Nov 5 2013

Technique Tuesday – Gift Card Holders

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

It is Tuesday and so I’m sharing a fabulous technique with you!!! This week it is these adorable Gift Card Holders!!! Now is the time to start making a few of these to decorate that Gift Card before giving it this Holiday Season (or all year long)!!!

These are SUPER simple and easy but adorable! I recently asked for tips on what you would like to see on my blog and someone asked me to post about making multiples and how long it takes for a project! So here it comes……

Supplies Needed: Solid sheet of cardstock, Designer Series Paper, Sticky Strip, and Velcro

Taking one sheet of 8-1/2” x 11”, cut at 3-1/2” along the 11” side (you can get 3 out of one sheet of cardstock)! Score your card at 2-1/2” from one end and 2” from the other end. Optional: Using your corner rounder punch, round the corners on the 2” end. Cut 3 pieces of Designer Series Paper – 3-1/4” x 1-3/4”, 3-1/4” x 2-1/4”, and 3-1/4” x 3-3/4”. This is a great chance to use some scrap pieces of your Designer Series Paper or the Paper Stacks that are found in the Holiday Mini Catalog, like this sample! Using the corner rounder punch, punch just the 2 corners on the 1-3/4” piece of Designer Series Paper. Fold your cardstock on the score lines to create your gift card holder, using sticky strip on the sides of 2-1/4” side of cardstock to adhere it together. Attach the Designer Series Paper to the top flap, bottom pocket, and back side. Attach a small piece of Velcro to the flap to hold it closed! Optional: Punch out a piece of cardstock and stamp a greeting or image on it. I didn’t actually time myself on this one but I would say you can create 3 (since that’s one sheet of cardstock) in about 5 minutes! I will have to actually time myself on the next batch! 🙂

I hope you enjoy these and try it out! I have been making millions of these!

Happy Giftin’

~Laura

Oct 22 2013

Technique Tuesday – Pop-Up Ornaments!

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

It is Tuesday and so I’m sharing a fabulous technique with you!!! This week it is Pop-Up Ornaments!!

So you are probably thinking…..This doesn’t look like an ornament! This is the ornament all closed up and it would look amazing as a tag for a present. You could put the year and the person’s name on it! (I remember as a kid fighting over which ornament was mine or one of my siblings.) After seeing this adorable tag, you will slide the little bauble up the string and POP!!!!

Then you will slide the bauble back in place to hold the ornament tight together and you can hang it on your tree!!! The cool part is it is super simple to create! I got this idea from a fellow stamper – Tami White! I love sharing ideas with others!!!

Here is what you will need: Five 3 x 3″ squares and Two 1.5 x 1.5″ squares of cardstock, a bauble or bead of some sort and some ribbon.

Each of your 3 x 3″ squares will need to be scored at 1.5″ on both sides and only one diagonal. It should then fold in half both ways (up and down & side to side) and then for diagonal. You will then stamp on both sides of your pieces of cardstock. For the one above, I stamped Night of Navy and Silver with the Festive Flurry Stamp Set randomly on one side. On the other side, I stamped one snowflake in Cherry Cobbler in the center of each square using the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig. By stamping each one in the center, when you assemble, you will get that complete Cherry Cobbler snowflake on the sides as shown above. You could always stamp randomly on both sides, or even use Designer Series Paper (or Glimmer Paper!!! I thought about that and want to try it out soon). After you are finished stamping, I added that brushed look to all of the edges (front and back) with my sponge daubers! Now it is time to fold and assemble. You will fold on all score lines to get a crease and then fold in half with the diagonal points going in. I know that probably doesn’t make much sense so I hope these pictures helps!

I hope you enjoy these amazingly adorable ornaments and share them with all of your friends and family during the Holidays! If you have any questions when you try this out for yourself, I would love for you to reach out me. Post in the comments below and I will respond!!!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Oct 15 2013

Technique Tuesday – Starburst

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

It is Tuesday and so I’m sharing a fabulous technique with you!!! This week it is this StarBurst Technique!!!!

Okay this card is the most AMAZING card I think I have ever created (in my almost 10 years of stamping). It is SO me – Pink and it says Fabulous!!! I got this technique from a fellow stamper – Ramona Simpson! It is super simple but when going all the way around can take 2 minutes or so. 🙂

Supplies Needed: 2 Ink Pads, Sponge Daubers, and 2 scraps of paper (one for a circle, and one as you edge for inking)

You will see I punched a circle out and put a little dab of Snail on the back to hold it in place on my cardstock (not a lot because you will be pulling this back off). I put a dot in the center of my circle so I could line my other scrap piece of paper (you can use the cardboard piece that comes in the back of a package of Designer Series Paper since it’s thicker and stronger for reusing over and over) up with that dot each time I was going around to make my color burst. To get started you will put your scrap piece down and take your inside color (might not always be the darker one) and sponge dauber starting on the circle and rubbing down the scrap paper (only half way). Then you will take your second color and starting at the end of the first color, rub down to the end of the cardstock. Once you have done both colors, you will move your scrap forward (lining it up with the dot) and repeat. Do this all the way around or just on the top half of your cardstock for a sunrise/set or moon look. When you are finished going around you may have a few white areas towards the edge of your cardstock, just lightly dauber those with the coordinating color to fill in. I can’t wait to do it in a Purple next! I did another sample…..but then my husband informed me it is backwards. The light blue should be in the middle and the dark blue should be on the outside. Either way I think it looks cool! Right??

Please share in the comment what colors you want to try!

Happy Color Burstin’

~Laura

Oct 8 2013

Technique Tuesday – Flip Flop Card

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

It is Tuesday and so I’m sharing a fabulous technique with you!!! This week it is the Flip Flop Cards!!!

Okay so Stampin’ Up came out with these amazing Thinlit Dies which makes making Flip Flop cards super easy! But I have some tips for using the Thinlit Dies and a little extra trick to show you! The card above was created in Gumball Green and I used the Birthday Basics Designer Series Paper to decorate it. The circle is a 2-1/2″ Circle Punch from Whisper White and the cute little chameleon is from the Tag It Stamp Set! I just wish you all could Flip Flop the card in person since it is so much fun!

The Thinlits are available in two different styles and check out all the amazing goodies you get with each one! You will notice that the dimensions for the card are 6-1/4″ x 5-1/2″. In the card above, you can see there really isn’t a spot to write your greeting. Although I have used the back for that which works perfect (and then you are using all of the card 🙂 ). But here is a trick for you to have an extra spot to write your greeting! Cut your cardstock to 5-1/2 x 8-1/2″ (regular card size) and you will put it in the Big Shot with the Thinlit but on the end you will pop it through and leave the “tail” on the top side so it doesn’t get cut when running it through the Big Shot. See photo below and how the cardstock is above the Thinlit on the right side.

Dimensions: Card – 5-1/2 x 8-1/2″, Candle Designer Series Paper Piece – 1-7/8 x 5-1/4″, Inside Polka Dot Designer Series Paper – 2-3/4 x 5-1/4″, Whisper White Greeting Piece – 2-3/8 x 5-1/4″, Outer Flap of Polka Dot Designer Series Paper – 2-3/8 x 5-1/4″. And when you have assembled your card, you get this! The extra little flip for your message! Super cut and still fits in a regular envelope!!! LOVE IT!

I know my instructions can sometimes be confusing so post a comment below if you have any questions.

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Oct 1 2013

Technique Tuesday – Tips and Tricks

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

It is Tuesday and so I’m sharing some fabulous tricks and tips with you today!!!

You can get 2 regular sized cards from an 8-1/2 x 11″ sheet of cardstock. You either cut at 4-1/4″ on the 8-1/2″ side or you will cut at 5-1/2″ on the 11″ side.

If you want to create a mini card, it is best to use a sheet of 12″ x 12″ cardstock and you will cut 3″ x 6″ rectangles (making a 3″ x 3″ card). Since 12 is divisible by 3 and 6, you will get the most out of your cardstock this way.
When using Glimmer Paper or Designer Series Paper (or any cardstock for that matter), you can use 2 little strips to back your image instead of wasting a full piece underneath. Notice the Glimmer Paper in this example (the orange card)- I used two mini strips on the top and bottom! Makes your paper go further this way!
When using Mini Glue Dots, leave the dot on the paper strip that is comes on and press your piece of ribbon or cardstock onto the dot rather than trying to pull off the little clear sticky dot and placing onto your project.
When assembling your stamps, be sure to pull off the paper on the stamp and on the clear label! Then leaving the clear label on the piece of paper that is arrives on, lay the stamp over it and then pull them both up together!
When using ribbon on your project, you can cut a piece of ribbon that lays across your piece of cardstock and wrap the ends to the back side. Then take another smaller piece of ribbon making a “t” and tie a knot around your first strip of ribbon. This will give the look of tying the ribbon around but it uses less ribbon and your knot isn’t as thick.
Always use Sticky Strip when making a Box or any other 3D item because it holds super strong. TIP: It is not forgiving though so once you place it down, it’s there!

I hope you found these tips and tricks helpful!! I will be posting more in a few weeks! Leave me a comment if you have a tip to share!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Sep 24 2013

Technique Tuesday – Shaker Cards

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

It is Tuesday and so I’m sharing a fabulous technique with you!!! This week it is Shaker Cards!!!!

I so wish that you all could shake this card while reading this post so you could really see how cool these cards are! But since you can’t, you are just going to have to take my word for it! The Champagne Glass Glitter that you see covering part of the leaf actually shakes around inside a little sealed area! Super cute and fun! And Stampin’ Up has these things called Shaker Frames so it’s super simple too!

You will need: Cardstock, a Punch to create your window, Window Sheets, Shaker Frames, and confetti of some sort (Glitter Glass, small punched out shapes, anything)

Basic Instructions: Stamp your image onto a piece of cardstock (this will be the image in the window). Place a Shaker Frame around the image (could be the entire image or just part of it). Pour in your confetti and place the Window Sheet on top to seal the confetti in. Take another piece of cardstock and punch an image out (this will be your window) and place on top of the window sheet to hide the window sheet edges and shaker frame.

You can use all kinds of punches and images and confetti! The possibilities are endless and they are super fun the shake around and admire! I hope you try out shaker frames and share your thoughts or questions in the comments below!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Sep 20 2013

Flutter by Butterfly!

Posted on September 20, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

I love butterflies so much! As a kid I remember watching them, running after them, trying to catch them, and caging caterpillars in hopes to watch it turn into a butterfly! And now as an adult, I still enjoy them! Butterflies are colorful and beautiful and I think they can brighten anyone’s day!

I made this fabulous Butterfly Frame with the Beautiful Wings Embosslits! I used lots of my paper scraps (who doesn’t have a million of those around) and used every Stampin’ Up! color! I love how it turned out and then I added a few pearls in there too! Gotta have some bling! This is hanging right inside the door to my stamp room! I love it!

This fabulous card is super quick and simply. Just take a few markers in any colors and start inking up your butterfly, stamp it down, layer it onto your card and Voila! You are all done and have just created a beautiful, bright and simple card! This card doesn’t even need a greeting so it could be used for any occasion! This card uses the Swallowtail Stamp!

This last card is actually a shaker card! The bling in that center butterfly moves around under a clear window sheet! Check out my Technique Tuesday next week to learn more about Shaker Cards! This card uses the Papillion Portpouri Stamp Set and Elegant Butterfly Punch!

There are lots of other butterfly items too – Beautiful Butterfly Bigz Die, Bitty Butterfly Punch and wheels and more!! And don’t forget about the Butterfly Bundle this month! You get 15% off when you purchase the bundle this month!!!

Hope you have a bright and cheerful day after seeing all these butterflies!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Sep 17 2013

Technique Tuesday – Core’dinations Cardstock

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

It is Tuesday and so I’m sharing a fabulous technique with you!!! This week it is Core’dinations Cardstock!!!!

So I don’t feel like the picture above showcases the Core’dinations Cardstock very well but I can tell you it’s super cool! This cardstock is different from the regular Stampin’ Up! cardstock. The Core’dinations cardstock is a little bit thicker and the center of the cardstock is a lighter shade of the cardstock. This way when you use the Sanding Blocks on the cardstock to rough it up, you will get a dual color look. You can also run it thought the Big Shot with an embossing folder and then rough up those embossed edges and really get a fabulous textured look! Check out this post with a great man card using the Woodgrain Folder!

This photo shows the Core’dinations cardstock much better! I did this Christmas Card twice but I “stepped up” the one card by using the Core’dinations Cardstock rather than regular cardstock. You can see that the card on the left has a lighter color around the mosaic image and it gives the card a little more texture and color. The card on the right was embossed with the same embossing folder and while it looks amazing too, it doesn’t have that antiqued look and texture.

So all you need for this technique is the Core’dinations cardstock!!!!! You can use it alone and tear the edges to show the lighter color underneath! You can also use it with your Sanding Block and Embossing folders! I hope you try it out soon!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Sep 10 2013

Technique Tuesday – Inking with Your Sponge Daubers!

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

It is Tuesday and so I’m sharing a fabulous technique with you!!! This week it is Inking with Your Sponge Daubers!!!!

Okay if you don’t have these fabulous sponge daubers in your craft collection, CLICK HERE! You totally need them! I probably use mine…..daily! I love love love these things. I brush the edges of my cardstock to give that softened look. I create this fabulous technique. I used them for Reverse Masking in last week’s post! You can use them with your Build A Banner Templates! And I can go on and on! Trust me these are amazing and you get 12 in a pack!!!! Okay onto this fabulous technique!

All you need are your sponge daubers, a few ink pads, and a stamp! You can either ink up your image with the lightest color and then add the other ink colors with the sponge daubers or you can add all of the ink colors with your sponge daubers. In the Happy Birthday sample above, I used the Happy Birthday greeting from the Delightful Dozen Stamp Set. I used Gumball Green, Raspberry Ripple, Bermuda Bay and Summer Starfruit! Always start with your lightest color and just pounce in the ink and pounce or rub in random places on your stamp! Move to the next color and keep going until you have applied all colors and the stamp is covered. Sometimes you might want to rub your dauber on paper before going back into the ink just in case you might have picked up another dark color. This helps keep your daubers clean too!!! Huff on your stamp (Ha Ha like the stamp is hot) and then press onto your cardstock!!! Here is another sample:

For this fabulous colored leaf, I inked the Magnificent Maple in Crushed Curry and then used my dauber to ink the Pumpkin Pie around going just about a dauber width in and then I took my Chocolate Chip dauber and did just the edges. Doesn’t that leaf just look so amazing and it has that perfect fall look! I have to admit when I first did it I was afraid it wasn’t going to come out and then BOOM onto the paper, lift the stamp and AMAZING! You can try this out with flowers, other greetings and so much more!!! Don’t forget to go order your daubers today!

Have fun and Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Sep 3 2013

Technique Tuesday – Reverse Masking!

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

It is Tuesday and so I’m sharing a fabulous technique with you!!! This week it is Reverse Masking!

Reverse masking is a technique that I recently tried out and fell in love!!! It gives such an amazing look! In the card above I feel like it makes a perfect scene for this Poppy. It give me a feeling of evening sunset. I have done many more of these cards using the Sympathy greeting in the Simply Sketched Stamp Set – so elegant and uplifting!!!

This second card was created using the same technique! I created the template with the Oval Framelits! I cut out an oval for the template and then I used that oval and the next size up to create the Black frame! Also, the fabulous Butterflies came from the Papillon Potpourri Stamp Set! Check out the special on that Stamp Set this month here! You could really create a fabulous window look with this technique too! I want to try it out with a rainbow of colors next! To create your template, use the cardboard backing used in your Designer Series Paper Packaging, cut out your image (oval, rectangle, Circle, etc) and then you are good to go!!!

I hope you enjoy this technique and try it out soon!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Laura's Stamp Pad

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

Tag Archives: Technique Tuesday

Technique Tuesday – Gift Card Holders

Technique Tuesday – Pop-Up Ornaments!

Technique Tuesday – Starburst

Technique Tuesday – Flip Flop Card

Technique Tuesday – Tips and Tricks

Technique Tuesday – Shaker Cards

Flutter by Butterfly!

Technique Tuesday – Core’dinations Cardstock

Technique Tuesday – Inking with Your Sponge Daubers!

Technique Tuesday – Reverse Masking!