Sep 23 2014

Technique Tuesday – Pom Pom Fun!!!

Posted on September 23, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Tuesday!!! That means I have a fabulous technique to share with you and today it is making cut little Pom Poms!!!!

I am loving the Pink little Pom Pom on that party hat!!!! It is just so fluffy!!! And fairly easy to make! Let’s get started!

Supplies Needed: Baker’s Twine (I prefer to use the Thick style), a fork or piece of scrap paper, and a needle

The supply list is short and a little odd but you will see! For this card, I used the Thick Strawberry Slush Baker’s Twine. Since I wanted a smaller pom pom, I just wrapped the twine around the tines of a fork about 10 times. Then you will take another piece of the twine and loop it through the middle tines and tie all of your loops together. Now you can slide the loops off of the fork and cut all of the loops. I do kind of like all of the loops too…super cute! Once you can have cut your loops, you can either stop there or take your needle and run it up each piece of Baker’s Twine to fray the ribbon into lots of smaller strands. This is the part that sometimes can take awhile and make you want to go crazy! Once you think you have done them all, you find another one. 🙂 Fluff all of the pieces and your Pom Pom is complete!!!! I attached the Pom Pom to the Sweet Taffy Designer Series Paper triangle with Stampin’ Dimensionals. I layered the party hat onto a piece of Strawberry Slush that I had run through my Big Shot with the Alphabet Press Embossing Folder! The greeting is from Remembering Your Birthday and I punched it out with my Decorative Label Punch!

For this adorable gift box, I decorated it with the All Is Calm Designer Washi Tape which is super simple. Then I used the Silver Baker’s Twine for the pom pom. To make this one a little bigger, I wrapped the twine around a piece of scrap paper that was wider than the fork. Again 10 times around, slide it off and tie it in the middle, cut the loops and fray it!

To see this all in action, check out my Video Tutorial!!! Be sure to give the video a thumbs up if you liked it and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out on any future videos (like the one on Thursday 😉 )

Happy Pom Pomin’

~Laura

Sep 22 2014

It’s Not About The Number, It’s The Memories!

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Birthdays are very special! Everyone has one and it is a day to celebrate YOU and all the memories you have created each year! I love how this card represents the many years. This card doesn’t specify which year you are on but shows many numbers to make a colorful background! I love it!!!! I used the Memorable Moments Stamp Set for all of the numbers and the greeting is from Remembering Your Birthday! I used Island Indigo, Crushed Curry, Old Olive, and Calypso Coral Ink Pads for all of the numbers and stamped about 4 of each number in various colors.Of course, I had to add in a little ribbon and I picked the Chevron Island Indigo Ribbon for this one! I like how the ribbon separates the greeting from the colorful numbers!

I hope you enjoyed this card and try out this color combination on your next project! And remember it is not about the number, it is about the memories you make each year! 🙂

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Sep 19 2014

Fabulous Friday!!!

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Friday!!! I am pumped for the weekend to finally be here because we are having a our Annual Family Reunion and celebrating lots of Birthdays! I love weekends that involve lots of family time! That means lots of pictures too!! 😉 But first, I have some amazing things to share with you!

Look at all of these amazing greetings for the upcoming holidays! LOVE IT! And I love the font!!! You can earn this stamp set for FREE when you have a party/private class/collect orders from friends/or place an order yourself of $300.00 or more. This is on top of the regular Hostess Benefits that you will earn! 19 Stamps for FREE! I still have a few dates left for you to gather your friends and have me bring the stamping fun!!!! Click here for availability.

The fabulous Weekly Deals for this week! You know Gold Is In so be sure to stock up on that ribbon! Also, I love my Label Card Thinlits Die which makes amazing Swing Cards!!!! You can check those out here and here!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I will see you next week!!!! Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Sep 18 2014

Work of Art Background!

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

We all know how AMAZING this Work of Art Stamp Set is….if you don’t check out this post, this one, this one, and this one and come back! Most of the cards I have done so far have been bright and colorful! Well today I thought I would take it down a notch and create something calming and thoughtful!

Isn’t it amazing? Very calming and thoughtful, right? Also, I love how when I use the Work of Art Stamp Set the cards give a super WOW look but they are very simple to create! My card base is Chocolate Chip and I layered a piece of Very Vanilla (4″ x 5-1/4″) on top. I stamped the Work of Art swish in Soft Sky, Coastal Cabana, and Lost Lagoon (sort of an Ombre Look 😉 ) I then stamped the Tree and Greeting from the Thoughts and Prayers Stamp Set. This is an amazing stamp set because of the beautiful tree and flower branch but also the greetings are amazing. They are exactly what you want to say when you don’t know what to say! I love them!

Be on the lookout for more samples using the Thought & Prayers Stamp Set! What is your favorite stamp set that is very calming?

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Sep 17 2014

Christmas Bliss!!!

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

I am really loving these blues and greens for the Holidays this year! Lost Lagoon and Pear Pizzazz are such warming colors and still represent winter (snowflakes and blue, trees and green). I used the Christmas Bliss Photopolymer Stamp Set! I love the images and greetings in this set and it is just $15.95! Love it!!! I used a card base of Very Vanilla and added a piece of Lost Lagoon cardstock (4″ x 5-1/4″) that I had ran through the Big Shot with my Decorative Dots Embossing Folder! For the greeting, I stamped Warmest Wishes in Lost Lagoon and the trees in Pear Pizzazz. I stamped the upper trees and then without re-inking the stamp, moved down and to the right and stamped again! 🙂 Of course, I had to add some color to the edges with my Sponge Daubers and layered this piece onto some Pear Pizzazz cardstock! Simple and Fabulous!

What are your favorite Holiday Colors – Real Red and Garden Green? Lost Lagoon and Soft Sky? Cherry Cobbler and Mossy Meadow? Leave me a comment down below!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Sep 16 2014

Technique Tuesday – Decorative Masks!!!

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Tuesday!!! You know what that means! I have a fabulous technique to share with you today! I am going to show you how to use your Decorative Masks! Also, I’ll show you how your can use your Build a Banner Masks too!!!

You know me and my love for the Ombre look (check out more here and here)! I just can’t get enough of it! I used my Build A Banner Polka Dot Mask for this one but you could use the Dots & Stripes Decorative Mask as well! Soft Sky, Marina Mist, and Night of Navy were the colors I sponged on with my Sponge Daubers (love)! I sponged a few rows of each and then when I went to the next darker color, I rubbed lightly over that last row of the lighter color to give it a blended look. The Happy Birthday is from the Remembering Your Birthday Stamp Set! I sponged the edges of the greeting as well and adhered that with Stampin’ Dimensionals to a 1-3/4 Circle Punched piece of Night of Navy! I ran the circle through the Big Shot with the Stripes Embossing Folder! For a little texture, I looped some Whisper White Baker’s Twine in there as well!

This one is very similar to the one above. I used my Sponge Daubers and the Hearts and Stars Decorative Mask Set! I layered that onto some Lost Lagoon and Hello Honey cardstock and added some Satin Stitched Ribbon in Lost Lagoon! I am really loving that ribbon and find myself reaching for it often! For the popped up stars, I used the small and medium stars from the Bright & Beautiful Stamp Set that is in the Holiday Mini Catalog! Of course, there is a Star Framelit so you don’t have to fussy cut those stars out! 🙂 Love it! You could do this in Red, White, & Blue or Navy and Silver would be fabulous too!

Of course, it is always easier, for me at least, to understand a technique when you see it in action. Here is a Video Tutorial for you see both the Ombre Background and Stars Decorative Mask. Be sure to give the video a thumbs up if you liked it and don’t forget to subscribe to My Channel so you never miss out when I post a new video!

Happy Maskin’

~Laura

Sep 15 2014

Ombre Blues!!!

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

So I learned about the Ombre look a little over a year ago and have LOVED it ever since. My husband giggles because he says I say ombre in a funny way. I’m sure I do!!! 🙂

Webster’s Dictionary defines Ombre as having colors or tones that shade into each other; the color is graduated from light to dark!

Here is my latest ombre creation – of course with the Work of Art Stamp Set! The images in that set make the ombre effect so amazing and simple! Also, I only had to get out ONE stamp pad for the look! I just inked up the image and stamped on the bottom, middle and top without re-inking! This technique really gives you endless colors with just one ink pad! So the next time you are thinking you need a lighter blue or green or pink than what you already have, just stamp off onto a piece of scrap paper and then stamp on your project!

This card uses Coastal Cabana and Whisper White cardstock! I stamped with Coastal Cabana and Basic Black! With my Baker’s Twine, I wrapped it around twice and tied a double knot. Then I took a needle and frayed the ends so they would look more full and puffy! Super Cute!

Do you like the Ombre look? Which color is your favorite to use for this technique? Leave me a comment down below! For more samples using this technique click here!

Happy Ombre-in’

~Laura

Sep 12 2014

Fabulous Friday!!!!

Posted on September 12, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Friday, All! Boy this week felt like it drug on a little longer than normal, or is that just me?

Let’s get into the amazing deals for this week starting with this NEW Photopolymer Stamp Set – You’re Wonderful!!!! It is a favorite in my book because it contains flowers and fabulous greetings! Woot Woot!

I love how you can mix and match the greetings and you can even leave out the Wonderful completely like in the sample below!

The Weekly Deals this week are amazing because it includes PUNCHES! I really think punches are an amazing tool because they are easy to use, fairly small to store and there are endless possibilities with them! Check out this post and this post. Another fabulous punch tip with the New Tree Punch, cut off the tip and turn it around and you have a picnic basket. (more on this later!)

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend! I’ll be attending a Stampin’ Up Event on Saturday and celebrating a friend’s birthday on Sunday! Bring on the weekend! 🙂

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Sep 11 2014

Flower Fun Mini Cards!!!

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

These cards are just little 3″ x 3″ ones! Decorating them is so much fun because you only have a little area to work with! I used my Rich Razzleberry Blendabilities for the background on the right and left! Starting with the lightest color, move back and forth like you are making a splotch of color. You will go about half way across the 2-1/2″ x 2-1/2″ piece of cardstock. Then taking the darkest color and start from the top coming down to the middle. Finally with the medium color blend in the middle on top of the dark and light colors. This will give you a nice ombre look fading from light to dark. Then you will layer that onto a piece of Rich Razzleberry measuring 2-3/4″ x 2-3/4″ and then onto the card base of 3″ x 6″ (folded in half). I stamped the greetings from A Dozen Thoughts with my Memento Pad. I punched a few flowers from the Itty Bitty Punch Pack our of the Sweet Taffy Designer Series Paper.

For the middle card, I started with my Melon Mambo base (3″ x 6″) and layered Rich Razzleberry (2-3/4″ x 2-3/4″) and then Sweet Taffy Designer Series Paper (2-1/2″ x 2-1/2″). For the greeting, I stamped on a piece of 3/4″ x 2-1/4″ Whisper White Cardstock with Memento and the A Dozen Thoughts Stamp Set. For the banner tips, I cut straight down in the middle and then from both corners diagonally to that center cut. This helps you get even tips and not have one longer. For the flower, I stamped the flower from the Flower Shop Stamp Set onto Vellum, punched it out with the Pansy Punch and colored the back side with my Rich Razzleberry Blendabilities! I used the darkest and lightest marker! I didn’t blend as much as I usually do but instead just did certain petals light and others dark. I attached it to my card with a Stampin’ Dimensional and then added a Pearl which I also colored with my Blendabilites! I love how you can color so many different materials with your blendabilities. Be sure to check out this post to see even more way!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Sep 10 2014

Adding My Own Flare To My Paper Pumpkin Kit!

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Today I am going to show you how I took a kit (My Paper Pumpkin August Kit) and created as the instructions showed AND then added my own flare! First things first, check out this amazing August Kit!

When I first opened my Paper Pumpkin Kit, I was WOWED by all of the supplies! There were 2 each of the die cut greetings on the left, 4 large card bases and envelopes, 4 small card bases and envelopes, Stamps, PINK Sequins (yes, I squealed when I saw these), Brads, Hello Honey Ink, twine, die cut tags and circle, and 4 each of the hearts and stars cards. To put it short….LOTS of goodies! Here are the samples that I created just like the instructions!!!

I just love these cards! They are super cute, polka dots, sequin bling and so much more! But after creating all of these cards, I had so much left over…..more sequins, more die cut greetings, tags and other items! I grabbed 2 pieces of Whisper White and 2 pieces of Strawberry Slush and cut them in half to make more cards and here is what I got!

I squealed again with the adorableness of the cards on the left. Pink ombre dots with sequins…..LOVE! How amazing is that? I got 8 cards and envelopes created just like the kit shows and an additional 8 cards! I could have created even more cards if I added in a few more pieces of cardstock and used fewer layers on each card. Have you ever taken a kit and done your own thing? I do enjoy following the samples provided but sometimes I really think outside the box and come up with some amazing projects!!! PS: I still have more circles and tags left over (stamps and ink too)! I love My Paper Pumpkin! All of this was created for $19.95!

Click here to sign up! The kit comes right to your door each month for a little crafty get-away! It is a surprise every month and includes all the supplies! This is perfect for everyone – those who don’t have time, those who like to get crafty, those who don’t have the space for a craft room, those who need cards, those who like cute home decor, and everyone in between!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura