100TH SCRAMBLE

Today, the Hero Arts Flickr group held their 100th 90-minute Scramble! We were to create a card using our all-time favorite Hero Arts image stamp and Hero Arts sentiment stamp. I couldn't pick just one image stamp, so I decided to try 2 together. I chose to use Hero Arts Silhouette Grass and Hero Arts Leafy Vine. I wasn't sure how the two would work together, and I was ho hum about it at first. But, the more I look at, the more it's growing on me! My sentiment was an easy choice. I chose "You Are Special" from Hero Arts Great Flourish Messages stamp set. These sentiments are so elegant! So....here's my card:

To make this A2 size card, I started with a 4"x5.25" piece of white cardstock. I inked my Leafy Vine stamp with "Bundled Sage" and Brushed Corduroy" Distress Inks, spritzed it with water and stamped it onto my cardstock. Once that was dry (I cheated and used a heat gun since I only had 90 minutes!), I inked my Silhouette Grass stamp with Versamark ink, stamped it a bit off-center, then heat embossed the image with gold embossing powder. This piece was then adhered to a 4.25"x5.5" piece of gold cardstock, then finally adhered to my white card base. For the sentiment, I inked the stamp with Versamark, and again heat embossed with gold embossing powder. This was then adhered (off-centered) to the card front with foam tape. The final touch was a few gold gems on the sentiment piece.

MEMORY BOX HEART DIES

I just received some new Memory Box dies that I've been so eager to create with! These dies were purchased from the wonderful web site The Fruit of My Hands. As part of the design team, I wanted to make some cards with some of the newer items sold by Memory Box. Here's the first card:

To make this card, I cut a 4"x5.25" piece of white cardstock. I colored some white embossing paste with a drop of "Broken China" Distress Ink. Temporarily adhering (I use washi tape) my piece of white cardstock to a non-stick craft sheet and adhering the Memory Box "Textured Mesh" stencil (#88517) over the cardstock and onto the craft sheet, I smeared the colored embossing paste over the stencil. Then, I carefully lifted the stencil and let the paste dry. Next, I die cut the heart shapes out of an adhesive-backed cork sheet using the Memory Box "Precious Hearts" die (#98474). They were then placed on top of my mesh pattern. The sentiment is from an old, retired, Stampin' Up! stamp. It was adhered to the card front with foam tape. Finally, this finished piece was adhered to my A2 kraft cardstock base.

Here's the second card:

For this card, I also used an A2 kraft cardstock base. I LOVE kraft cardstock! To make this card, I cut several die cuts from the Memory Box "Twirled Heart Border" die (#98279). Each cut was made with a different, but coordinating piece of patterned paper from My Mind's Eye "Dolled Up" 6X6 paper pad. I had a leftover piece of white woodgrain cardstock that I really wanted to use. So, I adhered the outline of the heart border to my woodgrain cardstock. Then, I selected random hearts from my other die cuts and glued them inside the heart border. All this was then glued to the front of my kraft cardbase. The sentiment is from Technique Tuesday's "Simply You" stamp set. For the stitching, I simply used a white gel pen. 

To purchase Memory Box and other fine quality craft dies and stencils at discounted prices, please visit The Fruit of My Hands.

I LOVE YOU

Happy New Year!! I am privileged and blessed to be a member of the design team for The Fruit of My Hands. This is a wonderful sight that sells high quality dies stamps at reduced prices. For our first post as a Design Team, we're all creating Valentine theme cards. Here's mine:

Here's how I made it:
First, using kraft cardstock, I cut three die cuts from the Memory Box "Woodland Branch" die (#98187) and glued them on top of each other for a little bit of dimension. Next I cut the two birds out of red cardstock using Poppy Stamps "Peaceful Bird" die (#929). The white heart was cut out of white corrugated paper. I adhered the white heart to a leftover piece of kraft cardstock. The branch was placed and glued on top of the heart. For the snow, I used Flower Soft "Polar White" by running a thin line of Flower Soft glue along the top of the branches, then pressing the Flower Soft into the glue. The birds were then glued on top of the branch (with one of the bird die cuts flipped horizontally so that the birds would be facing each other). Three small red hearts were cut using this die from Simon Says Stamp. These hearts were glued randomly to the card front, then covered with "Fired Brick" Distress Stickles. When the stickled hearts were dry, I glued my focal piece to my A2 white cardstock base. The stamped sentiment is from Avery Elle's "Handwritten Notes" stamp set.

To purchase Memory Box, Poppy Stamps, and many other fine dies, please visit The Fruit of My Hands.