tuesday and Happy Valentine’s Day!!! Today I’m going to share a fabulous technique in my favorite color! After all I LOVE Pink and today is all about love, right??

How amazing is this card?!?!?! All that Pink! That amazing background! I am in love although I probably won’t be making a ton of cards exactly like this…..that background was crazy! It’s always cool and fun to do something at least once though!!! Let’s get started!

SUPPLIES NEEDED: Celebrations Duo Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Happy Celebrations Stamp Set, Stampin’ Pierce Mat

I started with a Basic Black card base. Then I took a piece of Whisper White (4″ x 5-1/4″) and stamped the “Birthday To You” from the Happy Celebrations Stamp Set all over in Melon Mambo Ink. I just love black and white with a pop of pink! To get those various shades of pink on the greeting, I stamped a few times before going back to the ink. I would ink it up and then stamp in a random place, then move down and over and stamp again. Repeat this once more. Then I would go back to the ink and stamp the same but in reverse so that the darkest was now next to the lightest. Just keep filling in until it is all covered. Don’t worry about your spacing or being straight. It is made with love, not perfection and a lot of it is covered up so you can’t see the entire piece!

Once I was finished with this piece, I adhered it to the card front! Now for the Happy greeting!!! I took a piece of Whisper White (4-1/2″ x 2-1/4″) and ran it through the Big Shot in the Celebrations Duo Embossing Folder. This will give you that fabulous de-bossed Happy image. Now it’s time to add some color! I found that stamping with the piece on the Stampin’ Pierce Mat works best because then there is some give for the debossed image and you aren’t smashing it all. It gives a nice stamped image as well. Place the debossed image on the Stampin’ Pierce Mat and using the image from the Happy Celebrations Stamp Set, stamp over each letter with Melon Mambo Ink! When you stamp, you can see the ink touch the paper. Sometimes you will need to press a little more in certain spots to make sure the stamp touches the paper.

There other super cool thing is how you can create 2 projects from this technique. Once you stamp on the de-bossed image, you will notice the letter in your stamp because the ink is still there where the letter is de-bossed. You can then stamp that onto another piece of paper to get the cool look of the Happy in the photo above (bottom greeting). How cool is that??

Once I finished the de-bossed image, I layered it onto Basic Black measuring 2-3/4″ x 4-3/4″ with Stampin’ Dimensionals. I like using Dimensional when working with embossed images so it lays flat and adheres well…..and because I love them so much! Then I added this to my card front and finished it off with a few Rhinestones. Got to have some bling! I added a piece of Whisper White (4″ x 5-1/4″) to the inside of the card as well since it is hard to write on black cardstock! Love it!!!

If you would like to see this all in action, check out the Video Tutorial below or click here! Be sure to give it a thumbs up if you liked it and don’t forget to subscribe if you are new! I post a video every Tuesday and Thursday! You can also check out another sample I created with these folders here!

What color would you use to create this card?? Let me know in the comments below! I’m thinking I need to try Bermuda Bay or Cucumber Crush for a boy card!!!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Feb 13 2017

Birthday Present!!!

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

This card is super adorable and can be changed up with any of your favorite Designer Series Paper. When you use Designer Paper in the same pack, then the colors always coordinate so that makes it super easy and fun to mix and match!!! I love it!!!

I started with a Whisper White card base and layered on a piece of Party Animal Designer Series Paper measuring 3-3/4″ x 5″! Then I took another piece of Party Animal Designer Paper (4″ x 3″) and added it to the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals so that the present looks more 3D. I added a strip of Pacific Point (1/4″ x 4″) down the center of the card to look like ribbon. I used the Fine Tip Glue Pen since it is so little. I die cut the bow at the top from the Balloon Pop-Up Thinlit Dies in Pacific Point as well! I put a little piece of a Stampin’ Dimensional on the center of the bow and added it to the top of the present! I love it!! For the greeting, I stamped it from the Balloon Adventures Stamp Set in Tangerine Tango. The greeting was stamped onto Whisper White measuring 1″ x 3″. I punched the banner tips out with the Triple Banner Punch. I added the greeting to the present with Snail Adhesive but I lined up the edge of it with the edge of the background designer paper. Simple and fabulous!!!

You can Bundle & Save 10% when you order the Stamp Set and Thinlits together!!! You also get to pick out a Sale-A-Bration item for FREE when you order before March 31st! How amazing is that?!?!?! I love Sale-A-Bration because I love getting bonus freebies for every $50 I order! Click here to start shopping and earning your Sale-A-Bration items!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Feb 10 2017

You’re Sublime!!!

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

How adorable is this?!?!?! This cute card is perfect for Valentine’s Day and it uses a non-Valentine’s Day stamp set – You’re Sublime! It is such an adorable stamp set!!!

I started with a Peek-A-Boo Peach card base! Then I took a piece of Whisper White (4-1/2″ x 3″) and stamped the little submarine from the You’re Sublime Stamp Set in Basic Gray Ink. You will need to use a Stazon or Archival Ink since I did watercoloring and you won’t want it to bleed! I prefer Basic Gray because I like the softer look rather than Basic Black. I hadn’t received my Watercolor Pencils order at the time of making this so I used an Aqua Painter and ink. You can see a complete tutorial on watercoloring like this HERE! I used Dapper Denim Ink and Peek-A-Boo Peach Ink. I layered this onto Dapper Denim measuring 5″ x 3-1/2″ and tied some Dapper Denim Ruched Ribbon around it on the bottom. I added this piece to the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals!

When we did this card in class, I let the stampers pick any of the images from the You’re Sublime card and here is one of the fabulous creations! Sondra went with the froggy and she used the Watercolor Pencils and Blender Pen to color him in. The ribbon covered up the greeting so we went with a Birthday greeting from the Balloon Adventures Stamp Set! It is sooo adorable! I love when my stampers change up my cards with their own creativity! It gives me great ideas too! 🙂

Stamping is always fun with you do it with others! Sharing creativity, conversations, and laughs is what I love the most about being a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator! 🙂

Have a wonderful weekend!!! Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Feb 9 2017

Tasty Trucks & Cupcake Exhaust!!!

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

The Tasty Trucks Stamp Set from the Sale-A-Bration Promotion is super cute and can be turned into so many different looks – sweets, tacos, hot dogs, and any other type of delivery. Super cute! I got this idea of cupcake exhaust from a fabulous stamper friend, Mary Ellen Stites! I would follow this truck all over town! I love cupcakes!!!

For this card, I started with a Smokey Slate card base which is perfect because then you can use any colors for your truck! Then I took a piece of Whisper White (4″ x 5-1/4″) and stamped everything from the Tasty Trucks Stamp Set in Basic Gray Archival Ink! I like using gray over black because it is a softer look! I colored in everything with the Watercolor Pencils and Blender Pens!

I love the Watercolor Pencils because you can just outline or color in a bit and then take the Blender Pen and even out the color! I like to go in a circular motion and just swirl around till everything is colored in. If you would like certain spots to be darker, just go back in with pencil and add more color! I love it!! After coloring everything in, I tied some Silver Metallic Ribbon (Sale-A-Bration) around it. That ribbon is super fabulous and a little bling-y! Then I added the piece to the card front! Love it!!

I couldn’t stop with just one truck so here is another!!! I tied the ribbon into bow on this one and went up and down! Super fun!!

Here I colored with the Watercolor Pencils in 3 different ways – colored in (Coral), with the Blender Pens (Purple), and with an Aqua Painter (Blue). They are super easy to use and I have found that the color looks so even. Sometimes when using ink or markers with the Blender Pen or Aqua Painter, there can be streaks and lines on your project. With the pencils, there are no lines or streaks. It is just pure, rich color. You can always add in more details with the pencil after blending it together. You can even add more color by touching the Blender Pen or Aqua Painter to the tip of the pencil to pick up some color. There are so many fun ways to color with these! There are 13 pencils in the pack for just $16.00! That is a steal for so many colors, I think!

If you would like to see an up close and personal on the Watercolor Pencils, check out the Video Tutorial below or click here! Don’t forget to give this video a thumbs up if you liked it and be sure to subscribe if you are new! I post a video every Tuesday and Thursday!

Do you like Watercolor Pencils, Markers, or Ink Pads for coloring in with Blender Pens and Aqua Painters? Let me know in the comments below!!!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Feb 8 2017

Avant Garden!!!

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

You all know how much I love flowers so of course the Avant Garden Sale-A-Bration Stamp Set caught my attention right away! Free flower stamps are always the best!!!! You can get this set or one of the other Sale-A-Bration items for Free with every $50.00 order.

I started with a Calypso Coral card base. This measures 4-1/4″ x 11″ and I folded it in half so the crease is on the left side. Then I took a piece of Whisper White (4″ x 5-1/4″) and stamped the flower from the Avant Garden Stamp Set in Calypso Coral Ink. I stamped a few of the flowers in full strength ink and a few stamped off. I stamped the flowers just a bit in from the left side. I added some leaves in Wild Wasabi Ink, again stamping twice before going back to the ink! I also stamped the greeting from the same stamp set in Wild Wasabi! Then I took a piece of Whisper White Organza Ribbon and placed it on the left side of the cardstock and adhered the ends to the back side. I added this piece to the card base and finished it off with a Rhinestone in the center of each flower! I just had to add a little bling! This card could be created in any color of your choice! What color would you use? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Feb 7 2017

Technique Tuesday – Golden Letters!!!

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Tuesday!!! I am super excited to share this amazing technique with you today! It is super fabulous and I’m in love! Check out this beauty!!!

Isn’t this card stunning?? The beautiful navy and white with a splash of gold and those letters! LOVE!

SUPPLIES NEEDED: Greeting Stamp Set, VersaMark Ink, Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Sponge Dauber

I started with a piece of Whisper White (4-1/2″ x 1-1/2″) and stamped the fabulous large greeting from the Double Take Stamp Set that is in the Occasions Mini Catalog! I stamped the congrats in Night of Navy Ink and then cleaned off the stamp. Then you will want to dry the image by going over it a bit with the Heat Tool just to make sure it is completely dry. Then I pounced over the image with the Embossing Buddy to reduce static. I took a Sponge Dauber and pounced in the VersaMark Ink and then onto the lower half of the greeting stamp. Once I added VersaMark to the bottom half, I stamped it over the greeting! It is pretty easy to line up the greeting to stamp again since it is a Photopolymer Stamp Set but if you aren’t sure of yourself, you can always use the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig. Once I stamped the greeting, I poured some Gold Embossing Powder over the greeting. If there is some powder higher on the letters than you wish, you can always push some of the powder off with your finger. Next, I set the powder with the Heat Tool. If you would like a basic heat embossing video tutorial, check that out here! Then I layered the greeting onto a piece of Night of Navy cardstock (4-3/4″ x 1-3/4″). I used a Whisper White card base and added some Floral Boutique Designer Paper (4″ x 5-1/4″). I placed a Gold Metallic Foil Doily in the center and then added the greeting with Stampin’ Dimensionals. I love this card so much and then had fun making this one too!!

For this card, I used the love from the Double Take Stamp Set and the Sending Love Designer Series Paper! I rounded the corners to soften the look with the Corner Rounder Punch. I also added a little gold heart from the Metallic Enamel Shapes. I thought this would be perfect to give my husband for Valentine’s Day but it is a little more lovey dovey and I tend to make a more cutesy card! We shall see! Maybe I’ll make 2!

If you would like to see this all in action, check out the Video Tutorial below or click here! Don’t forget to give it a thumbs up if you liked it and be sure to subscribe if you are new! I post a video every Tuesday and Thursday!

Which do you prefer – the Congrats Card or the Love Card? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Feb 6 2017

Valentine Treat Boxes!!!

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Valentine’s Day is a little over a week away so it is time to start getting those treat ready and cards created! You can see some samples of cards here and here! I did another Treat Package that is fabulous here! Today, we are creating these little treat boxes!!! Precious and super sweet….hehe get it…..chocolate is sweet! 🙂

The base for this box is Clear Tiny Treat Boxes which come with 16 in the pack! For the inside decoration, I used some of the Sending Love Designer Series Paper. I cut it into a 2″ x 6″ piece and scored it just a smidge over 2″ and then from that score line a smidge less than 2″. The reason for this is because the box is 2″ so when you score at exactly 2″ it is kind of tight in the box. I placed the paper into the box and added the chocolate treats. Yum!!!

I added some ribbon around the box and tied it into a box using the Sending Love Designer Ribbon which comes with both white and red ribbon. This is perfect because then you can really mix and match with the different designer paper patterns! I left mine without a tag because I will be passing them out to various people – friends, family, and people I see all week this week at the grocery store, Post Office, etc. You could always add a tag using your favorite stamp set that has hearts or a To:/From: or you can use the fabulous Sealed with Love Stamp Set!

Do you make Valentine’s Treats for your kid’s classroom, friends, family, or strangers?? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Feb 3 2017

Sending Love!!!

Posted on February 3, 2017 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Valentine’s Day is around the corner and this card is perfect! It isn’t specific lovely Valentine’s Day but yet still a warm thought of sharing your love with someone!!! I love it!!!

I started with a Whisper White card base. I took the 4 heart image from the Sealed with Love Stamp Set from the Occasions Mini Catalog and stamped it in Night of Navy Ink along the top and bottom of the card front. It is really easy to line up the hearts because it is a photopolymer stamp set and you can see through the stamp. Then I added a piece of Sending Love Designer Series Paper to the middle of the card (2″ x 5-1/2″). You can get 3 of these cards from 1 sheet in the Designer Series Paper Stack. I have done lots of these cards but with different patterns and each one looks just as fabulous! For the greeting, I took a piece of Whisper White measuring 1″ x 5-1/2″ and punched the ends with the Banner Triple Punch! You want to punch before you stamp so that you aren’t punching off part of your stamped image. I stamped the hearts in Navy and the greeting in Real Red Ink. Some of the cards, I stamped one greeting and 2 hearts and some I did 2 greetings and 3 hearts. I added the greeting banner to the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals for a little texture! I love it because it’s quick, simple, and yet created with so much love!

I did another Valentine’s Day card yesterday and did a Video Tutorial on both of these. You can check that out here! Do love Valentine’s Day as much as me? Do you send cards for the holiday? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura