Tag: Nature Walk

Masculine Designs

Super Thankful

susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Welcome back and happy Monday, friends! It was a busy weekend around here with all of the kiddo’s activities — pretty fitting for Mother’s Day weekend, I suppose. He played his final band concert on Friday, had his 8th grade formal on Saturday, and we have the athletics banquet today.

Given the stormy Mother’s Day we had yesterday, I got some unexpected time to play in the craft room and whipped up this fun card to start off this week’s design theme — everything masculine. We’re pairing up the Nature Walk and Silly Old Bear papers with a few new dies and a new set of ephemera. Let’s get a closer look!

We get started with a nice neutral base of Crumb Cake cardstock. I chose three different patterns from the Nature Walk paper pack to build our backdrop. The grid pattern is cut using the new Scalloped Blooms die. Our focal image is a cute scene from the Silly Old Bear paper pack with Pooh getting a little help from Rabbit & his buddies to get out of a “tight spot.” The new Sweet Words & Labels dies coordinate perfectly with the scene sheets in this paper pack. Pooh and friends are adhered over the backdrop of the scalloped circle using dimensionals. The sentiment is from the new Saying Something ephemera pack and is adhered with dimensionals over a bow of white with gold ribbon. A few of the new shimmering dots give us a pop of color across our card front to draw the eye across the design.

This week’s masculine theme should be lots of fun. We’re going to use a few unexpected products to create a few of our designs. I hope you’ll drop in each day for inspiration!

Product List
Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [ 120953 ]
[120953]
$14.00
Nature Walk 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [ 166912 ]
[166912]
$12.50
Silly Old Bear 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [ 167616 ]
[167616]
$13.00
Scalloped Blooms Dies [ 167646 ]
[167646]
$39.00
Sweet Words & Labels Dies [ 167627 ]
[167627]
$37.00
Saying Something Mix & Match Ephemera Pack (English) [ 163761 ]
[163761]
$8.00
White With Gold 3/8" (1 Cm) Ribbon [ 166979 ]
[166979]
$8.50
Shimmering Dots [ 167949 ]
[167949]
$8.50
Mini Stampin' Dimensionals [ 144108 ]
[144108]
$4.25
Add All to Cart
Techniques

Spotlight on Birthday

susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Welcome back, friends! I hope you aren’t giving up on me. I’ve had a string of weeks where things are just NOT going as planned. Do you ever have those? I’m about ready to trade up for something different. Whew! Between the day job and church music job, it has just been C-RAZY. And, of course, as we move into Holy Week next week, things will really ramp up before they calm down at all.

The kiddo’s birthday this weekend has me thinking of birthday cards today as we continue our spotlight technique design series. Today we’re using repeating text and emphasizing our focal point with ink as we combine the new Nature Walk and Wood Grain Wonders papers, which give us just the right masculine feel for this card.

We get started with a base of Crumb Cake cardstock to compliment our subtle woodgrain pattern in the background that comes from the Wood Grain Wonders paper pack. Our focal panel is two patterns from the Nature Walk pack and we start by cutting out our background mat with the Perennial Postage dies and then cut our top sheet down to size to form the perfect mat. For the spotlight element in this design, we’re using repeated text and I chose a sentiment that would leave a nice border on all sides. To determine whether this sentiment was going to work, I rolled it end over end down the center to confirm I could stamp the full sentiment 3 times down the front of the focal panel. I started stamping the sentiment in a lighter color that stands out just so from the background and stamped it on both the top and bottom. For a solid-color panel, stamping tone on tone works well. Here, I decided that Pool Party ink would do the trick. (In hindsight, I probably should have chosen something like Mossy Meadow for just a touch more color in the background.) And then I stamped the sentiment in Pretty Peacock in the center and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. HINT: you can make embossing powder any color you want by first covering your stamp with Versamark and then your selected ink color. The focal panel is adhered to the mat with dimensionals and then wrapped in linen thread that is tied in a small bow. Some sparkle dots and frosted iridescent dots are added to draw the eye across the card diagonally. The full panel is adhered to the card front with dimensionals. And it’s as simple as that!

Since I’m running on fumes this evening, I needed one of the simpler spotlight techniques and I really love the repeated image style when I want a simple and eye-catching design but have limited time to make a card. I hope you’ll drop in tomorrow to see what spotlight technique we use next!

Product List
Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [ 120953 ]
[120953]
$14.00
Wood Grain Wonders 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [ 167428 ]
[167428]
$12.50
Nature Walk 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [ 166912 ]
[166912]
$12.50
With You In Mind Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [ 169063 ]
[169063]
$20.00
Perennial Postage Dies [ 162607 ]
[162607]
$33.00
Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad [ 147107 ]
[147107]
$9.00
Pretty Peacock Classic Stampin’ Pad [ 150083 ]
[150083]
$9.00
Versamark Pad [ 102283 ]
[102283]
$9.50
Basics Wow! Embossing Powder [ 165679 ]
[165679]
$21.00
Linen Thread [ 104199 ]
[104199]
$5.00
Frosted Iridescent Dots [ 165766 ]
[165766]
$9.00
Sparkle Dot Essentials [ 166991 ]
[166991]
$8.00
Stampin' Dimensionals [ 104430 ]
[104430]
$4.25
Add All to Cart
Masculine Designs

Great Explorer

susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Happy Thursday, everyone! Whew — it’s been a rough week as we have all transitioned back to normal life after the Winter Storm Fern. Work and school and all of the things are back in full swing, and I guess I just wasn’t ready. Hopefully next week will go a little more smoothly.

But all that aside, I’m back with some more tips & tricks for those masculine cards. This week, we’re looking for those shortcuts to make cards for the fellas come together a little quicker. We started by using a sketch with geometric patterns. Today, we’re focusing on color palette as we take our cues from the new Nature Walk paper released by Stampin’ Up! This gorgeous paper combines hues of blue and brown and green to create perfect subtle patterns. We’re pairing it up with the newer Outdoor Adventure stamp & die set to make our adventure-themed card.

We get started with a base of Secret Sea cardstock and then add a sheet of the Nature Walk patterned paper as our backdrop. We cut an accent piece from a sheet of Timeless Plaid using the Textured Notes rectangle dies and adhered on the left side of our card. I stamped a stand of trees on white cardstock in a combination of Mossy Meadow, Old Olive, and Soft Sea Foam using the Outdoor Adventure stamp and then cut it out with one of the smaller Spotlight on Nature dies. It’s adhered over a bow of Secret Sea cardstock with dimensionals. Our wolf is stamped in Smoky Slate on Cloud Cover cardstock and then cut with the coordinating die from the Outdoor Adventure die set. It’s adhered at the bottom of our tree panel with several layers of dimensionals for some extra depth in the scene. I stamped the sentiment from the Outdoor Adventure set onto vellum with Versamark and then heat embossed with silver embossing powder. It’s cut out with the banner die from the Stylish Shapes set using the extension method to make it long enough to capture the full sentiment. The sentiment banner is adhered at the top of our focal panel using glue dots on either end to make it look like the banner is rippling in the wind. We finish things off with some Mossy Meadow and Secret Sea embellishments from the Moody Palette and Sparkle dot sets.

I hope you’ll drop in tomorrow to see a clean and simple design that comes together in minutes.

Product List
Secret Sea 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [ 165624 ]
[165624]
$14.00
Cloud Cover 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [ 165621 ]
[165621]
$14.00
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [ 166780 ]
[166780]
$14.00
Nature Walk 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [ 166912 ]
[166912]
$12.50
Timeless Plaid 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [ 164678 ]
[164678]
$12.50
Vellum 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Paper [ 167099 ]
[167099]
$10.00
Outdoor Adventure Bundle (English) [ 168009 ]
[168009]
$38.50
Textured Notes Dies [ 165555 ]
[165555]
$31.00
Spotlight On Nature Dies [ 163580 ]
[163580]
$35.00
Stylish Shapes Dies [ 159183 ]
[159183]
$30.00
Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad [ 147113 ]
[147113]
$9.00
Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad [ 147111 ]
[147111]
$9.00
Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad [ 147090 ]
[147090]
$9.00
Soft Sea Foam Classic Stampin' Pad [ 147102 ]
[147102]
$9.00
Versamark Pad [ 102283 ]
[102283]
$9.50
Metallics Wow! Embossing Powder [ 165678 ]
[165678]
$21.00
Secret Sea 3/8" (1 Cm) Bordered Open Weave Ribbon [ 166932 ]
[166932]
$8.50
Moody Palette Glossy Dots [ 167180 ]
[167180]
$8.00
Sparkle Dot Essentials [ 166991 ]
[166991]
$8.00
Mini Glue Dots [ 103683 ]
[103683]
$7.25
Stampin' Dimensionals [ 104430 ]
[104430]
$4.25
Add All to Cart
Masculine Designs

Amazing Nature

susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Howdy, friends. Can you believe it’s Monday already? There was lots on the to-do list this weekend which meant that the weekend flew by, but it felt good to get most of what we had on the list all done. We bid adieu to the Christmas decorations (am I the only one who waits until February to take it down?) and put the house back together.

This week we’re beginning a new design series that’s all about the fellas. It can sometimes be hard to make cards that feel more masculine, but we’re going to explore our crafty stash together and find some shortcuts to masculine designs. And today’s shortcut begins with a sketch. I’ve found that a geometric feel to a card layout can lend itself to feeling more masculine. With a more neutral color palette and some earthy patterns in the Autumn Toile and Nature Walk papers, we have the perfect recipe for a card fit for a dear dude. (Did you catch my play on words there? *wink*)

We get started with a base of Crumb Cake cardstock. I used a sheet of the Mossy Meadow Nature Walk patterned paper to serve as the backdrop for the design. Our three repeating shapes are from the Nested Essentials die set and are cut from a sheet of the Autumn Toile patterned paper. I really love how you can still make out the original scene as you look down the three shapes and how the deer repeat in each panel in a perfect triangle.

The sentiment panel finishes our visual triangle and is punched from vanilla cardstock with the To the Point label punch. The sentiment from the Words of Beauty stamp set is stamped in Early Espresso. We cut some oak leaves and acorns from Cajun Craze and Early Espresso cardstocks and adhere them behind the sentiment panel, along with a twist of white & gold baker’s twine. The whole panel is then adhered to the card front with dimensionals. And we finish everything off with some gold drusy embellishments for the perfect pop of sparkle.

Today’s sketch is from the current Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge and also happens to be our current Luv 2 Stamp team challenge sketch. What do you think about using a sketch to inspire your masculine cards?

I hope you’ll drop by tomorrow to see what other tips we can use to make creating masculine cards a little less challenging!

Product List
Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [ 120953 ]
[120953]
$14.00
Very Vanilla 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [ 166784 ]
[166784]
$14.00
Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [ 119686 ]
[119686]
$14.00
Cajun Craze 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [ 119684 ]
[119684]
$14.00
Autumn Toile 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [ 165882 ]
[165882]
$12.50
Nature Walk 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [ 166912 ]
[166912]
$12.50
Words Of Beauty Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [ 167083 ]
[167083]
$20.00
Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [ 147114 ]
[147114]
$9.00
To The Point Label Punch [ 164568 ]
[164568]
$25.00
Nested Essentials Dies [ 161597 ]
[161597]
$34.00
Label Me Grateful Dies [ 166111 ]
[166111]
$24.00
Drusy Adhesive Backed Embellishments [ 164223 ]
[164223]
$9.00
Black & White & Gold Baker's Twine [ 166005 ]
[166005]
$8.50
Stampin' Dimensionals [ 104430 ]
[104430]
$4.25
Mini Glue Dots [ 103683 ]
[103683]
$7.25
Add All to Cart
Snowy Delights · Winter

Winter Wish

susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Welcome back, friends, for a bonus post on this snowy day in North Texas. Winter Storm Fern is living up to all the hype here for sure as temperatures are frigid and mixed precipitation continues to fall. The streets are covered and roads are slippery, so needless to say, we’re staying home where it’s safe & warm.

And that’s giving me the opportunity to make up for the crafting time I didn’t get earlier in the week. I thought it would be fun to have a few bonus posts that give an ode to the current weather here. So today I’m inking up a stamp set I’ve had for a while that has *eek* made its way to the Last Chance list — Snowy Delights. Time to get it inky! And it just so happens to pair up perfectly with the new Nature Walk paper.

We get started with a base of Night of Navy cardstock. The background pattern is from the Nature Walk paper pack and I machine embossed it with the Soft Waves embossing folder to give a snowdrift effect. The embossed panel is wrapped in a combination of Cloud Cover and Misty Moonlight & silver ribbons before it’s adhered to the card front. Our focal image from the Snowy Delights stamp set is stamped in Versamark and then heat embossed in silver before being diecut with the coordinating outline die. I added some of the white frosted iridescent dots to the center of the snowflake for some extra detail and a bit of sparkle. The snowflake is adhered over the ribbon with dimensionals. The sentiment from the Snowy Delights set is embossed on vellum in silver before being cut out with the banner die from the Stylish Shapes set. It’s adhered over the snowflake with glue dots so the adhesive isn’t visible. A few extra iridescent frosted dots finish things off.

What do you think of this super simple tribute to Winter Storm Fern? I think it’s pretty perfect. I hope you’re staying & safe and warm in your neck of the woods. It’s the perfect evening to curl up with some soup and a good movie and that’s just what we plan to do!

Product List
Night Of Navy 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [ 100867 ]
[100867]
$14.00
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [ 166780 ]
[166780]
$14.00
Vellum 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Paper [ 167099 ]
[167099]
$10.00
Nature Walk 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [ 166912 ]
[166912]
$12.50
Soft Waves 3 D Embossing Folder [ 164695 ]
[164695]
$11.00
Snowy Delights Bundle (English) [ 165809 ]
[165809]
$65.50
Stylish Shapes Dies [ 159183 ]
[159183]
$30.00
Versamark Pad [ 102283 ]
[102283]
$9.50
Metallics Wow! Embossing Powder [ 165678 ]
[165678]
$21.00
Cloud Cover 5/8" (1.6 Cm) Textured Ribbon [ 167182 ]
[167182]
$9.50
Misty Moonlight & Silver Edged 1/2" (1.3 Cm) Ribbon [ 165931 ]
[165931]
$10.00
Frosted Iridescent Dots [ 165766 ]
[165766]
$9.00
Mini Glue Dots [ 103683 ]
[103683]
$7.25
Stampin' Dimensionals [ 104430 ]
[104430]
$4.25
Add All to Cart