Oct 10 2016

Masking with the Elegant Butterfly!!!

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Laura's Stamp Pad

You all know I love bright colors and this card just makes me so happy!!! I love it!!! It is sure to spend a smile to anyone that receives it!! Also, did you notice the butterflies look so distinct and not like a muddy mess from stamping over each one? I used a mask to avoid that look. This way each butterfly looks like it’s own and that it is either up front or behind the other one! This is a super simple technique with masking! To see other masking techniques, check out these samples here, here, and here! Let’s get started!

I started with a piece of Whisper White cardstock measuring 3-3/4″ x 5″ and I stamped the butterfly from the Papillon Potpourri Stamp Set in Real Red at the top! Then I took the Elegant Butterfly Punch and punched out the top of a Post-It Note (the part with the sticky). Place this over your red butterfly to cover him up. Now you will stamp another butterfly in Pumpkin Pie, overlapping the bottom portion a bit. Pull off your mask and cover up the orange butterfly and stamp in Daffodil Delight. You will keep repeating this step until you have all of your desired colors (or run out of paper). I continued with Cucumber Crush, Pacific Point, Bermuda Bay, and Elegant Eggplant. I turned my butterflies towards the left and right because I didn’t want them straight since that wouldn’t happen anyway. 🙂 It also allowed the butterflies to take up less space. I just love those bright colors and how they look so clean and perfect! I layered this piece onto Pacific Point cardstock (4″ x 5-1/4″) and then onto a Daffodil Delight card base! For the greeting, I stamped it from the Love & Affection Stamp Set in Real Red. I punched it out with the Decorative Label Punch as well as a Real Red one. I cut the red one in half and placed the top portion on the top of the greeting piece and the other portion on the bottom. You can check out a video tutorial on that here. I added some loops of the Silver Metallic Thread to the back and secured it with Stampin’ Dimensionals and then added it to the card!

This card is perfect for a random card to a family or friend just to let them know you are thinking of them or that they mean the world to you! Do you send out random cards like that? Let me know in the comments below! I sometimes do and need to do it a lot more often! Everyone loves Happy Mail!!!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Check out this fabulous offer for the Holiday Season!!!

Oct 7 2016

Sack of Soybeans!!!

Posted on October 7, 2016 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Remember that time I said I could create just about anything with paper??? A friend of mine reached out to me asking to make a special card for her husband who has just about finalized everything to graduate with his Ph.D. in something with plants, soil, genetics…..something like that! 🙂 I had a few ideas in mind and some were better than others. Here is what we decided to go with!!!

I punched lots of circles in So Saffron with the 1/2″ Circle Punch. Then I punched out hearts from the Owl Builder Punch in Chocolate Chip. I cut the hearts in half and adhered them to the “soybeans” (aka So Saffron Circles) with the Fine Tip Glue Pen. Then I took the 1/16″ Handheld Punch and punched holes along the top of a piece of Whisper White cardstock. Using Crushed Curry Baker’s Twine, I sewed along the top to create the look of a bag of seed. I added a strip of Crushed Curry to the front of the seed bag as well. I added this to a piece of Whisper White cardstock and stamped the greeting and dots from the Perfectly Wrapped Stamp Set in Night of Navy Ink. I attached this to a Night of Navy card base!

For the inside, I used a greeting from the You’ve Got This Stamp Set and stamped it in Night of Navy Ink onto Whisper White (4″ x 5-1/4″). It was just perfect!!!

Here was one of my other samples……it is suppose to look like the edge of a field, looking down the row, with a soybean. I tried to make it look like a row by ripping the paper and brushing it with ink to darken it. I think the soybean is a bit to large. I created the grass with the Fringe Scissors. This one was a good idea but didn’t turn out like it was suppose to look in my head! 🙂

I love being able to create one-of-a-kind cards for those who mean so much to me! 🙂

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Oct 6 2016

Swirly Scribble Pumpkins!!!

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Fall is in the air! The breeze is cool, the evenings are darker, and the leaves are falling! This means that it is time for PUMPKIN EVERYTHING…..including greeting cards! I was sooooo excited with myself when I first got the Swirly Scribbles Framelits and I die cut one out. I immediately saw a pumpkin in the swirl and thought how fabulous, I can’t wait to make pumpkin cards! Of course a few weeks later I saw that others had figured it out as well! Isn’t it beautiful?!?!?

I started with a Crumb Cake card base and layered on a piece of Whisper White measuring 4″ x 5-1/4″. I die cut the pumpkins in Pumpkin Pie cardstock with the Swirly Scribbles Framelits. I die cut 2 small ones and 1 large one. The leaves were die cut with the same set in Garden Green cardstock. Thank goodness for the Fine Tip Glue Pen for adhering the pumpkins to the card front! The second small swirly is in the middle of the large one. You could always leave the center of the pumpkin open. You can add as many leaves as you wish. The greeting was stamped from the Perfectly Wrapped Stamp Set in Crumb Cake Ink. I finished off the card with a little bit of Linen Thread wrapped around the card base. This is the perfect fall card for any fall parties, birthdays, and other events during the season.

You could also create other round fruit with the Swirly Scribbles Framelits like apples, cherries, or even tomatoes. If you would like to see all of this 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!!!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Oct 5 2016

Masking with Circles!!!

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Laura's Stamp Pad

I have had so much fun with masking lately. You can check out a few other samples here and here! This one is very similar to the others but I used circles as my mask! I love how the flowers look like they are peaking out! Just beautiful!!!

I started with a Watermelon Wonder card base. Then I took a piece of Whisper White (4″ x 5-1/4″) and placed it onto my stamping surface with a little dab of snail on the back to hold it in place. For the mask, I took a piece of scrap printer paper (you need the scrap paper to be thin) and punched holes out of it with the various punches. I used the 2″ Circle Punch, 1-3/4″ Circle Punch, and 1-1/2″ Circle Punch. I punched a few of the circles on the edge of the paper! Now you can place the mask over your Whisper White cardstock and be sure to tape it down so that it doesn’t move while stamping and coloring. I stamped the flowers from the Love & Affection Stamp Set in Basic Black Archival Ink. I used this ink because I didn’t want the color to bleed when I started coloring. The smallest flower I stamped in Elegant Eggplant since it is solid. Be sure to stamp the images in the middle and onto the mask so it looks like the image is hiding. Leave the mask on while you color in the flower….it is easier that way. I did it with the mask on and after taking the mask off. You are welcome! Always here to help you with the easier way! I used the Peekaboo Peach Marker, Emerald Envy Marker, and Watermelon Wonder Marker for the flowers and leaves. Once they are all colored in, you can remove the mask. I stamped the greeting from the same stamp set in the corner. I thought there was an open spot in the upper left corner so I added a strip of Watermelon Wonder Mini Striped Ribbon there. I wrapped the ribbon to the back side and added a few Stampin’ Dimensionals to hold it in place. I continued to added more dimensionals to the back and placed it on the card base. It is as simple as that.

You could even do the reverse mask and place circles on your cardstock and stamp or ink all over and then pull off the mask to reveal circles to use for the greeting or another image! There are so many fun ways to mask your card!!! Let me know what you favorite one is in the comments below!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Oct 3 2016

Something Good To Eat!!!

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Laura's Stamp Pad

The September Paper Pumpkin arrived and I was excited as always because I love seeing that orange box in the mailbox and the suspense of what is inside!!! You can see my excitement and all of the goodies inside here! All the goodies are in the photo above. I LOVE the test tubes. They are super cute and different than your typical treat bag or box. I was pumped!

Then I realized that none of the candy in the big bag that I bought for trick-or-treaters will fit into the test tube. Bummer. When giving treats to others, I try to always use prepackaged treats so this wasn’t going to work. I already had an idea for my Halloween treat so I decided to save these test tubes for Valentine’s Day (red hots, M&Ms, or Tic Tacs) or another project I have in mind (stay tuned). 😉 I stamped all of the witch’s pot and and scary cats in Pumpkin Pie Ink and used them for my Halloween Treats I planned on creating. Perfect!!! I was just using a “For You” tag!

My favorite thing from this whole set after the test tubes was the stamp set – a SUNFLOWER!!!! It is a 2 step stamping sunflower so you can get that yellow petal/brown center. I used the banners and the sunflower tags and stamped all over to create 8 greeting cards!!!

The pumpkin stamp was super fun to do as well….once I figured it out! I think this is right…..stamp the solid pumpkin image with the splits on the top. Then stamp the outline/lines on the bottom side and the stem on the top! I used Pumpkin Pie Ink and Garden Green Ink. These cards are perfect for the Fall. I plan on using them for my Thank You Notes to customers for their orders and just general thinking of you cards this Fall!

Here are all of the tags (minus the sunflower) that came in the kit. With so many, I was able to create tons of cards and treat bags. I am saving the gold border and black border tags for the test tube project or another project! I’m so excited I got 14 cards, tags for my treat bags and still lots of leftovers for another project! I love Paper Pumpkin even if I don’t make the intended project! Here are a lot more ways to use the tubes – check out this video! I think a Pumpkin Spice Mix would be fabulous! After all everyone seems to love pumpkin spice!

Don’t forget that you can get signed up for the October Paper Pumpkin Kit before the 10th using the Promo Code: BOGO and you will get your November Kit for FREE!!!! Click here to get signed up!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Sep 29 2016

Halloween One Sheet Wonder!!!

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Halloween is right around the corner and I know how much you all love One Sheet Wonders!!! By request from one of my YouTube Subscribers, I have created a Halloween One Sheet Wonder that includes cards and treats!!! I love this set and it is perfect for having a few cards on hand to send to loved ones and a few treats for trick-or-treats or nieces and nephews in my case!!! Let’s get started!

Here is the template I used for this Halloween Set. You might remember that the bottom row is the same as the other template. You can check out samples of that here, here, here, and here! I used the bottom row for all of the 6 cards.

The paper I used is from the Holiday Mini Catalog and it is called Halloween Night. Since I am not a huge Halloween fan, I purchased this paper and used a all occasion greeting set I have on hand and made these beauties. I used Pumpkin Pie and Smoky Slate for the card bases and pulled out some Basic Black scraps for layering. TIP: The black just lines the edge of the Designer Paper, not the entire portion. This is how you can use up those little pieces of scraps. The bottom middle card was created using the 1-3/4″ x 5-1/2″ and I cut it to 4-1/4 to go sideways on the card. Since it wasn’t that wide, I cut it in half and added a piece up high and down low and put a strip of Basic Black in the middle! 😉 See there are so many ways you can create fun cards with the One Sheet Wonder Technique! The greetings were all stamped with the Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set and punched out with the Classic Label Punch. I wanted a larger greeting to pop more on the card so I layered that onto the Decorative Label Punch and added loop of Metallic Black Thread behind it. I added some Enamel Shapes to a few of them! I love those things!

The top row is for these adorable treat boxes using the Clear Tiny Treat Boxes. I took each of those 2″ x 6″ pieces and scored them just a hair below the 2″ mark and 4″ mark so they would fold into the box. Since the box is 2″, you want to go a smidge less so it fits inside. Pop the Designer Paper into the box and add candy! For the outside decoration, I used Burlap Ribbon and Thick White Baker’s Twine. I stamped the For You from the Perfectly Wrapped Stamp Set and punched it out with the Classic Label Punch. I thought it looked too long for the tiny box so I cut one end off, punched a hole with the 1/8″ Handheld Punch and tied it to the treats with Black Metallic Thread. Love it! They do hold a decent amount of candy but they are so adorable!!!

So 6 cards and 6 treat boxes from 1 sheet of 12″ x 12″ Designer Paper is super fabulous and if you want to see the Video Tutorial of all of this, check out the one 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!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Don’t forget about the Paper Pumpkin BOGO Sale for new subscribers!!! Click here to get started and be sure to enter the Promo Code: BOGO Offer ends on October 10th!

Sep 26 2016

Perfect Paisleys!!!

Posted on September 26, 2016 by Laura's Stamp Pad

I just couldn’t help myself with this card! You all know I love Melon Mambo and Bermuda Bay and now the new Paisleys & Posies Stamp Set from the Holiday Mini Catalog. I love how you can use this stamp set with dark rustic colors for a fall look, bright colors for fun and flirty look, and subtles for a spring or baby look! Paisley print is so in right now and there are endless ways to use it!

I started with a Melon Mambo card base. Then I took a piece of Whisper White measuring 3-3/4″ x 5″ and placed it onto my work surface. I placed a strip of Post-It Note Tape 1/4″ from the left side edge and about an 1″ to an 1-1/2″ from that strip. This tape is perfect for masking because it is lightly sticky and it is thin. You could always use a piece of scrap paper but be sure to secure your cardstock and the mask down so they don’t move on your while you are stamping. Then I stamped in this open space with the Paisleys & Posies Stamp Set. I did 3 images in Melon Mambo Ink and 3 images in Bermuda Bay Ink. Be sure to start with your larger images first and then fill in with the smaller ones. Make sure that you are stamping over onto you mask because you want the pattern to look like it continues on. Once you are all done, you can remove your mask and finish the card. I stamped the greeting from the Tin of Cards Stamp Set. Also, I added a little circle in the lower right corner and placed an Enamel Shape in the middle of it. I love that little pop!!!! I wrapped some Bermuda Bay Stitched Ribbon around the cardstock and tied it into a knot. Now it is time to assemble. I added this layer to some Bermuda Bay cardstock and then to the card front!

I have been having lots of fun with masking and with the Paisleys Suite! Check out more samples here, here, and here!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Don’t forget about the Paper Pumpkin BOGO Sale for new subscribers!!! Click here to get started and be sure to enter the Promo Code: BOGO

Sep 21 2016

Petals & Paisleys!!!

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Stampin’ Up really makes some amazing Designer Series Paper. It steals the show and makes simple cards like these stunning!!! The color combination in the Petals and Paisleys Designer Series Paper is making me work outside the box but I am loving it. I never cared for Delightful Dijon until now!

I started with a Mint Macaron card base. Then I layered some of the Petals & Paisleys Designer Series Paper (3-3/4″ x 5″) onto Delightful Dijon cardstock and added some Mint Macaron Ribbon from the Trio Pack. I just laid the ribbon across the front and secured the ends on the back side and adhered it to the card base. For the greeting, I die cut one of the labels from the Lots of Labels Framelits. I stamped the greeting from the Paisleys & Posies Stamp Set in Rich Razzleberry Ink. I thought it needed a little bit more so I stamped the leaf from the same set in Mint Macaron on the top and bottom! It is the perfect accent. I added the greeting to the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals. Simple and fabulous!!!

If you would like to check out more samples using the Petals & Paisleys Suite, check them out here and here!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Don’t forget about the Paper Pumpkin BOGO Sale for new subscribers!!! Click here to get started and be sure to enter the Promo Code: BOGO

Sep 20 2016

Technique Tuesday – Purple & Gold!!!

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Tuesday!!! That means I have a fabulous technique to share with you today – heat embossing! Many of you may know all about heat embossing but I thought I would talk about the tools, steps of heat embossing and tips along the way as a refresher and for those who have never done it before!!!

Purple and Gold are so rich and fabulous. I love that deep color…..and you know I am a “Brights” girl!!! I played with some masking techniques on this one and I have some tips for you.

I started with a piece of Whisper White measuring 4″ x 5-1/4″ and I masked off the square. This can be any size or shape you would like. TIP: Use printer paper and not a Post-It Note because the sticky from the Post-It stays on the cardstock enough to hold embossing powder. So just cut strips of paper and lay them in a square or cut a square out of a piece of paper. Be sure to secure your cardstock to your surface as well as securing the mask to the surface. You don’t want the cardstock to move underneath your mask and you don’t want your mask to move. For this card, I actually colored in the square with a Sponge Dauber and Elegant Eggplant Ink but you could always use a Sponge Brayer! You can add as much color as you want for the perfect shade. Keep going if you want a darker look. Be sure to allow the ink to dry before embossing since you are adding so much ink in one spot. After a minute or so of drying (or use the Heat Tool to dry it), now it is time to emboss. Start by running the Embossing Buddy over the cardstock to get rid of an static on your cardstock. Tap off an excess powder and then stamp your image in VersaMark Ink. I stamped the flourish from the Flourishing Phrases Stamp Set. After stamping the image, you will pour the embossing powder of your choice over the image. I used Gold Embossing Powder. Tap off the excess powder and heat the image with your Heat Tool. TIP: Don’t wave the heat tool over your image because that is just dispersing the heat and then it will take longer. Start on one side or corner and once it starts to melt, just move your way around the image slowly until it is all melted. The first time you use the tool each time will take a bit longer than if you embossed 5 at one time because it takes a bit to warm up. So if you are making multiples, the first one might take a minute to melt but the rest will take 45 seconds.

Now that you have your image embossed it is time to finish it off. I stamped the greeting from the Number of Years Stamp Set and added some Gold Metallic Thread for texture and a little more gold!

If you would like to see Heat Embossing 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!

Do you like heat embossing on your projects? Let me know in the comments below! It is one of those techniques that looks amazing but sometimes you don’t want to haul out the tools or you forget because they are all in the drawer. I like embossing a lot on holiday cards because it looks so fabulous!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Sep 15 2016

Masking with the Swirly Scribbles!!!

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Laura's Stamp Pad

I am loving this card and the super fun technique!!! I saw it at a Demonstrator Team Event and couldn’t wait to try it out! Thank you Kim Peck for sharing it with all of us! I was totally going for a winter snowy look here and love how it turned out. You could always do it larger and add a tree from Lovely As A Tree or another favorite set of yours!

I started with a piece of Whisper White (3-3/4″ x 5″) and masked off a rectangle. You can either cut out a rectangle from a piece of scrap paper like printer paper or this Post-It Note Tape which is super fun and easy. I tried to do it with Painter’s Tape and it was too sticky and ripped when I pulled it back off. You will want to use a thin mask and not cardboard because you will want the ink from the Sponge Brayer to go to the edge. Once you have your rectangle masked off, you will add Marina Mist to the entire section with a Sponge Brayer. Continue to roll over it until you get the shade that you would like. Remember that the harder you press, doesn’t mean the darker the color. Jut lightly roll over the ink pad and then over the cardstock and repeat as many times till you get the preferred color. Next, you will need to die cut the swirly image from the Swirly Scribbles Framelits. Place this over your rectangle and secure it on both ends so it won’t move on you while you are adding more ink. I rolled over this mask with Night of Navy Ink. Again, continue to go over the mask until you have the desired look. Once you are all done, you can take all of the masks off and decorate! You could do this same technique on a full piece of paper as a background as well…..so many possibilities!

For the decoration, I stamped the greeting in Night of Navy from the Flurry of Wishes Stamp Set. I also stamped the snowflakes in both Marina Mist and Night of Navy and punched them out with the coordinating Snow Flurry Punch. I punched another set of snowflakes in Silver Foil Paper and off-set them with the stamped snowflakes. I wrapped some Silver Metallic Thread around the masked background portion of the card for a little bit of texture and bling. Then I added the snowflakes to the card with Stampin’ Dimensionals. I layered this piece onto Night of Navy cardstock and then a card base of Marina Mist. This card is perfect for the Holidays and throughout the entire winter season! You could always change up the colors for lots of different looks!

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

To see more masking techniques, check out this one here!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Laura's Stamp Pad

Laura Borchert ¤ Independent Stampin' Up!® Demonstrator ¤ Laura@LaurasStampPad.com

Tag Archives: Ribbon

Masking with the Elegant Butterfly!!!

Sack of Soybeans!!!

Swirly Scribble Pumpkins!!!

Masking with Circles!!!

Something Good To Eat!!!

Halloween One Sheet Wonder!!!

Perfect Paisleys!!!

Petals & Paisleys!!!

Technique Tuesday – Purple & Gold!!!

Masking with the Swirly Scribbles!!!