Happy Birthday Cupcake

Hello! Hope you're having a good week!

I made this card for one of my Susan Branch friends who has a birthday this month. Since winter is such a colorless part of the year, I was wanting to do something with some serious COLOR. So I reached into my designer papers and found a lovely pink and orange number that spoke to me. 

I also found some orange gingham ribbon that made me happy. And cupcakes are perfect for a birthday card, don't you think? So I used one from Inkadinkado's Birthday Cupcake set.

I "frosted" the cupcake with Copics and added Stickles glitter glue to highlight. I love Stickles!

The inside is not very fancy, but I did some paper piercing and corner treatments to spiff it up. The inside sentiment is from SU! Birthday Greetings. It says, "Sorry I'm late -- hope your birthday was great!" I was late getting this out, so that saying fits perfectly.

Well, that's it, Thanks for coming by!

Recipe:

Stamps: Inkadinkado Birthday Cupcakes, SU! Simple Sayings II, SU! Birthday Greetings, SU! Canvas

Inks: Versafine Onyx Black, VersaMark, Copics

Cardstock: Pocket Full of Posies designer paper by DCWV, White from Papertrey Ink, hot pink from ???

Other: Cuttlebug Tiny Bubbles and Floral Screen embossing folders, SU Ticket Corner Punch, Ornare Decorative Corners piercing template, piercing tool, sponge mat, Stickles (various colors), orange gingham ribbon

Inspired by my littlest

After all the coloring I've done, I ended up making a card with an image I never set out to use on a card. Funny. My youngest wanted something to color with my Stampin' Pastels (chalks) as she had a blast the other day when I let her play with them. So I thought this big silhouette image from Stampin' Up! Inspired By Nature would be just perfect. Well, I stamped me one, too, and boy, was it fun to color!

I stamped it in VersaMark ink and let it dry for maybe 30 minutes or so. I find it's easier to color if the ink is drier. I began by laying on the main colors I wanted the flowers and leaves and stems to be. Then I kept adding little touches of other colors. Once I liked the way it looked and decided to make a card out of it, I added more touches of color to match the background papers (Basic Grey Recess 6x6 pad - retired) and finished it off by going over the edges of the images ever-so-slightly in black chalk. It ended up looking like a watercolor! I used an eye shadow applicator to apply the smaller touches of color, as it was more precise that way. But for the big washes of color I used mini pompoms and an alligator clip. That's just my preference. You might like to do it differently.

*Edited to add* After coloring, I used a kneaded eraser to remove the excess around the images. It comes right off.

After I finished coloring the image, I put it through the Cuttlebug using the Script embossing folder. Then I spritzed it with Stampin' Up! Basic Black ink using the Inkworx air art gun (which, I think, goes by a different name now).

The word stamp is a Dawn Houser image by Inkadinkado. I thought it had just the right feel for this image.

Stamps: SU Inspired By Nature, Inkadinkado 8361-L (Dawn Houser line)

CS: Black, PTI white, Basic Grey Recess

Inks: VersaMark, Memento Tuxedo Black

Other: Cuttlebug Script embossing folder, Stampin' Up! Scallop Trim border punch, Nestabilities Long Classic Rectangles Large, Long Classic Scalloped Rectangles Large, sewing machine, Inkworx air art gun, SU Basic Black marker, clear gems, black polka dot ribbon, foam mounting tape, Stampin' Pastels, eye shadow applicator, mini pompoms, alligator clip, kneaded eraser

You're so...Sweet

Isn't this a fun cupcake? It was a digi freebie from Christy Croll of Tiddly Inks if you join her Paper Craft Planet group. Tiddly Inks is another one of those stamp companies with the cutest images ever. She has many in rubber, if you prefer, over at Stamping Bella. Oh my goodness, how I wish she would put some of her rubber stamps in digi format!! IMO, her cutest ones are in rubber.

I went a bit wild with my sewing machine, lol I thought I'd just avoid every attempt to line the stitching up and watched where the needle took me. It took me all over the place.

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed Sunday evening!

Stamps: Tiddly Inks Spring Cupcake digi, Inkadinkado Birthday Cupcake saying

CS: SU Real Red, PTI white, SU Tempting Turquoise, SU More Mustard, black

Inks: printer, Versafine Onyx Black

Copics: W3, W5, BG11, BG13, YR23

Other: Nestabilities Blossom dies, Standard Circles Small die, SU Scallop Trim Border punch, corner rounder punch, sewing machine, foam mounting tape, red polka dot ribbon, black gingham ribbon, red gems

Flying Cupcakes

Hello all! My apologies for the picture of this card. It was hard to stand up to photograph because it's 5.5" X 8.5" - a whole sheet of cardstock folded in half. Actually, what I meant to say was that the black base is only on the back, so the front does not have support. So I had to lean it against something to get a pic of it.

Confession time. I bought cards at the store for almost everyone I needed a card for this month. And you know what? I was so glad I did because the one thing I always feel is lacking in my cards is sincere sentiments. I found the perfect cards for everyone I bought for! I mean the words spoke so deeply about my feelings. And it felt good to accomplish such a goal. It's not that my own handmade cards aren't appreciated, but sometimes I want it to be more than just a pretty card. I want it to speak from the heart.

I am not a poet and I am no good at saying how I feel in my cards. I try, but I don't really have that gift. Others do, and I'm so thankful for that because they can put to words just how I feel and set those words right in the perfect card, and all I have to do is buy it. Yeah, I could probably make a more glittery, splashy-looking card, but it's what is said inside (or outside) that really counts.

While I know there are sites out there that give free prose for the taking, my printers are very limited and buying a new one just to print on my cards seems wasteful. So I stick to the stamps I have. But they are so limited. And I'm trying to avoid wasteful spending right now. The Lord knows how much money I've already sunk into this hobby!

Anywho, I did want to make a dear friend a card because she is also a stamper and today's her birthday! So this one is for her. Teresa has a dream about baking cakes for a living. She's very good at it! I'm so hopeful that God may be directing her very soon in that direction. This being the case, I had to make her a card with some kind of cake on it! So I pulled out the Inkadinkado set, Birthday Cupcake, and did a nice scene of flying (or dancing, if you will) cupcakes in her favorite color - pink.

I wanted it to have a soft appearance, so I used Swirl vellum over Blush Blossom cardstock like I did for this card. The design is really simple. The most elaborate work I did was on the cupcake scene. I stamped it in Versafine Onyx Black ink on Canson watercolor paper. Then I colored it with markers. Then I put the glitter on and THEN decided to cuttlebug it. That was a slight mistake, but it still turned out fine since the glue was dry under the glitter.

Oh, btw, I used SU Basic Black ink on the saying because it dries on vellum quickly, unlike the Versafine.

I appreciate you having a look. Be well!

Recipe

Stamps: Inkadinkado Birthday Cupcake, Stampin' Up! Birthday Greetings

CS: Black, Blush Blossom, Swirl vellum, Canson watercolor paper

Inks: SU Basic Black, Versafine Onyx Black

Markers: Blush Blossom, Cameo Coral, Pixie Pink, Pretty in Pink, Mellow Moss, Certainly Celery, Barely Banana

Other: Cuttlebug Tiny Bubbles embossing folder, clear glue, fine white Crystal Snow glitter, black polka dot ribbon, Stamp-a-ma-jig, 3D-Dots

Cupcake Sweet Friend

Another no-red card. But orange seeped in again. It's such a refreshing color, especially this time of year.

This card was one of those cards that start out so differently than I had intended. It was full of mishaps and detours. For instance, I hadn't intended it to be on a black base. I was actually going to make it white. But after goofing up part of the white on the front I had to cut it down and use another background.

I knew I wanted to use this designer paper from Pocket Full of Posies by DCWV. I love the softness of the green and the little sparkles that are unfortunately not visible in the pics. (Actually, I can see the glittery-ness now that I am looking at it on my laptop. Go figure.) And I knew I wanted a clean-looking card, thus the (original) white base. I had originally not intended to use any black. But once I put that polka dot ribbon against the other elements I was smitten with the look.

I can't believe I didn't do any dry embossing on a large scale like I usually do. I did emboss the oval after cutting it out using an oval Nestie. I also cut out the scalloped oval with the Cuttlebug, but that's all the cuttlebugging I did.

I used my favorite Martha Stewart punch - Doily Lace - twice to give a layered look. It always looks so smart in white.

The cupcake is heat embossed using Brilliance Graphite Black ink and Judikins Detail Black ep. The coloring-in was done using Prismacolor pencils. You can't see it, but I originally made the white oval with another cupcake on it. I didn't like the way it turned out so I did another one, cut it out, and glued it over the other one. Saved me the hassle of redoing the oval cutting and embossing.

I had not meant to put a bow on the oval, but right when I was finishing up the original card, I realized that I had laid my hand on my Stamp-a-ma-jig with wet black ink on it and messed up the finished oval. Ugh! Rather than start over, I sanded the cardstock to remove as much of the dried ink as I could. Then I punched a hole over it and added the ribbon. Worked well enough.

The black polka dot ribbon actually conceals another boo boo that I made trying to run a line of paper-pierced holes along the white cs over the designer paper.

One thing I wish I would've done differently is heat emboss the word stamp, or at least use the Brilliance ink. I used Memento Tuxedo Black and see now that it's not as dark as the Brilliance ink.

I used Sticky Doos to pop out the ovals and the designer paper.

I think that's about it. Do you ever have cards that are so much trouble to make?

Recipe:

Stamps: Inkadinkado Birthday Cupcake, Taylored Expressions Sweet Celebration

CS: Black, White, Pocket Full of Posies by DCWV, Bashful Blue

Inks: Brilliance Graphite Black, Memento Tuxedo Black

Other: Cuttlebug, Oval and scalloped oval Nesties, Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch, Sticky Doos, Judikins Detail Black ep, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Black polka dot ribbon, 1/4" Blue organdy ribbon, Prismacolor pencils

Birdie Get Well

Hey, I stamped! It about whooped my shoulder, so I'm not sure when I'll stamp again, but I'll take what I can get.

I needed a card for my MIL's best friend who is going through breast cancer treatments and is a dear, dear lady. She's always got a cheerful countenance and I wanted to send her a cheerful card. This bird from Inkadinkado's Birds Galore set seemed just right.

I stamped the bird in Brilliance Graphite Black to get a really bold image on the designer paper (K&Company K-ology 6x6 Hannah paper pad). Since the stamp was a clear stamp I put the pad on the stamp rather than the stamp on the pad. This helped me get a better overall impression. I just kept kissing the stamp with the pad until I didn't see anymore light spots. Brilliance ink is a hybrid of dye ink and craft ink. It dries slowly enough that you can emboss with it and fast enough that you can use it as a regular dye based ink, but with a bit of a waiting period. It's also a true black, not a really dark brown, blue or purple like some black inks. It's a very versatile ink.

I used the Cuttlebug Tiny Bubbles embossing folder on the designer paper because I can't help myself. I sponged Rose Romance and Ruby Red inks on it to pop out the embossing. I used the Doily Lace punch by Martha Stewart on white cs to tuck under it because I love the effect. Just love the look that punch gives everything it touches.

I used the corner punch, as you can see, and a rectangular scalloped Nestie. I put white rhinestones on 3 of the flowers behind the bird. I sponged the bird section like I did the top portion.

For the base of the card I stamped with the SU Canvas background stamp on Ruby Red cs with Rose Romance ink. Worked perfectly with the designer paper colors. Unfortunately, the Canvas stamp is smaller than my 5" x 5" card base and I ended up with a line of demarcation due to overlap. So I worked it into the design and added more lines. Fixed that boo boo, quick! It might be hard to see in the pic, though.

I popped out the main portion of the card and the "get well" piece and punched holes around both the "get well" piece and the black cs.

Ugh, my shoulder can only take so much typing. It's starting to feel fatigued. Let me get the recipe up and be done. Thanks for looking!

Recipe:

Stamps: Inkadinkado Birds Galore, SU Canvas, CTMH Spunky Greetings

CS: Ruby Red, Black, White, K&Company K-ology Hannah designer paper

Inks: Brilliance Graphite Black, Rose Romance, Ruby Red

Other: Cuttlebug Tiny Bubbles embossing folder, Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch, Nestabilities Scalloped rectangle, Silver brads, White rhinestones, Sponges, Sticky Doos, 1/16" hole punch, Paper piercer, Sponge mat from Mat Pack, Diamond Glaze (to glue down rhinestones), Corner punch, Black polka dot ribbon

Sweet Cupcakes OCC Challenge - Limited Supplies

Ack! I just realized the ribbon was crooked in this pic! Oh well.

I'm not really happy with the way this card photographed. Too stark/dark for me. It looks much more cheerful and sunny in person.

This was for the OCC Challenge this week which is about using no designer paper and only up to 4 layers. I never realized how hard that would be! I do depend on layering quite a lot.

Since I had to limit my layers I thought I'd use some dimensional effects to make the card pop out more. I pierced holes all around the edge of the Old Olive cs and along the ribbon on either side on the Yoyo Yellow cs (haven't used that color in awhile!). I also pierced around the ovals.

Before piercing the Yoyo Yellow I stamped one side with the SU Print Pattern background stamp in VersaMark ink. Then I ran the other side through the Cuttlebug using the "Swiss Dots" folder. The vertical ribbon hides the line of demarcation between them.

I stamped the sentiment from the Inkadinkado set, "Birthday Cupcake" as well as the "sparkles" in Basic Black ink. The sparkles added a bit more "activity" to the overall look. I also stamped the "sparkle" on the oval in Bordering Blue ink, stamping off once on scrap paper to keep the images light. I used a water brush and the Bordering Blue ink pad to do a little shadow around the cupcakes. The cupcakes are colored with SU Markers: Only Orange, Blush Blossom and Old Olive. I used a clear glitter on the frosting and a star gem for the star on the top of the middle cupcake.

I'd seen someone add ribbons to one of those spiral paper clips, so I've been wanting to try it. Mine doesn't look as nice as the card I saw it used on, but it adds a bit of whimsy to this card, I think. I had a dickens of a time getting it to clip on to my satisfaction. I bent the oval I tried so much!

Dimensionals were used to pop out the ovals between and behind.

I think that about covers everything! Thanks for looking!

Stamps: SU Print Pattern, Inkadinkado Birthday Cupcake
CS: Old Olive, Yoyo Yellow, White
Inks: VersaMark, Basic Black, Bordering Blue
Markers: Only Orange, Blush Blossom, Old Olive
Other: Cuttlebug "Swiss Dots" embossing folder, Nestabilities Classic ovals (regular and scalloped), Glitter, 2-way glue, Dimensionals, Straight pin, Mat pack cushion, Ribbons, Spiral paper clip, Clear star gem