Blog Archives

An Experiment in Color

7/15/2019

Hello friends and happy Monday! I hope you all had a nice weekend. Monday's are always so tough to bounce back from. . . Today's post is a bit of an experimentation in color. What if I told you that you could make the same exact card for two entirely different people, just by changing up something as simple as the colors? Case in point: Happy Birthday in primary colors (ROYGBIV) are great for 5-year-olds. Happy Birthday in gold and black works for 85-year-olds! Last weekend I made the first birthday card in
ROYGB (no IV) colors and it didn't really appeal to me because I don't necessarily love traditional primary colors. But, I decide to try it again and I LOVED how it came out in black and gold. It really made the card look so much more elegant and classy. Hmmm, I guess gold can do that to anything!

Card details:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock. Using the Gina Marie Designs Scalloped Stitched Nesting Rectangle dies, I cut the first layer from Basic Black cardstock. On top of that scalloped layer, I cut a piece of 5" x 3 3/4" white cardstock. I die cut the letters from Real Red cardstock, Pumpkin Pie cardstock, Pineapple Punch cardstock, Garden Green cardstock and Blueberry Bushel cardstock. I used the Large Letter Framelit Dies (retired) by Stampin' UP! On a thin strip of Basic Black cardstock I stamped the "happy birthday" sentiment inVersamark ink and heat embossed it in white embossing powder. I notched both ends and added it to the center of the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

Card details:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock. Using the Gina Marie Designs Scalloped Stitched Nesting Rectangle dies, I cut the first layer from Basic Black cardstock. On top of that scalloped layer, I cut a piece of 5" x 3 3/4" white cardstock. I die cut the letters fromGold Glimmer paper using the Large Letter Framelit Dies (retired) by Stampin' UP! On a thin strip of Basic Black cardstock I stamped the "happy birthday" sentiment in Versamark ink and heat embossed it in gold embossing powder. I notched both ends and added it to the center of the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

Here are two more samples using this same "experiment in color:"

What do you think of this little experiment? Have I convinced you? Are you ready to try creating the same card in color AND in black/gold?!

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal

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Strong Women Make Waves

7/12/2019

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Yes! Yes! Yes! Amen to Taylored Expressions for creating this beautiful Be A Mermaid stamp set with a killer empowering, "strong women make waves" sentiment! Yes! Yes! Yes! Also because it's Friday! Who's ready for the weekend!? My parents are coming down from Maine for a visit and I look forward to seeing them. I also have a full class on Saturday in my home studio with 14 people attending and I can't wait for my mom to participate and meet many new crafty friends. Live in Western Mass and want to come to a class? See my class calendar here.

Because I am not currently creating technique video content on my website, I highly recommend checking out this Easy Alcohol Ink Background Tutorial by Jennifer McGuire. She has created a very simple introduction to working with alcohol inks to create some basic backgrounds. This was the first video I watched after purchasing my alcohol inks and then I just spent time playing around with them! The great thing is there is no right or wrong when it comes to art. You just have fun (and usually make a mess) with it! *My only tip would be that you don't need to spend your money purchasing polysynthetic Yupo Paper at nearly $1.00 per sheet. You can use the reverse side of any high quality photo paper (like this one by Kirkland) and achieve the same results! I used this same Kirkland photo paper to create today's alcohol ink backgrounds.

I am, however, s-l-o-w-l-y beginning to dabble in some video content. Essentially still photos with animated displays and music. I haven't attempted audio voiceover or video while creating cards yet, but it's a slow work in progress. I hope you enjoy this short 1-minute clips of the mermaid cards I have created this week:

Card details:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Tempting Turquoise cardstock (sorry, it's retired Stampin' UP!) Using the Gina Marie Designs Scalloped Stitched Nesting Rectangles, I die cut the scalloped background on Kirkland photo paper. To create the background I used Ranger Alcohol inks in Sailboat Blue, Turquoise and Pool. I stamped the sentiment in the upper left corner in Versamark ink and heat embossed it in silver embossing powder. I stamped one mermaid tail in Tempting Turquoise ink (retired) on Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock and one in Granny Apple Green ink on the same paper. I stamped the third mermaid tail in Versamark ink on Tempting Turquoise paper and heat embossed it in white embossing powder. I die cut the tails and adhered them to the card using 3M foam adhesive.

Here is the Be A Mermaid stamp set and coordinating die from Taylored Expressions:

Card details:

The base of this second A2 sized card is also made from Tempting Turquoise cardstock (retired, Stampin' UP!). I used a scrap sheet of 5 1/4 x 4" paper with tiny light clouds on it for the background. Sorry, I do not recall who made this paper! I cut two pieces of a previously colored alcohol ink background with the Lawn Fawn Stitched Waves Border Die and adhered those to the center of the card. On a piece of Crumb Cake cardstock, I stamped "Let's Shellebrate" in Versamark ink and heat embossed it in white embossing powder. Then I used a Heffy Doodle Stitched Slopey Joes die to create a stitched border on the "sand." I tapped a small eraser into Crumb Cake ink and stamped the background of this Crumb Cake border. I stamped one Mermaid Tail on Temping Turquoise cardstock and heat embossed it in white embossing powder. I die cut another mermaid tail from Granny Apple Green cardstock and backed it with a piece of Turquoise Glitter paper. Lastly I stamped the seashells on Neenah Solar white cardstock, Granny Apple Green cardstock and Tempting Turqoise cardstock and adhered them to the card using 3M foam adhesive.

I hope you have enjoyed these vibrant cards and, even more, their powerful message.
Strong women make waves!

Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend!

XO, Crystal

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A School? A Pod? A Tribe?

7/11/2019

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Hello friends and thanks for taking the time to visit my website! If this is your first time, welcome! I hope to inspire you with a little creativity. Want to learn a little bit more about me? Please click here. Or, you can visit my craft room too, simply by clicking here.

So, yesterday I really did ask Google, "what do you call a group of mermaid's" when I was attempting to title today's post. Fun fact, a group of jellyfish is called a "smack" and a group of squid is called a "squad." But, it turns out, there is no collective noun for a group of mermaids. According to The Fish Vet, if mermaids were fish, a group of them would be called a school. If they were classified as humans, they’d be called a tribe.
And, if they’re sea mammals, similar to dolphins, a group of them are called pods. So, whatever they are called, enjoy today's rainbow of mermaid tails!

Card details:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. Using the Gina Marie Designs Scalloped Stitched Nesting Rectangles, I cut the first layer from Basic black cardstock. I cut a 5" x 3 3/4" sheet of white cardstock and stamped "Hello Beautiful" in Memento Tuxedo Black ink directly in the center before adhering this piece to the card base. On small scraps of Melon Mambo, Mango Medley, Pineapple Punch, Granny Apple Green, Tempting Turqouise (retired) and Gorgeous Grape cardstock, I stamped the mermaid tail in Versamark ink and heat embossed each in white embossing powder. I die cut each tail individually and adhered them to the card in a rainbow pattern using 3M foam adhesive. Lastly, I put a coat of Clear Wink of Stella over each mermaid tail for added sparkle.

Below is the Be A Mermaid stamp set and die from Taylored Expressions that I used to create this card:

Thanks for visiting and happy crafting!

XO, Crystal

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Bee Yourself Kit by SSS

7/10/2019

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Hello readers and Happy Wednesday! Today I'm sharing the first two cards I created using the July Bee Yourself card kit from Simon Says Stamp. I have really enjoying receiving these card kits once per month, because I feel like it's forcing me to use them, instead of just letting the cute oversized boxes pile up in my craft room! Don't get me wrong, the boxes (albeit, empty) are still piling up in my craft room because I re-use them for storing other kits! Unfortunately, this particular kit is now currently sold out, but if you love it, keep checking the SSS website, because it should be restocked after the initial rush. Yup, we stampers sure are crazy buying things up overnight as though there will ever be a stamp drought in the foreseeable future!

Let's take a closer look at the Bee Yourself card kit:

This kit includes a wide variety of hand selected coordinating supplies, enough to keep you creating for hours! Included in the box is an inspiration sheet with 6 ideas using the kit. You'll also receive inspiration via email newsletter with even more project ideas and video links using the kit.

Included in this kit:
Simon Says Stamp Bee Yourself 6 x 8 clear stamp set
Honey Bee The Bee's Knees exclusive 6 x 6 paper pad
Simon Says Stamp custom foilable cards
Rainbow Shattered Glass 5 Foil Transfer Sheets
Simon Says Stamp White envelope
Simon Says Stamp Small Hexagon Cluster wafer thin die
Black and Yellow custom sequin pack
Simon Says Stamp Sunshine cardstock
Simon Says Stamp White 120# cardstock
Simon Says Stamp Black cardstock
Simon Says Stamp Seaglass cardstock
1 new Glue Sponge

$34.99/kit

Here is a video created by Simon Says Stamp showcasing the July Bee Yourself card kit:

Here are the first two cards I created using this kit:

Card details:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Crumb Cake cardstock. I adhered a piece of the yellow hexagon paper directly to the card base. I stamped two of the bee hive trails on this paper using Early Espresso ink. I created a honeycomb shaker component using the Stitched Hexagon Dies from Gina Marie Designs. I stamped "Just Because" on Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock in Early Espresso ink to place behind the shaker frame. I stamped the bees on Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock and colored them using Spectrum Noir alcohol ink markers. I added some highlights to my coloring with the Sigma Uniball white gel pen. I added Lawn Fawn Prisma Glitter to the bee's wings using a Sakura Quickie glue pen. I adhered the bees to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

Card details:

The second A2 card is made from Basic Black cardstock. I adhered the patterned hexagon paper directly to the card base. I stamped the sentiment in the lower right corner using Early Espresso ink. I stamped the bee trails also in Early Espresso ink. I stamped the beehive in Tuxedo Memento Black ink on one of the patterned pieces of paper included in the kit. The beehive is from HoneyBee Stamps - called Bee Hive. It has a coordinating die too. I stamped the bees in Tuxedo Memento Black ink on Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock and colored them with Spectrum Noir alcohol ink markers. I added extra details to the coloring using a Uniball White Gel pen. I added Lawn Fawn Prisma Glitter to the bee's wings. Lastly, I adhered the bees to the card front using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

I hope you have enjoyed today's cards. Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal

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Tuesday Thoughts

7/9/2019

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I had a moment over the weekend where I was disappointed with myself for not sending out 4th of July cards this year. That moment rapidly spiraled downhill when I also realized I didn't send out Easter cards, St. Patrick's Day or Memorial Day cards. . . Granted, during the past few months we had been dealing with the failing health, and ultimately passing of my-mother-in-law, so the excuses were certainly legitimate, but, I kind of beat myself up about it. I also work full-time. This card making thing is only in my so-called "free time." Plus, I have a hard time deciding WHO gets cards - everybody on my Christmas card list means I would be sending out 96 4th of July cards, 96 Easter cards, 96 Happy World Pancake Day cards. . . You see where I'm going with this. That's A LOT of cards.
#aintnobodygottimeforthat

Then I realized (after calling my mother who naturally told me I was being ridiculous) that no one cares that I didn't send out these cards! Just me. I needed to let it go. And so I did. Kind of. . . But, first I placed a $94 order from Taylored Expressions of patriotic themed stuff, so next 4th of July - fireworks baby!

Here's a peek at what I purchased Sunday in the middle of my must-make-4th-of-July-cards-after-the-4th-of-July-is-now-over meltdown:

True story. I really did buy all this - just to make 4th of July cards. FOR NEXT YEAR!
I also promised myself that I would be a little more on the ball when it comes to making cards for holidays, etc. Yeah, I see you Shark Week (beginning July 28th on the Discovery Channel)! My Avery Elle "Hello Chum" stamp set and I are ready for ya!

XO, Crystal

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Crafty by Day, Deadly Ninja By Night

7/8/2019

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Hello readers and welcome back from hopefully a long holiday weekend (Yay, 4 days weekends are even better than 3-day weekends!) Ugh! But, then Monday's are so tough. . . So, today we are going to fight the ugly Monday's like a ninja! I'm not going to lie, I completed invested in this $45.00 Ninja Invasion stamp and die set from Altenew simply because of that one sentiment, "Crafty by day, deadly ninja by night." How fun is that?! I just LOVE it! I have created a few different cards for you using this ninja stamp set and some vivid alcohol ink backgrounds.

Because I am not currently creating video content and tutorials on my website, I highly recommend checking out this Easy Alcohol Ink Background Tutorial by Jennifer McGuire. She has created a very simple introduction to working with alcohol inks to create some basic backgrounds. This was the first video I watched after purchasing my alcohol inks and then I just spent time playing around with them! The great thing is there is no right or wrong when it comes to art. You just have fun (and usually make a mess) with it! *My only tip would be that you don't need to spend your money purchasing polysynthetic Yupo Paper at nearly $1.00 per sheet. You can use the reverse side of any high quality photo paper (like this one by Kirkland) and achieve the same results!

Here is the "Ninja Invasion" stamp set by Altenew that I used to create today's cards:

Alcohol Ink colors used: Ranger Adirondack Valencia, Cherry and Lemonade

Card details:

The base of all these cards are A2 in size and made from Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock. I put a 5 1/4" x 4" sheet of Basic Black cardstock behind each alcohol ink background. The sentiments were all stamped in Versamark ink and heat embossed with black embossing powder. Because photo paper (or Yupo paper) is glossy, heat embossing works even better than using a solvent ink like Staz-On.

Alcohol inks used: Ranger Adirondack Limeade and Citrus

Alcohol ink colors used: Ranger Adirondack Flamingo, Valencia, Lemonade, Citrus, Sail Boat Blue and Amethyst

I hope you have enjoyed today's colorful ninja cards! I felt like a crafty ninja making them! : )
Thanks for visiting and have a great day!

XO, Crystal

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My Monthly Hero July 2019

7/5/2019

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It's time for another fabulous My Monthly Hero release! This month they're combining some of your favorite techniques - Color Layering - with a happy place - the lake! July is the perfect time of year for summertime fun. This month's My Monthly Hero Kit from Hero Arts celebrates the great outdoors. From enjoying the fresh air, to fishing, to doing a cannonball from the end of the dock, life truly is better at the lake! This month's kit will be excellent for making some of those masculine oriented cards for all the special men (and nature loving women) in our lives.

Kit includes:

6" x 8" Clear Stamp Set
14 Coordinating Frame Cuts
2 Fancy Dies
5 Ink Cubes (Dusty Blue, Lime Green, Forest, Cocoa, Sand Stone)
4 - 5.5" x 8.5" Sheets of New Hero Hues Premium Cardstock
Blue Pearl Embossing Powder 0.5 oz

With all of the goodies packed into this kit, it's an incredible value at $34.99!
(Contents add up to $76 if bought separately!)

Let's take a look at some of the beautiful creations made using this kit by the Hero Arts Creative Team! I have provided the artisan's name below each card and a direct link to their website for you to check out.

Janette Kausen

Caly Person

Emily Midgett

Ilina Crouse

Mariana Grigsby

Michelle Short

I can't wait to receive MY Monthly Hero Kit and share with you what I create! To see what I created with last month's kit jungle themed kit, please click here and here.

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative weekend!

XO, Crystal

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June 2019 Create w/ Crystal

7/4/2019

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Hello and welcome to only the second month of my Create w/ Crystal monthly cardmaking "club!" In May, I asked some fellow crafty friends who would be interested in a FREE little "kit." Every month I send each member a small envelope of supplies that they will have to use to create a card. Everyone in the group will receive the exact same supplies. Once they have completed their card, they mail it back to me (in a self-addressed stamped envelope) and I share all their cards with you! The idea is to see how vastly different our cards can be, despite all using the very same products. Please CLICK HERE to see what they created in May!

As you will see below, I planned it so that the contents of the group's June kits would inspire them to create something patriotic. You will notice that some people submitted two cards and that's entirely okay by the "rules." They were given instructions to create whatever they wanted with their supplies. If they had enough for two cards, that's great. But, they can also submit scrapbook pages or any other papercrafted item as well!

June kit included:

1 - 5 1/2 x 11" sheet of Real Red cardstock
1 - 5 1/2 x 11" sheet of Night of Navy cardstock
1 - 5 1/2" x 11" sheet of Whisper White cardstock
6 each pre-punched balloons in Silver Glimmer cardstock and white cardstocks
"Celebrate" word die in Real Red
Silver punched stars
12" Navy gingham ribbon
12" Real Red ribbons
6" sheet of Stars N Stripes paper
6" sheet of Red candy stripes paper
6" sheet of Red/White and Blue plaid paper
Pledge of Allegiance stamped on white cardstock

Here are the final designs:

Created by Carol

Inside of Carol's card (she created a gate fold card)

Created by Donna

Created by Crystal

Created by Marcia

Created by Sherri (a.k.a. "my Mom")

Created by Michelle

Created by Moira

Created by Nancy

Nancy's card was a "wiper card." When you pulled the blue star tab, the two sides (balloons) popped out!

What a wide array of ideas have been presented in these beautiful samples! I hope you have enjoyed seeing the talents of my crafty friends. Please leave them some love in the comments below!

Thanks for visiting and have a safe and happy 4th of July holiday!

XO, Crystal

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Leafy Frames Kit (Part 2)

7/2/2019

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Hi friends! Yesterday I shared with you four cards that I created using the Leafy Frames monthly cardmaking kit by Simon Says Stamp and today I'm sharing three entirely different cards I created still using that same kit! (Click here to see those first four cards, if you missed it yesterday). Yesterday's cards incorporated more bold colors and patterns in greens, blacks and browns. Today's cards have a softer color palette in pink, kraft and white. I have been enjoying making cards from kits like this because when I sit to down to create, I find that I'm making multiple cards instead of just one or two. And two cards is always better than one! I have mentioned before that my card stock pile is running dangerously low right now!

Unfortunately this card kit is currently sold out at Simon Says Stamp, but I do think you'll find it back in stock fairly soon, so if it's something you are really interested, please just keep checking.

Again, here is a look at the Leafy Frames card kit:

Kit includes:

Carta Bella Botanical Garden 6 x 6 inch papers
NEW Simon Says Stamp Leafy Frames exclusive 6x8 clear stamp set
Kaisercraft Coconut Mini Paper Blooms Flowers
1 Package Carta Bella Botanical Garden Frames & Tags ephemera
1 Jar Ranger Clear Rock Candy Distress Glitter
Stampers Anonymous Glitter Duster
Simon Says Stamp Metallic Gold envelope
Simon Says Stamp Metallic Green Leaf envelope
Simon Says Stamp Metallic Black envelope
Simon Says Stamp White envelope
Simon Says Stamp Black cardstock 8.5 x 11
Simon Says Stamp Ivory cardstock 8.5 x 11
Simon Says Stamp Cotton Candy cardstock 8.5 x 11
Simon Says Stamp Green Leaf cardstock 8.5 x 11
Neenah Desert Storm 100# cardstock

Here are my three cards:

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal

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Leafy Frames Kit by Simon Says Stamp

7/1/2019

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Hello readers and welcome to the start of a new week! I hope you all had a nice weekend. I spent a lot of time in my craft room again, so you'll hear no complaints from me!

Last week I shared with you two very different sets of cards I created using the June Hero Arts My Monthly Hero Kit. I created these very colorful animal inspired cards and these simple note cards. Today I am sharing the first four of seven cards I created using the Simon Says Stamp "Leafy Frames" monthly kit. While this set is currently sold out on the Simon Says Stamp website, I do think you'll find it back in stock fairly soon, so if it's something you are really interested, please just keep checking.

Here is the "Leafy Frames" June kit by Simon Says Stamp:

Kit includes:

Here are the four cards I made:

I hope you have enjoyed seeing the different cards I made. Please come back on Wednesday as I will be sharing three more cards made from this same kit. Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

XO, Crystal

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Card details:

Card details:

XO, Crystal

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XO, Crystal

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XO, Crystal

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XO, Crystal

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XO, Crystal

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XO, Crystal

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Kit includes:

XO, Crystal

June kit included:

Here are the final designs:

XO, Crystal

Kit includes:

Here are my three cards:

XO, Crystal

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Kit includes:

Here are the four cards I made:

XO, Crystal

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