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Welcome August and a new release at Whimsy Stamps! Before I get to today's "Happy Hamster's" card, let me tell you a sad little story about a not-so-happy hamster. . . the pet one I had when I was around 10 or 12 years old. My poor little guy (or girl, maybe? How do we even know the gender of a hamster?!) tragically died by choking on a piece of broccoli that I didn't cut small enough for him. Yup, I am a ruthless hamster murderess. . . It's untimely death still haunts me to this day, so I wasn't sure to laugh or cry when I received this new stamp set from Whimsy! Also, I'm pretty sure that I have always thought the word was "hamPster", so here's to learning something new today!  Card details:*A full list of supplies is located at the end of this post. The base of this slimline card is made from Neenah Solar White 80 lb cardstock. Using the new Birthday Slimline dies, I cut the frame from Crumb Cake cardstock. I created an ink blended background on a 8" x 3" piece of Bristol Smooth cardstock. I blended Squeezed Lemonade Distress Oxide ink on the top 1/3 of the card, Broken China Distress Oxide ink in the middle and Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide ink on the lower 1/3 of the card. I then spritzed the cardstock with water to develop those ink splotches. I stamped the sentiment in the upper right corner in Bermuda Bay ink.  I stamped the hamster images in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on a piece of Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock. I colored the images with Copic markers and then die cut them using the coordinating "Happy Hamsters" dies. I adhered the die cut images to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. Lastly, I added a coat of clear Wink of Stella to the images for added sparkle.   Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day! XO, CrystalList of supplies:
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Earlier this month on one of my "off" weeks from work, I decided to begin assembling some cardmaking kits for my friends, family and local stampers. Since the beginning of March, when the Covid-19 pandemic began, I have not been able to hold classes in my home studio, or in the community. I keep receiving emails and text messages from my regular attendees who state how much they miss coming to classes, which just warms my heart as I miss hosting and teaching too! So, I have been creating a variety of kits and making doorstop deliveries so that my class comes to them! And WOW, are they are a hit! With each and every new card kit I create, they are selling out within two days! I am so happy that I can help my friends and family from a little boredom at home. Here is one of the poppy themed birthday card kits I put together using the beautiful "Painted Poppies" stamp set by Stampin' UP!        Here is the Painted Poppies stamp set by Stampin' UP! that was the focal point of this card kit:    Ladies, I hear your requests and I promise, there ARE more kits coming, I just need to replenish some supplies! Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative weekend friends! XO, CrystalLast week I spent an entire day restocking my own card supply. I was running low on both birthday and get well cards, so I decided to mass produce in large(ish) quantities to help replenish my stock. This is not something I do very often because, hello BOREDOM! But, making multiples of a card is actually faster than you might think. I make one sample, write down all the measurements, cut and stamp everything I need and then begin an assembly line of production! Within a few short hours, I had made 32 of these beautiful floral cards in a wide variety of colors using the Build A Flower: Peruvian Lily stamp set by Altenew. I should also add that given Mother's Day will be here soon, this card would also work well for that occasion. So many of the cards I make tend to be very feminine and/or floral themed, so if you ARE looking for more Mother's Day inspiration, you can always look at my card gallery HERE.   Card details:Both of these A2 sized cards were made the same way, I just used different ink colors and cardstock. The base of each card is made from 80 lb Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. I cut a 5" x 3 3/4" piece of Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock that was dry embossed using a retired leafy vine embossing folder by Stampin' UP! I matted this dry embossed sheet of paper with either a blue or pink mat before adhering both to the card base. The Peruvian Lily stamp by Altenew is a multi-layered set, so I stamped each layer multiples times in a variety of blue or pink inks. Then I used the coordinating die to cut the lilies out. I die cut multiple leaves from Pear Pizzazz cardstock for each card. I adhered the leaves to the card first using a Tombow dot runner. I adhered two lilies on each card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. I stamped the "happy birthday" sentiment in either pink or blue ink on Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock and fussy cut the sentiment out. I adhered the sentiment to the card using small strips of 3M foam adhesive. Lastly, I added a couple of color coordinated rhinestones to each card for added sparkle.   Here is the Peruvian Lily stamp set by Altenew that I used to create today's cards:      Thank you for visiting and enjoy your day! XO, Crystal
Hello friends and happy Monday! I hope you all had a nice weekend, most likely doing the same ol', same ol' now! I am excited to be sharing my card for the Newton's Nook Inky Paws Challenge today. I frequently hear from friends and fellow stampers that they aren't creative enough to design something on their own, or that they don't know what colors to use. They feel frustrated before they even begin because they don't know where to begin. I understand! Yes, I've been there too! That's the concept behind a card challenge. It can help to inspire you and get the creative juices flowing by giving you a place to start. Challenge #121 by Newton's Nook is a theme challenge. Let the image below be your inspiration for creating a card (or scrapbook page) and see where this challenge takes you!
I created a shaker birthday card for this challenge using the Newton's Nook Fabulous Frenchies stamp set and a colorful background of Distress Oxide inks. I don't typically use Distress Oxide inks because they are, 1) messy and, 2) out of my comfort zone. But, I'm pretty sure if there was ever a time to be out of your comfort zone, the months of March and April 2020 are it!
Card details:
*A full supply list is located at the end of this post.
The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Classic Crest cardstock. On a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of Bristol Smooth cardstock I created the distressed background. I ink blended Distress Oxide inks in Twisted Citron, Wilted Violet and Ripened Raspberry. Then I stamped little paws in Wilted Violet ink. I cut a piece of grass using the Lawn Fawn Grassy Hillside die and splattered that with Twisted Citron ink. I created the balloon shaker using the Newton's Nook Balloon Shaker die set. I stamped the sentiment inside the balloon in purple ink and filled the balloon with iridescent sequins and a die cut green bow. 
I stamped two of the French bulldogs (and two party hats) in Tuxedo Memento Black ink on Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock and colored them in with Copic markers. I die cut the bulldogs and party hats using the coordinating Fabulous Frenchies die set. I adhered the bulldogs to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.
Will this theme inspire YOU to create? Are you ready to get your paws inky with us and play along for a chance to win?! We will randomly select one linked entry to receive a $20 store credit to the Newton's Nook Designs online shop!
We will also highlight our favorites from each challenge the following Monday, so that all entries have a chance to be featured on the Newton's Nook Designs blog. Please make sure you review the challenge rules page before you link up your project! Deadline to enter is Friday, April 24th, at midnight CST. Thanks for visiting and I hope to see your creations there! XO, CrystalList of supplies:
This weekend we will celebrate my Grandpa's 90th birthday and I couldn't wait to create a very special card for him. He is the most amazing, hardworking, generous and loyal man I know. He ran his own business and still found time to raise his family and travel the entire US in an RV. He can fix anything from an air conditioner to an airplane! He inspired within me my love of photography and of leaving the world a better place than you found it. He is still sharp as a tack and physical enough to shovel the snow of his two story home during a Maine winter! I hope you are all as blessed in your lives to know a man quite like him.
Card details:
The base of this box card was made using the Lawn Fawn Scalloped Box Card and Basic Black cardstock. I added black and white chevron paper (miscellaneous scraps) and Gold Glimmer paper to the sides, using the dies from the Lawn Fawn Scalloped box. Most of the sentiments were stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Neenah Solar White cardstock. I punched out the 9-0 numbers from the Large Letter Framelit Dies (retired by Stampin' UP!) in Gold Glimmer Paper. I cut the stars from Basic Black cardstock and Gold Glimmer paper using the Spellbinders Stitched Nesting Star dies. I punched the balloons using the Balloon Bouquet punch in Basic Black and Whisper White cardstocks and Gold Glimmer paper. I used black baker's twine to tie the balloons together. I also used clear acetate sheets to allow the line of stars and balloons to "stand up straight." The clear acetate is nearly invisible on the card. I assembled the entire card using Thin Tear Tape to ensure all components were adhered securely.
The sentiments used on this card are from the Celebrate Everything stamp set by Fun Stamper's Journey.
I hope you have enjoyed today's over-the-top box card celebrating a very special man in my life.
Thanks for visiting! XO, Crystal
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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