Tag: punches

Terrific Tuesdays

Tiled Winter Wishes

susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

This week, we’re looking at all of the wonderful projects that we can make when we combine the Heartfelt Hexagon bundle and more masculine color palettes. Today’s card is a monochromatic design and I’m in love with how it turned out!

I’ve recently seen quite a few card designs that use this tiled layout with the Heartfelt Hexagon bundle, and I just knew I had to give it a try. I’ve seen it with designer paper, embossed cardstock, and all sorts of variations in between. I have a new pack of shimmer paper that I wanted to break open, and that’s where this design got started.

The base of this card is a sheet of Lost Lagoon cardstock. After cutting the card base, I halved the remaining portion to use in creating the hexagon pattern on the card front. I stamped the more decorative hexagon frame from the Heartfelt Hexagon set and the sentiment from the Magical Meadow set using Pretty Peacock ink to give a bit more contrast. The remainder of the panel was embossed with the Winter Snow embossing folder and then punched with the hexagon punch. I cut a strip of the Lost Lagoon shimmer paper and punched a few hexagons from that, as well. Because they’re just adding a little sparkle to the design, only a few will be needed.

To build the tiled background, I began by placing the sentiment panel first. To give it more prominence, I added dimensionals and then adhered into place on the card front. I filled in the sentiment row with embossed hexagons and then worked my way down and then up the card design from there. I laid out everything before adhering to get the placement just right. When cutting the portions that hang over the edges, be sure to retain those scraps as they’re used to fill in smaller gaps along the edges across the design.

While I’m not a huge fan of fussy cutting, this card came together quickly and easily with the scraps which meant no scraps leftover!

Would you like to see the projects featured in this week’s Terrific Tuesdays episode? Hop on over to my YouTube channel and check it out by clicking on the link below:

Products used in today’s design:
Lost Lagoon, soft shimmer cardstock
Heartfelt Hexagon stamps and punch
Winter Snow embossing folder (retired)
Magical Meadow stamps
Fine sparkle gems
Dimensionals
Adhesives

All ads on this site are posted by WordPress.  Song Sparrow Papercrafts is not responsible for ad content.

World Card Making Day

Stack of Cake

susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Today we’re taking a look at another one of the card designs I made during Stampin’ Up!’s World Card Making Day craft-along event. Did you attend? You can still catch it on replay if you want to join in on the fun!

This segment of the event was a lot of fun because I was reminded how you can alter a punch shape by pulling the paper through in order to punch one end at a time. I can never seem to remember that trick when I need it! Does that ever happen to you? This design is simple and requires a few shades of cardstock and the Heartfelt Hexagon stamp and punch bundle.

The card base is Basic White cardstock, as is each of the hexagon bases. The top and bottom hexagons are half of one punched hexagon. The colored elements are half of a hexagon. The center hexagon base uses the pull-through technique to elongate the hexagon shape to allow for the larger sentiment and the colored cardstock element. The hexagons are layered in a straight line up the center of the card with the center sentiment being popped up on dimensionals to really draw the eye. I love this eye-catching, yet simple, design. What do you think?

Products used:
Basic White, Berry Burst, Granny Apple Green, Bubble Bath, Azure Afternoon, Lemon Lolly cardstock
Heartfelt Hexagon stamps and punch
Lemon Lime twist ribbon
Tinsel gems
Dimensionals
Adhesives

All ads on this site are posted by WordPress and are based on your personal browsing history. I do not control ad content.

birthday · Custom Orders

Eat Cake

susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

I recently had the opportunity to complete a custom order with the recipients being friends of mine. It’s always fun when you get to design cards for friends because you have the opportunity to tailor to the recipient.

I had just gotten a delivery of clearance product, and I knew the Regency Park paper was going to be perfect. The base of this card is Blushing Bride with the sheet of Regency Park taking center stage. The sentiment panel is punched from white cardstock using the Heartfelt Hexagon punch. I used two different shades of pink to give visual interest to the sentiment and help it to stand out against the busy floral background. The ribbon helps break up the background, as well. The sparkle from the sequins gives a festive look and helps draw the eye across the design to the sentiment. I love this bright and happy design, don’t you?

Products used:
Blushing Bride (retired), white cardstock
Regency Park DSP (retired)
Heartfelt Hexagon stamps & punch
Adhesive-backed sequins
Ribbon duo
Dimensionals
Adhesives

All ads on this site are posted by WordPress and are based on your personal browsing history. I do not control ad content.

Christmas

Beary Happy Christmas

susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Did you know that even seasoned stampers look for inspiration? Sometimes designs just come to you and other times you have to look high and low for them! I actually stumbled across this design by Susan Campfield in my daily stroll through my Facebook feed and knew it needed to go in the Inspiration file. It can easily be adapted to so many different occasions, which makes it a design you can turn to again and again.

I love how the buffalo plaid is reminiscent of a warm winter flannel, making it a perfect design element for this holiday card. The base of the card is black cardstock and the plaid paper is matted by a sheet of Cherry Cobbler and black cardstock. The bear is punched from black cardstock using the Beary Cute punch. The red and white gingham ribbon allows the sentiment panel to function visually as a banner across the focal panel. If you’re making a set of cards, you can alternate the direction of the bear for some added interest. The sentiment panel is diecut from white cardstock using the Nested Essentials die and then the sentiment is stamped in Real Red using the Merriest Trees stamps. The adhesive hexagons help draw the eye across this playful design.

I just love the rustic feel of this card. It reminds me of a homey cabin in the snowy woods. Don’t you think?

Products used:
Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black and White cardstock
A Walk in the Forest DSP
Merriest Trees stamps
Beary Cute punch
Real Red and White gingham ribbon (retired)
Adhesive hexagons (retired)
Adhesives

All ads on this site are posted by WordPress and are based on your personal browsing history. I do not control ad content.

Thinking of You Week

Rustic Joy

susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

If you’re following me over on Facebook, you might have caught mention of the new Office Assistant in-training that has joined our family. Earlier this week, we adopted a 6-week old kitten from the local animal shelter. I’m a cat person and have had cats for years, but the last 4 cats we’ve adopted have all been adults. So needless to say, I’ve forgotten just how much work kittens are – they’re just like having toddlers! And Nolan, when he’s not napping, is into EVERYthing so I’ve been thrown off my usual routine this week. So I hope you’ll hang with me as we all adjust and get back into the swing of a normal routine.

I really loved getting into the groove of Thinking of You Week last week. And having some new supplies certainly added to the fun. The Heartfelt Hexagon bundle that Stampin’ Up! just launched was perfect for the occasion, and today’s design is another take on a clean and simple design using this bundle and the new Tartan Foil designer paper.

I have a hard time using Cajun Craze, but this was the perfect card to pull it out and use it as the card base. I wanted this design to feel very fall-like, so I stuck with a simple color combo of oranges and browns. The sentiment panel is punched from a sheet of Crumb Cake and the sentiment is heat embossed in copper. The natural wavy trim served as the perfect compliment to the sentiment panel. I added a little sparkle and tied it altogether with the copper thread and brown sequins. I just loved how this turned out & plan to make several for my personal stash of cards.

Products used:
Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake cardsock
Tartan Foil DSP
Heartfelt Hexagon stamps & punch
Natural wavy trim
Copper thread (retired)
Adhesive-backed sequins
Dimensionals
Adhesives

All ads on this site are posted by WordPress and are based on your personal browsing history. I do not control ad content.

Thinking of You Week

Love and Hugs

susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

We’re about halfway through Thinking of You Week. Are you participating in the challenge to send 7 cards/notes to 7 people this week? I’ve enjoyed making a list of people I haven’t touched base with in a while and designing cards especially for them.

I designed this card for some very dear friends of ours. We’re roughly the same age and have kids the same age, and we get the families together regularly and even have some holiday traditions we share together as “framilies.” When I saw this sentiment in the new Heartfelt Hexagon stamp set, I knew it would be perfect for their little note.

This sheet of Delightfully Eclectic designer paper coordinates perfectly with the Pretty Peacock card base. A few of the hearts are a very light pink, so I used the sentiment panel and accents to draw out the pink elements. Keeping everything simple really keeps your eye on the sentiment. Much like yesterday’s design, simplicity was the name of the game because the sentiment needed to stand out and take center stage in both designs.

Products used:
Pretty Peacock, Petal Pink cardstock
Delightfully Eclectic DSP
Shimmer vellum (retired)
Heartfelt Hexagon stamps & punch
Adhesive-backed sequins
Dimensionals
Adhesives

All ads on this site are posted by WordPress and are based on your personal browsing history. I do not control ad content.

Thinking of You Week

Sending Love

susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Today is Day 3 of Thinking of You Week, which was introduced by the American Greeting Card Association to encourage people to send handwritten notes to friends and loved ones to spread love and cheer. The goal is to send 7 cards or notes in 7 days. Are you up for the challenge?

Today, I thought I would share with you one of the cards that I’m placing in the mail this week. Aside from sending out birthday cards to some friends I haven’t spoken with in a little while, I’m also sending some handmade hugs.

This design uses several new releases from Stampin’ Up! I used a sheet of Pretty Peacock as the base and am so excited to get to use the brand new Tartan Foil designer paper as the gorgeous backdrop for the sentiment panel. The sentiment panel gave me the opportunity to break in my brand new Heartfelt Hexagon bundle, which is one of the signature stamp sets and punches for the upcoming SU! stamp-along for World Card Making Day. Don’t you just love it?!

Products used:
Pretty Peacock cardstock
Tartan Foil DSP
Heartfelt Hexagon stamps & punch
Adhesive-backed pastel sequins
Dimensionals
Adhesives

All ads on this site are posted by WordPress and are based on your personal browsing history. I do not control ad content.

Christmas

Winter Crossing

susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

How have you enjoyed A Walk in the Forest so far? This pack of Stampin’Up! designer paper is simply delightful with a mixture of playful and wintery designs. On our journey with the bear thus far, you may have noticed that I have done a lot of punching and diecutting, which leaves an awful lot of scraps. Do you ever wonder what happens with those paper scraps?

Today’s design is a perfect example of how scraps can be put to use to create a beautiful card. The bear and tree images I have been highlighting thus far are all diecut/punched from the same sheet of designer paper. This particular sheet of paper also has beautiful groves of smaller evergreen trees and I really loved the look of them because they very much reminded me of the snowy mountains where I’ve been snow skiing. So when I cut the bear and trees for other cards, I carefully cut around the evergreen groves, leaving me some sizable ones to work with.

For this card design, I decided to mimic a scene I’ve seen in one of the Arctic adventure shows my hubby and I like to watch — with the bear looking out from the trees across a frozen river to the other side. I used a sheet of snowflakes from A Walk in the Forest to serve as the frozen river in this scene. I cut a few snowflakes from a sheet of Snowflake Magic designer paper to catch a little silvery sparkle. A few of these snowflakes are on dimensionals to give some depth, along with the bear to bring it to the forefront of the groves of evergreens. With the sentiment panel also on dimensionals, the eye moves easily across the card through each of the key elements.

Products used:
Balmy Blue cardstock
Shimmer cardstock
Vellum
A Walk in the Forest, Snowflake Magic DSP
Magical Meadow stamps
Nesting Labels (retired), Merriest Trees dies
Beary Cute punch
Embossing powder
Adhesive-backed sequins
Dimensionals
Adhesive

All ads on this site are posted by WordPress and are based on your personal browsing history. I do not control ad content.

Christmas

Peace, Love, Joy

susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

We’re continuing our journey through A Walk in the Forest designer paper pack, which will be available to customers in the new Stampin’ Up! Holiday Mini catalog in just a few weeks. Earlier this week, we were trekking through the snow, while today’s card has us on a walk through an evergreen forest along with our friend, the bear.

In order to have the designer paper pop, I mounted the background scene on Pretty Peacock cardstock. This really brought out the smaller trees and gives a sense of realism to the scene. I used the Merriest Trees dies to cut the evergreen in the foreground from a sheet of A Walk in the Forest paper and punched the bear using the Beary Cute punch. Adding dimensionals of various heights allows the bear to stand out against the evergreen in the foreground. I set the tree and bear atop a strip of silver & white sheer ribbon (also from the Holiday Mini) to look as though they’re both on the edge of a frozen pond. The sentiment is heat embossed in a deep navy on a piece of vellum, which allows the background to show through for a snowy effect. I love the simplicity and realism of this cute forest scene. Do you feel like you’ve gone on a walk through the woods?

Products used:
Pretty Peacock, vellum cardstock
A Walk in the Forest DSP
PTI Stylish Sentiments: Holiday stamps (retired)
Merriest Trees, Nested Essentials dies
Beary Cute punch
Silver & White sheer ribbon
Navy embossing powder
Adhesive-backed sequins
Dimensionals
Adhesive

All ads on this site are posted by WordPress and are based on your personal browsing history. I do not control ad content.

Christmas

Love & Joy

susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

When I saw this design in the new Stampin’ Up! Holiday Mini catalog, I knew I had to do a take on it. We’re continuing our travels through A Walk in the Forest paper pack and still find ourselves in the snowy woods. What really drew me to this design, aside from the beauty of a snowy scene, is the music in the background. For me, a soundtrack is always playing in my head. Do you hear music as you go about your day doing everyday things?

Although not seen, Night of Navy serves as the base for this scene. A sheet of music from the Joy of Christmas designer series paper pack is the backdrop. In my mind, Silent Night plays in the background. The grove of trees is nestled in a scene of falling snow — a lovely design included in A Walk in the Forest paper pack. The trees are diecut from a sheet of A Walk in the Forest designer series paper using the Merriest Trees dies. Fresh snow has begun to fall and the snowflakes in the foreground are diecut from white cardstock using Merriest Trees dies with a touch of sparkle in each center thanks to Wink of Stella. I pulled out an older banner die to cut the sentiments. Varying heights of dimensionals give depth to the scene. This design really brings to mind the Robert Frost poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, don’t you think?

Products used:
Night of Navy, Basic White cardstock
A Walk in the Forest, Joy of Christmas DSP
Merriest Trees stamps
‘Tis the Season (retired), Merriest Trees dies
Festive pearls
Wink of Stella
Dimensionals
Adhesive

All ads on this site are posted by WordPress and are based on your personal browsing history. I do not control ad content.