Tropical vibes

It is a cold in my neck of the woods -- our high temperature was -7°F today -- so it seems like a perfect day to share a couple of cards that have tropical vibes.

I made these cards ages ago, so I don't remember many details, although I think they're pretty self-explanatory. I used the Sending Sunshine stamp set (Stampin' Up!), and while I love the images in the set, it's not particularly versatile. So I tried to create two distinct layouts for these cards. Both cards turned out well, but I really like the retro look of the card on the right with the strips of colored card stock behind the focal image. And I think the style of the "happy birthday" sentiment coordinates well with it, too.

I could do with a hint of this tropical weather. Thank goodness our cold snap is supposed to be ending tomorrow -- we should have temps above zero! Thanks for stopping by!

Underwater gel print scenes

The batch of cards I'm sharing today was definitely the most time-consuming of the gel-print cards I made this time around. But I think they were worth the effort.

For these cards, I used various gel prints to make all the parts of the underwater scenes. I chose one main print for the background/water for each card, cut it with a stitched rectangle die, and adhered it to a white card base. To create the sand I tore a brown gel print into wide strips and cut the bottom and sides of each stripe with the stitched rectangle die so it would match the stitching on the background.  Then I used bits and pieces left over from a variety of other gel prints to create fish, kelp, coral, and seashells with the School of Fish die (Memory Box) and the Build-a-Scene - Underwater dies (Taylored Expressions). I even used a gel print to make the sentiment strip. I played around until I was happy with the arrangement and then glued everything down. I finished with some sequins to create the look of bubbles.

I don't usually stamp directly on the gel prints because they have a rough texture. But I wanted to stamp some little schools of fish in the background to add more depth. I tried Distress Oxide inks (Faded Jeans and Broken China) and VersaFine (Onyx Black). All of the inks worked, but I did notice that the images stamped with Distress Oxides got sort of blurry as they dried, as if the ink was bleeding. Luckily that was fine for these cards -- it's sort of an underwater effect, which is perfect.

I made one more card like the first two, although I did change the sentiment, and then I tried a different card layout. I have a set of small, shaped gel presses, and one of them is a hexagon. I had a hexagon print that looked like it would make a good underwater scene, so I trimmed off the extra paper, matted it with blue-green card stock, and then trimmed down the mat. I added the die-cut pieces and set the piece aside to work on the card base. I chose light aqua card stock and die cut the card front with the Fanfare Cutting Plate (Taylored Expressions) on the card front. The pattern reminds me of scales or waves, and I think it adds a nice, subtle detail. I used foam tape to attach the focal piece and a sentiment strip, and I finished the card with clear sequins.

Thanks for stopping by!

Seaside Notions card sets

A couple of weeks ago at the end of the school year, one of my coworkers asked to purchase some card sets. I had some card sets on hand, but I wanted to make a few more so she would have additional choices. The two card sets I'm sharing today were made with the Seaside Notions stamp set.

I made both sets with the same general technique: I filled an 8-1/2" x 11" piece of cream card stock with stamped images from the Seaside Notions stamp set, using a different color ink for each image. For this set I also splattered the card stock with metallic blue watercolor paint and then cut it into panels for six cards.

I matted each panel before attaching it to a cream card base. I stamped the sentiments on strips of card stock, trimmed the ends of the strips, and attached them to the cards with foam tape. I finished off the cards in this set with clear droplets.

After stamping the sheet of card stock for the second Seaside Notions card set, I spritzed it with iridescent shimmer spray, which is really hard to see in the photo. Again I matted the stamped panels, but before adhering them to the card bases, I wrapped some hemp twine around the panels. (The ends of the twine are taped to the back of the panel so I didn't have any knots.) I glued a wooden seashell embellishment over the twine and attached the panels to colored card bases. I didn't add sentiments to these cards so they can be used for any occasion.

After I finished the card sets, I had two strips of stamped card stock left over, so I made two birthday cards for my stash. I matted each strip and adhered them to colored card bases embossed with a wave texture. I added a "happy birthday" sentiment and a few clear droplets to finish off these bonus cards.

Thanks for stopping by!

Birthday fishes

Happy Monday! I hope your week is off to a good start. I'm trying to catch up on some blog posts today. I intended to finish this post over the weekend, but then I decided to rearrange and reorganize my craft room. Uff da. It was a big project, but I'd been wanting to do it for awhile. I like the new arrangement so far, but I haven't had a chance to do any crafting yet; that will be the true test. 

But back to today's post. Here are some cute birthday fishes:

I'm really pleased with how these cards turned out. To make the fish, I used the School of Fish die (Memory Box) and an old gel print. I wasn't crazy about the gel print itself, but I love how it worked for these die-cut fish. I did have to layer the fish, because the gel print paper was light-weight; I just cut another round of fish out of card stock (I used a light orange to coordinate) and glued the pieces together. If I'd thought about it ahead of time, I probably would have adhered the gel print to card stock first and then die cut the fish.

For the card bases I used blue card stock embossed with the Seabed embossing folder. I love all the fun underwater details. To make the sand, I cut strips of Crumb Cake card stock, tore along the top edge, and repeatedly stamped a speckle- or splatter-style image to add texture. I finished the scenes with a few die-cut pieces of seaweed and coral, a small wooden seashell on each card, and a few clear droplets. I added the punny sentiment "birthday fishes" on a small strip of card stock near the upper right corner of each card.

"Fishing" you a great day! Thanks for stopping by!

Fruit and fish

I hope you're not tired of seeing card sets, yet! These should be the last sets I have to share for at least a little while. Today's sets have two different themes, which you may have guessed from the title of this post: fruit and sea life. That's a strange combo, I know, but the thing they have in common is punny sentiments.

Here are the two sets of fruit cards; the top row is one set, and the bottom row is the second. (Click on the photo to enlarge it and read the sentiments.) I used a variety of "fruity" products from several different companies. Once I had the patterned papers chosen and adhered to each card base, I couldn't decide how I wanted to add the sentiments. So I used two layouts for each set: two cards in each set have fruit shapes, and the other two have either a twine accent or die-cut words.

I think this is my favorite card from the fruit sets. I love the kiwi fruit paper, and the sentiment just makes me smile. I finished off the cards with coordinating sequins.

Here are the final two card sets I have to share. (Again, the top row is one set, and the bottom row is the second.) I've used the same "base" as the other card sets: a 4" x 4" piece of patterned paper at the top of the card base and a 1-1/2" x 4" piece at the bottom. With these cards, though, the patterned paper is almost little scenes. So I added die-cut seaweed, fish, and seahorses on two cards from each set. (Click on the photo to enlarge it.) On the other two cards in each set I added twine above the sentiment and a piece of burlap trim in the upper right corner.

Here is a closer look at one card of each style. Of course I had to finish them off with coordinating sequins.

I was initially a little nervous about handing out these card sets at work because they seem a little more simple than something I might normally make. But everyone seemed to like and appreciate them. Maybe next year I'll start earlier so I can make more.

Thanks for stopping by!

Seahorse birthday wishes

It's been some mix of raining and snowing most of the day today, and now the wind has kicked up. Winter doesn't want to let go, but I am definitely ready for spring. I'd also settle for a nice beach vacation, but that's not in the cards for me. So I'll just share a sea-themed birthday card while I dream of warmer weather.

This card started with the Calypso Coral seahorse, which is splattered with silver watercolor paint. I had made it for a different project and then decided it didn't work, so it was just sitting in the dish of odds and ends on my table waiting for the right card. And I think it's perfect here!

To create an under-the-sea look, I embossed a Coastal Cabana card base with a wave embossing folder. Then I tore the edge of a piece of Crumb Cake card stock and glued it along the bottom of the card front for the sand. I adhered the seahorse to the left side of the card and glued a die-cut "birthday wishes" on the right side, overlapping the seahorse just a bit.

To embellish the card I added a few clusters of clear droplets for bubbles. And I used a mini stapler to add a bit of burlap ribbon in the upper right corner. I love the texture and color of the ribbon, and it has a beachy, tropical feel to me.

Thanks for stopping by!

Too cool for school

After my last post with the less-than-stellar pictures of some of my gel-print cards, I wanted to share a gel-print card with a good picture! :) And bonus - this gel print was one of my favorites, and I love how the card turned out, too.

Isn't that fun? I had been waiting to use this gel print because I wanted the "perfect" card for it. The colors made me think of an under the sea theme, so I decided to use the S'whale stamp set from Ellen Hutson. 

I stamped a few schools of fish around the edges of a Coastal Cabana (Stampin' Up!) card base. I die cut the gel print with a stitched rectangle die, matted it with a layer of black card stock, and then adhered it to the card base.

 

 

For the focal images, I stamped and die cut the whale and two more schools of fish and used foam tape to attach them to the gel print. I added three clear droplets to look like bubbles coming from the whale. To finish the card I stamped the punny sentiment "You are too cool for school" on a strip of white card stock and attached it below the whale.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy thoughts at the beach

I'm not a huge fan of the hot, humid weather during summer, so the past couple of weeks has been the worst. I would love a nice relaxing day at the beach (preferably with a light, cool breeze -- is that asking too much?), but for now I'll live vicariously through this card:

Supplies:
Stamps: Totally Random Sayings Vol. 3 (Essentials by Ellen), Gorgeous Grunge (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Garden Green card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Pool Party, Crumb Cake (Stampin' Up!); Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Beach Chairs die (Rubbernecker Stamps), Grass #2 die (Rubbernecker Stamps), High Flying Kites die (Poppy Stamps), Whale of a Time sequins (Stampin' Up!), blending brush (Picket Fence Studios), Art GLitter Glue (Art Institute)

Doesn't that look so calm and relaxing?

I started with a Pool Party card base and decided where I wanted to position the horizon. Using a piece of paper (or a sticky note, masking paper, card stock scrap - whatever you have for a straight edge) to cover the top part of the card, I used a blending brush to add a bit of Pool Party ink to create the water.

For the sand, I cut a piece of Crumb Cake card stock as wide as the card base and then tore along the top. I wanted to add more texture, so I used a splatter-style stamp to add a bunch of little dots to the sand. (If you don't have a stamp, you could make your own splatter with a marker or watercolor paint.) Then I adhered that piece to the card base, making sure the top overlapped the bottom edge of the "water."

I die-cut and glued down a white Adirondack chair, several bits of green grass, and a few wispy little clouds. I finished the card with a stamped sentiment and three seashell sequins.

Thanks for stopping by!

A manatee-rific trio

We are in a heat wave in my neck of the woods (it's like we jumped from spring to the middle of summer), and an ocean vacation would be so amazing right about now. Sadly, there are no beach days in my immediate future, so I'll enjoy making ocean-y cards instead.

Supplies:
Stamps: Whale Done, We'll Walrus Be Friends (Stampin' Up!); Manatee-Rific (Lawn Fawn)
Paper: Under the Sea, Manatees, Otterly Awesome, Sand Dollars & Starfish patterned papers (Dare 2B Artzy); Whisper White, Blueberry Bushel, Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Grapefruit Grove card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Blueberry Bushel (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Stitched Squares and Layering Squares dies (Stampin' Up!), Shadow Box Ocean Add-On dies (Lawn Fawn), Wonky Stitched Circles dies (My Favorite Things), Calypso Coral baker's twine (Stampin' Up!), Whale of a Time sequins (Stampin' Up!), foam tape (3M), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

I made these cards for a friend who requested a card with manatees (one of my favorite animals). I do have a few manatee stamps, but I remembered that I also had these patterned papers, which are all part of the Seas the Day Collection from Dare 2B Artzy. I had purchased a few of the individual papers at a stamp show a couple of years ago but hadn't used them yet. This was the perfect occasion!

I started by hand cutting several of the manatees from one of the sheets of paper (I even used a partial image for the card on the left). I paired them up, arranged them on die-cut shapes, and stamped punny sentiments to make focal points for three cards. I chose coordinating card stock colors for the card bases and used more of the patterned paper for the backgrounds. I attached the focal layers with foam tape and finished off the cards with sequins and little die-cut shapes.

I think these cards all turned out pretty cute -- and I think my friend agreed, because she decided she wanted all three!

Thanks for stopping by!

A visit to Atlantis

I've only been to the ocean a couple of times in my life, but I loved it and definitely hope to go back someday. I don't see that trip happening any time soon, though, so for now, I'll have to use my craft supplies to create my own ocean scenes. Here are two cards I made last summer featuring the July 2020 My Monthly Hero kit from Hero Arts and the underwater lost city of Atlantis

 

Supplies:
Kit: July 2020 My Monthly Hero kit (Hero Arts)
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Whisper White, Basic Black card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Intensified Black (Hero Arts)
Accessories: Foam tape (3M), Art Glitter Glue (Art Impressions), blender brush (Picket Fence Studios)

I started these cards by ink blending blue backgrounds on two white card bases. I applied the ink heavier toward the bottom of the card and lightened as I went up, leaving the card stock white at the very top of the card. I die cut the sunken city silhouette twice out of black card stock and glued each to a card base. Then I stamped the color-layering reef on white card stock, using a different color combo for each card. (The colored ink cubes were included in the kit, which is why they're not listed separately above.) I die cut those pieces and adhered them to the cards using foam tape. I finished off each card with some stamped and die-cut sea creatures (love the mermaid silhouette), a stream of bubbles, and a sentiment. I didn't add any embellishments (what?!), but a few clear droplets would be cute and would look like more bubbles.

Thanks for stopping by!

A day at the lake

December is just flying by! I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since my last post -- and only one week until Christmas. I've been frantically trying to finish all my holiday projects and to dos, and I think I'm finally in the home stretch. But this will be a short post tonight, because I do have a few tasks I'd like to check off my list tonight.

I made the cards for today's post months ago (as with so many of the cards I still have to share), so they are a little out of season, at least for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. But it's always fun to dream about a day at the lake, right?

Supplies:
Kit: July 2019 My Monthly Hero (Hero Arts)
Paper: Balmy Blue, Garden Green, Early Espresso, Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!); 110-lb Solar White card stock (Neenah)
Ink: Lime Green, Forest, Dusty Blue, Sand Stone, Cocoa (Hero Arts [in the kit]); Real Red, Sahara Sand, Tip Top Taupe (Stampin' Up!); Momento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: High Flying Kites dies (Poppy Stamps), Express-o Yourself mini prills (USArt Quest), clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen (Kuretake), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute), foam tape (3M)

I love both of these scenes, but the lake monster casually swimming by on the right-hand card really cracks me up! Both of these cards are made with mostly stamping, die cutting, and layering. I did add some clear Wink of Stella glitter in the "water" to add some detail and a bit of sparkle. You can see it a little in the close-up photo below.

After you spend all day swimming at the lake, it's time for some sunset fishing, right? That was the focus on the next card.

Supplies:
Kit: July 2019 My Monthly Hero (Hero Arts)
Paper: Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Fossilized Amber, Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Abandoned Coral, Seedless Preserves, Salty Ocean, Faded Jeans Distress Oxide inks (Ranger); Momento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Blender brushes (Picket Fence Studios), masking paper (Inkadinkadoo), clear shimmer spray (Avery Elle), foam tape (3M)

I covered the bottom half of the card stock panel with masking paper while I used blender brushes and distress oxide inks to create the sunset on the top part of the card stock. Then I moved the masking paper to the top of the card and blended the water. (I was bummed to see that when I removed the masking paper from the sky, it pulled off tiny spots of ink, so the sunset isn't as smooth as it could be.) I also spritzed some clear shimmer spray over the water to activate the inks and add sparkle.

The background was definitely the challenging part of this card. Once that was done, it was just a matter stamping, die cutting and layering on the images.

Thanks for stopping by today! I'll try to be back soon with more cards to share.

Under the sea

After the tropical vibe of my last two posts, I'm going to segue into a little ocean theme and share a few cards featuring animals and scenes from under the sea.

These first two clean and simple cards both use masking stencils from Taylored Expressions and the Seaside Notions stamp set from Stampin' Up!, and it was my first time playing with both of these products.

Supplies:
Stamps: Seaside Notions (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: 110-lb Solar White card stock (Neenah); Sea Glass, Key Lime, Tangerine Twist, Sandy Beach card stock (Gina K Designs)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Sea Glass, Key Lime, Tangerine Twist, Sandy Beach (Gina K Designs)
Accessories: Circle masking stencils (Taylored Expressions), blender brushes (Taylored Expressions), clear droplets (Pretty Pink Posh), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute), foam tape (3M)
 
This is a fun layout, and I think it would work with just about any type of image: flowers or foliage (ooh - four different leaves with rich autumn colors), animals, crafty-themed images, etc.

For this card I started by choosing four images from the stamp set and four colors of coordinating ink and card stock. I stamped each image on one color card stock using the same color ink, trimmed them using a paper snips, and set them aside.

For the background, I used circle masking stencils and blender brushes to create one circle for each ink color on a panel of white card stock. (Note: Be sure to wipe off the stencil after each circle so the colors don't get muddied.) I used a random placement for the circles, letting some of them go off the edge of the card stock and/or overlap with another color.

I stamped a birthday sentiment in the lower right corner and then adhered the panel to a black card base. Using foam tape, I adhered each of the stamped, cut-out images over the corresponding circle. I finished the card with three bubble-y clear droplets.

Supplies:
Stamps: Seaside Notions (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: 110-lb Solar White card stock (Neenah); Coral Reef, Sandy Beach card stock (Gina K Designs)
Ink: Coral Reef, Sandy Beach, Turquoise Sea, Sea Glass (Gina K Designs)
Accessories: Rectangle masking stencils (Taylored Expressions), blender brushes (Taylored Expressions), clear droplets (Pretty Pink Posh), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute), Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)

For this card I used the rectangle masking stencil to create a subtle background scene. With the stencil attached to a white card base (use removable tape on the back so the card doesn't shift), I applied Sandy Beach ink near the bottom of the opening and then blended Turquoise Sea and Sea Glass inks to cover the rest of the stencil opening. After I removed the stencil -- look at that perfectly even chunky white border! -- I stamped dot clusters over the sand and one coral image in the water.

For the main images, I  used Coral Reef ink and card stock for the seahorse and Sandy Beach ink and card stock for the seashell. I stamped and cut out the images and attached them to the card base using Dimensionals, placing them so they extended past the borders of the ink-blended rectangle. Again, three clear droplets finish the card.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

Stamps: Whale Done

Paper: Whisper White, Shaded Spruce, Pretty Peacock, Pool Party card stock; Whale of a Time Designer Series Paper (DSP)

Ink: Pretty Peacock

Accessories: Whale punch, Seabed 3D embossing folder, foam tape (3M)

These are two very simple cards that I put together just to try out some new Stampin Up! goodies. I embossed the card bases with the Seabed 3D embossing folder (Pretty Peacock on the left, Shaded Spruce on the right), and I have to say that I love all the texture and detail! For the focal layer on each card, I cut a 6" x 6" piece of DSP into 3" x 3" pieces and matted two of the pieces with Pool Party card stock. Using foam tape I adhered one square to each card base.

I tried two different styles for the whales. For the card on the left I stamped the whale using Pretty Peacock ink on white card stock and then punched out the image with the main part of the Whale Punch. For the card on the right, I used the punch with Pretty Peacock and white card stock and then glued the pieces together to make the whale. (I made the eye with a dot of black marker.) I added the whales to the DSP squares and finished each card with the sentiment "Thanks a ton" stamped on a little card stock banner.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you have a "swimmingly" good weekend!

Sending tropical sunshine

I'm back with a couple more tropical-themed cards today. And boy do I wish I could snap my fingers and find myself in the middle of these scenes!

I made these two cards with the new Sending Sunshine stamp set from Stampin' Up! I knew I would get this set as soon as I saw it in the catalog.

Supplies:

Stamps: Sending Sunshine (Stampin' Up!)

Paper: Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana card stock (Stampin' Up!)

Ink: Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana, Crumb Cake, Mango Melody, Shaded Spruce (Stampin' Up!); Sugar Cube (Taylored Expressions); Balmy Blue, Crumb Cake Blends markers (Stampin' Up!)

Accessories: Birthday Wishes Frame die (Simon Says Stamp), opaque bright white superfine embossing powder (WOW! Embossing Powder), Oceanside dew drops (Honey Bee Stamps), foam tape (3M)

This set has multiple stamps so it's easy to layer on the different colors (and it was pretty easy to line up the stamps, too). For this first card, I stamped all the images on white card stock. To create the blue sky, I just colored the card stock with a Balmy Blue Blends alcohol marker. (You could also try using a blender brush or brayer to apply ink, but since it was a relatively small area, I decided I had more control with a marker.) Then I stamped and embossed the clouds in the sky.

I wanted this scene to look like a photo, so I die cut the Birthday Wishes Frame from white card stock and then just used snipped off the words from the middle of the frame. It makes a perfect-looking Polaroid picture! I adhered the stamped panel behind the frame and stamped the sentiment along the bottom.

For the card base I used Coastal Cabana card stock with a strip of Bermuda Bay card stock along the left side. I added score lines every 1/4" on the Bermuda Bay card stock to add a little bit of texture. I attached the focal "photo" to the card with foam tape and finished off the card with three dew drops.

Supplies:

Stamps: Sending Sunshine

Paper: Whisper White, Pool Party, Crumb Cake card stock (Stampin' Up!)

Ink: Coastal Cabana, Bermuda Bay, Shaded Spruce, Crumb Cake, Mango Melody (Stampin' Up!); Sugar Cube (Taylored Expressions)

Accessories: Sea Life wooden shapes (Darice), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)

For this card I started with a Pool Party card base and added a layer of Crumb Cake card stock to the bottom half of the card for the sand. I stamped the cluster of dots to add texture to the sand and then added a sentiment and a few little grasses.

I stamped the water and sun images on white card stock and then cut out the full image and glued it on the "sand" so the horizon lined up with top of the Crumb Cake card stock. I stamped a few fluffy white clouds and used the larger grass image on the side to look like a tree branch. (I saw that idea in a sample in the catalog, and I thought it was so clever!)

The card still needed "something," and I remembered that I have a set of nautical-themed wooden shapes. This little sailboat floating toward the sunset seemed like the perfect finishing touch!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

A taste of the tropics

Yay, the weekend! I'm happy to see the end of the week (especially since I don't have to work this weekend!), and I'm hoping to get some card projects finished in the next couple of days. It will be a prefect weekend to stay inside and craft because it's feeling tropical around here, and being out in the heat and humidity is not my favorite thing. But it is a great reason to share a few tropical cards!

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

Stamps: Timeless Tropical

Paper: Pool Party, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Crumb Cake, Whisper White card stock

Ink: Old Olive, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake

Accessories: In the Tropics dies, Beach Chair dies (Rubbernecker Stamps), 1-1/4" circle punch, foam tape (3M), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

I'm pretty sure I would enjoy the tropical weather more if I had a nice chair and a view like this!

This card is mostly layers of card stock. I started with a Pool Party card base and added a piece of Bermuda Bay card stock just below the middle of the card to make the ocean. I punched a circle out of Crushed Curry card stock, cut it in half, and glued it right at the top of the Bermuda Bay card stock in the middle of the card.

To create the sand, I cut two pieces of Crumb Cake card stock. I tore the top edge off one of the pieces and adhered it over the Bermuda Bay card stock. Then I stamped and die cut two of the palm tree images and adhered them to the Crumb Cake card stock on either side of the sun. Then I tore the top off the second piece of Crumb Cake card stock, making sure it was shorter than the first piece, stamped the sentiment near the right side, and added it to the card base. The final touch was to die cut the chair out of white card stock and glue it next to the sentiment. I added a birthday sentiment inside the card, but this would also be a great retirement card.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

Stamps: Timeless Tropical

Paper: Watercolor paper (Strathmore), Pool Party card stock

Ink: Mango Melody, Poppy Parade, Old Olive, black journaling marker

Accessories: In the Tropics dies, jute twine (May Arts Ribbon), foam tape (3M)

I tried something a little different with this card, and I think I had mixed results. I wanted to use the flower images from the Timeless Tropical stamp set, but I didn't want to stamp them in black and then paint or color them. So instead I stamped them with colored ink on water color paper and then used a damp paintbrush to pull the color from the stamped lines into the "empty" part of the images.

I think it worked pretty well with the large flowers (especially the bottom one) because the Mango Melody ink, which looked pretty orange when stamped, became more yellow as it mixed with the water on the paint brush. So you can still see some definition in the flower. The leaves turned out okay, too. But that technique didn't work so well with the smaller flower. The Poppy Parade ink was just too strong, and I ended up losing all the lines in the flower when I added the water. I restamped the image again after I watercolored, and that helped, but I still wasn't thrilled with that one.

I tied some twine around a Pool Party card base and then layered on the flowers and leaves. It still needed something, so I doodled a border and some little clusters of dots.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

Stamps: Timeless Tropical

Paper: Very Vanilla, Baked Brown Sugar card stock

Ink: Baked Brown Sugar, Art Philosophy Metallic Accents paints (Prima)

Accessories: Layering Ovals and Stitched Shapes dies, linen thread, brulap ribbon trim, Tiny Attacher stamper (Tim Holtz), blender brush (Picket Fence Studios), Dimensionals, foam tape (3M)

I love the vintage feel of these two cards -- and the neutral color scheme makes them great masculine birthday cards. To create these cards, I repeatedly stamped various images on a piece of Very Vanilla card stock using Baked Brown Sugar ink. (The flower images are the same as in the card above so you can see what the stamped image looks like.) I cut the card stock in half and then used a blender brush to blend ink around the edges of each piece. I usually use a sponge to apply ink on card stock edges, but I think I like the brushes better; it create a softer look. I wanted to add a little accent, so I used metallic paint to make a gold splatter.

Once the paint was dry, I embellished each background piece with ribbon or twine, adhered it to a Baked Brown Sugar card base, and used Dimensionals to add a layered sentiment.

And now for some more color ...

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

Stamps: Timeless Tropical

Paper: Thick Whisper White, Whisper White, Pineapple Punch, Granny Apple Green, Calypso Coral, Baked Brown Sugar card stock

Ink: Baked Brown Sugar

Accessories: In the Tropics dies, Subtle embossing folder, Dimensionals, Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

This card was one I made to include in a "box of sunshine" that I sent to a friend. The box was full of fun yellow and orange things to make her smile, so this bright yellow card fit right in. I started with a white card base, and for the background I used a piece of (perfectly appropriate) Pineapple Punch card stock embossed with the Subtle embossing folder. (I rounded two opposite corners before adhering it to the card base.) Then I die cut the pineapple and glued it to the background. I stamped the sentiment on a strip of white card stock and used Dimensionals to adhere it over the bottom of the pineapple. For a final touch I added a few Calypso Coral die-cut flowers.

Now I'm ready for a cold tropical drink with a pretty umbrella!

I have a few more tropical cards to share next time. Thanks for stopping by today!