Materials Swap - Carol's Materials

Usually I start talking about a swap of this nature by showing the materials I was sent - but I forgot to take a picture until I was nearly finished!  So, I'll start with the cards I made & then show what materials I had left.  (And yes, there were enough materials to make more than one card - including 3 of the same stamped images.)

For this first one, I decided to leave the stamped image as is.  I would have loved to somehow add a pop of red, but couldn't figure out how to do that without coloring the flowers (since it would have been against the rules of the swap to bring in a red mat).  At any rate, it's a bit hard to see everything in the picture clearly, so I'll describe it.  There are two mats - one metallic silver, and one striped black (I cut them and most others used here with Spellbinders A2 Cardmaking Basics Rectangles).  The focal was edged with a black sharpie to look like another mat, wrapped with some silver and black ribbon, and added with foam tape for dimension.  The die cut greeting is in two layers - silver matted on black - added with foam squares.  The finishing touch is 5 pearls - 3 at the bottom and one at the center of each rose.

Inside:

Inside is very simple, since I find I don't want as much inside an A2 card - just a narrow frame of the black and white paper.

Card #2:

This time I colored the image with gelatos & a water brush.  Since we weren't supposed to use anything (other than coloring supplies & adhesive) that wasn't in the kit, I didn't use a card blank, but instead made one with the piece of plain white card that had been included.  I scored the top of the colored card and glued it to the back of the plain one.  This made it a bit short in front - which was perfect, allowing the black and white strip from the inside to show through to the outside.  I wrapped ribbon around the whole thing & tied a bow and decided to add another narrow strip of the black & white paper as well.  A small die cut greeting (dies from a puzzle die set I got in a card making magazine), and some little rhinestones - 3 in the center of the first rose & 2 in the other one - completed the card front.

Inside:

Inside I just added a small strip of the black and white striped paper.

This is what I had left - a fairly large piece of silver with a silver frame, two smaller pieces of the black and white paper, 3 green pearls, AND . . .

. . . the 3rd stamped image.  My Mom colored this one with alcohol ink pens (Spectrum Noir).

Here are the two cards that Carol made from the same kit:

Obviously, she too chose to leave one uncolored.  I like the way she fussy cut the colored one.

Materials Swap - My Materials

This is probably one of my favorite swaps - a materials kit swap.  The idea is that you make two kits - one for yourself & one for your swap partner.  You make a card from your kit & your partner makes one from the same kit.  It's fun to compare the two cards and see what different things folks do with the same materials. This is the card I made:

I had lots of smaller pieces of patterned paper, as well as a larger piece (old HOTP patterns).  As you can see here, I used the dark blue/gray for the background, and added other patterns on top for mats and borders before adding some of the die cut pieces (Hunkydory Pop-a-Topper Fabulous Florals) and a silver frame border.  Oh yes, I also added some sticker border pieces & a ribbon bow.

Inside:

Inside I used more scraps for borders - and another sticker.  The last die cut was double matted before being added to the lower corner.

 Here's what my swap partner, Lee, made with the same materials:

Inside:

Scenic Christmas Cards

I had created quite a few scenes - stamped & colored them, thinking I'd make a bunch of the partial embossing type of cards - but as usual I got bored before finishing them.  When I sat down to make these two cards, I changed some things up!

Card #1 (above):  Though this focal was circular like the other partial embossing cards, I decided to make it look a bit different.  I was looking at the scene & thought - this would be a perfect scene for inside a window!  So - that's what I did.  

• Background - simply a piece of silver glitter card stock - with the window cut out of it (Spellbinders Window 2 die - cut out saved for another project sometime in the future).  
• Window/focal - I cut a second window using the same Window 2 die out of white, taped across the back at the top, and added in the little silver pieces that had been cut from the background.  I used the die again to cut the little piece of window box at the bottom.  The focal picture is one of Mom's stamps.  
• Sentiment - cut with Spellbinders Happy Holidays die from white card stock
• Embellishments - Jewel Border Dazzles & Mix'em's Poinsettias Dazzles (HOTP)

Inside:

Inside is pretty straight forward - silver glitter border scraps (cut with Spellbinders Ironworks Accents), Jewel Border dazzles, and a sentiment stamp from Mom's collection.

Card #2:

This card is a bit more like the previous partial embossing ones - but I used a more rectangular scene & opening (once again, the stamps were Mom's - colored with Scroll & Brush Markers & Distress inks - markers were scribbled on craft sheet & then picked up with a water brush.  Distress ink was added with round foam applicator).  I also didn't make it the same way.  After cutting the window with a couple of dies from Fun Stampers Journey's Pierced Rectangles (one die for the piercing, another for the cutting), I used an A2 embossing folder (Darice Snowflake Swirl) to emboss above & below the window - then hit it lightly with a round foam applicator & silver ink.  The sentiment & mat were made using a paper cutter & a tag/label punch from Stamp'n Up.  The sentiment was stamped & heat embossed in silver using a stamp from Mom's collection.  All of this was placed on a card made from some silver linen card stock I had on hand.  The finishing touch was highlights of Sparkle Paint by Spectrum Noir.

Inside:

Inside is VERY straight forward - strips of the silver linen card stock for borders & another stamped message in silver ink (once again, the stamp was from Mom's collection.

Embossing - two more partial & another faux partial

Card #1 (above): Today I'll start with the faux partial embossed card.  For this one I created a scene within a circle using some of Mom's stamps and colored it using a variety of inks - mostly scroll & brush markers applied with a water brush.  Next, using a circular foam applicator, distress ink, and an acetate stencil I created by die cutting a circle the same size, I inked the edges of the circle.

For the "background" (that is really raised on fun foam and is in the foreground) I cut a piece of card stock the size I wanted, then used the same die used for the acetate stencil & die cut a hole that lined up with the circle picture.  Next, I ran that through my Gemini machine using a 3D folder from Spellbinders called Celtic Weave, before inking it with distress ink.

The border was created using scraps of dark blue, metallic ice blue, and a silver edged ribbon from my stash.  I added a red Jewel Dazzle in the center of the bow to tie in with the ornaments on the tree, and added an ornament-shaped greeting.  For the finishing touch, I used my graduated circle dies (the same size used before and the next size larger) to create a narrow frame from the metallic ice blue card stock that I glued around the focal.

Inside:

For the inside I used more of the Metallic Ice Blue card stock and Spellbinders' Heirloom Legacy 5 x 7 card creator die set to create an ornate frame for the stamped sentiment (Christmas Cheer by HOTP).

Card #2:

Next up is a true partial embossed card front.  The focal was a scene created using stamps from mom's stamp set.  After coloring it with my Scroll and Brush markers and a water brush (scribble marker on mat & pick up color with water brush), I embossed it around it.  I did that by putting the card front into the embossing folder (Darice's 5x7 Damask) and embossing it with my partial embossing template (a piece of chip board cut to 5 x 7 with circle cut out to match the acetate stencil).  The "sandwich" used for my Gemini was (bottom to top): double-sided die plate, plastic shim, embossing folder with cardstock inside, partial embossing template (carefully laid so that the circles lined up) and a regular Gemini clear plastic plate.  Next, I inked  all around the circle - darker at the edges as you can see.

I added a narrow dark blue strip for a border & created the tag you see on top of it.  I started with a white strip of paper and cut one edge with my tag punch from Stampin' Up.  I inked the edges, then stamped the sentiment (another of Mom's stamps).  Next, I took a slightly wider white strip and glued it in place behind it for a mat.  After trimming on the the flat three sides, I fussy cut the punched end - probably could have used the punch, but didn't think about it.  I used a tiny circle punch to punch the inside of the little circle so I could thread some narrow ribbon through it.

Inside:

For the inside I made a border at the bottom with a bigger piece of the dark blue card stock and a narrow piece of white that had the edges inked.  The sentiment, both above and on the border, was from JustRite's Mix and Match Christmas Blessings.

Card #3:

This is another true partial embossed card front.  The focal stamp is one of Mom's - which I stamped a 2nd time & fussy cut for the bird on the border & the bird on the inside of the card.  They were colored with: Scroll & brush markers scribbled on a mat & picked up with a water brush, gold ink pad mashed onto mat & picked up with a water brush, and red Stickles.  Partial embossing was done with a Crafter's Companion embossing folder called Scattered Holly.  After inking it with distress inks, and gluing it to the card, I added red Stickles for the berries throughout & let it dry.  Finally, I added the red strip of card stock & fussy cut bird for the border.

Inside:

A strip of inked embossing (same folder & inks) creates a border at the bottom - where I added my other fussy cut bird.  A stamped message (Mom's stamp) completes the inside.

Fake Partial Embossing

Today I decided to make a card that was LIKE my partial embossing cards from yesterday - but was NOT partially embossed.  Basically, I made a panel with the focal, then cut another panel from which I die cut a circle (Nesting Circles) before embossing & inking it (Pine Needles Distress Ink, Darice Damask embossing folder).  Then I added it with fun foam foam so there's some dimension.

The focal was stamped with one of my Mom's stamps, colored with my Scroll & Brush markers & a water brush - and then the edges inked with Distress ink (Faded Jeans).  Then I added some of the Spectrum Noir's Sparkle with a brush.  After embossing, inking, and adding fun foam, I tied a ribbon around the panels before gluing them to the card front.  I felt it still needed something, so I made a tag (Stampin' Up Tag Punch & Christmas Cheer stamps)

Inside I added color the same way - & added another Christmas Cheer stamp (HOTP).

Partial Embossing for Christmas

I love the look of partial embossed pieces.  This first was done the way I've done them previously:

1. MASKING - Starting with a white piece of white card stock the size of your card or a bit smaller, mask all but the large circle (I created a mask from acetate so it's removable).  Mask the small round moon.  Cut a wavy line from post-it notes to serve as a mask for the hills.
2. FOCAL - with masks in place, color in the upper area (sky) with a dark blue ink (I used distress inks - Salty Ocean & Chipped Sapphire combined).  Stamp "trees" (using tips of larger trees, leaves, foliage stamps, etc.).  Move landscape mask only & repeat - twice.  Stamp deer and add touches of white gel pen for snow/stars.
3. BACKGROUND - Using an embossing folder (Darice "5 x 7 Damask)", emboss the background, using a shim with the circle cut out (I made mine from chip board - be sure to line the circle of the shim up with your focal circle).  Using a blending tool, lightly add color - starting with the lightest color (Salty Ocean in this case) and then moving to the darker (Chipped Sapphire in this case) - keeping the darker more to the edges.
   
4. SENTIMENT BORDER - Wrap a wide ribbon around the panel to form a border for the sentiment tag.  This tag was die cut with a Spellbinder's die (Fancy Tags) & inked while still in the die.  The sentiment itself was cut using dies from "Piece by Piece" - a die set that came in a paper crafting magazine.
5. FINISHING - With a narrow-tipped marker, draw a thin line around the focal to help it stand out even better from the background.  Add Sparkle Paint (Spectrum Noir) to the moon, snow, and white parts of the sentiment piece.  Mat the whole with dark blue card stock before attaching as shown to the card base.

Inside:

For the inside, I used the same inks for a similar effect, but just used a rectangular piece of card stock.  Once again I matted with the dark blue before stamping the sentiment (using stamps my Mom has).

Card #2:

This card was made in a similar way as the last one - except that I used a stamp (Great Joy - Divinity Designs) in the center of the large circle rather than creating rolling hills, and used a glossy card stock for the panel.  I stamped it with StazOn, then dried with a heat tool.  Once dry, I used a yellow die ink with a sponge applicator to swirl the yellow around the inner edges of the large circle.  The rest of the colors added were my Scroll & Brush markers - often adding a bit near the darkest areas and spreading it from there with my finger.

This time I used card stock for the sentiment border - with peel off sticker borders on either edge.  The sentiment was stamped using a JustRite stamp from Noel Christmas Ornaments set and another Spellbinders Fancy Tags die - cutting from both gold & white - and trimming the white as you see here (after the message was stamped).  Also, I cut a narrow circle frame (nesting circle dies) and glued it around the focal - as well as a rectangular frame (Spellbinders 5X7 Matting Basics) around the whole card front.

Inside:

Once again, I used one of Mom's stamps for the inside sentiment.

June 2021 Swap Card

This card swap card was made using a card blank from Hunkydory's Twist & Pop set of blank cards.   The die cuts - including the greetings & the frame on the card front are all from a Hunkydory book called "The Bigger Book of Toppers - Florals".   The papers are scraps from old HOTP papers.  For the envelope border I used strips of the papers with a Jewel Border strip.  The focal is a flower that was cut from the paper scraps using dies from Spellbinders Rose Creations set.  An old brad from HOTP forms the center.  Jewel dazzles form the centers of the other flowers & of the brad.

INSIDE:

In addition to the papers & die cuts, I inked the card base & edges of papers - and added a strip of gold poster board for a border at the bottom of the card.