Tag Stamping

Variety Pack

CraftyK Leave a comment

Spending the majority of 2019 making cross stitch cards I finally got around to using some of the new techniques gained to create some new custom cards.

It was time to up my game with my wallpaper cards. So many of the papers I have may look and/or feel really awesome to me, but they can be a bit bland to look at in a small format. With that in mind I took a few that I had pre-cut to assemble into a “standard” wallpaper card and took it up a level.

There is also a little bit of glitter glue involved since I bought a huge container of them.

Cricut cutout

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Embossing

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Stamping

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Upcycled pieces

 

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With Heartfelt Sympathy

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When you have 9 funerals in 18 months, it changes your perspective on life. While I’ve had a really long break between funerals now, that streak having come to an end last year, I really feel for those who can’t come together right now when a family member dies.

I still can’t say the right things, and of course the cards I make are blank inside.

At work we were informed that a co-worker lost her husband over the weekend. We can’t sign a card as a company since we are all at home, so we were provided the address to send a card if we wanted.

Due to the aforementioned funerals I had actually purchased various sympathy stamps. But I still have a blank card to write something to and about someone I barely know. I can only hope that what I wrote is appropriate and what they need right now. I don’t try to be different, but I tend to be with the fact that I know reading yet another card that says I’m sorry for your loss is just another card. So I tried to say something, but not sure if it was right.

I used an embossing folder on a gradient grey cardstock and stamped in the blank area using a dark blue pigment ink. I then used clear embossing powder on the stamp. I attached the embossed and stamped part to folded white cardstock with double sided tape.

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ice cream card laying down

We ALL scream for ICE CREAM

CraftyK Leave a comment

The actual cross stitch on this card is probably the smallest one I have done all year. When I asked my cousin’s husband some things she likes one of his answers was ice cream. I remembered I had saved this pattern years ago from a cross stitching website that had free patterns from their magazine available. It’s so cute I knew it was just what I needed.

close up of ice cream cone

Since the stitching wasn’t going to take up a huge space on the card I wanted to add some stamping. This included a few firsts for me. I tried out a white pigmented ink. I have a purple fine glittery embossing powder that I decided to try out on the white ink. I still haven’t figured out how to keep the powder on just the ink and not loose it all from everywhere, so it looks a bit messier than I intended. I’m still trying to figure out this whole embossing thing.

focus on stamping

It was fun to watch this one as the heat gun finally started to solidify the powder. It did take a really long time and the paper warped. The card was under a big book to try and flatten it out before sending.

ice cream cone with no backstitching

I also remembered to photograph it before the backstitching. It’s amazing what some outlines can do to a pattern. You can tell what it is, but it really pops once it’s done. I almost forgot the stem, but luckily realized it before I put everything away.

front top view of ice cream card

I know I said that I did some new things, another new thing was mixing stamps. I didn’t want a bunch of white space so I went through my stamps to find something to fill in the space with. I chose the lollipop as it’s another type of sweet. In the same set I found this small confetti looking stamp. I don’t know that I used it as intended, but I tried to put it around in different areas to fill in the space. I feel that I could have done some more maybe? It’s like using a brush in Photoshop, but this can’t be undone. Once you stamp, it’s on there. Makes me scared to use it.

So this was a first in trying out layering different elements. The different ink colors, stamps from different sets, and embossing some ink. I took some hot pink construction paper to put behind the ice cream cone. The pink paper is attached with double sided tape and the cone is attached to that with foam tape. I think I might have a foam tape addiction? I’m using it on just about every card that doesn’t have a frame. I felt that the yellow paper would mean losing the pink of the ice cream, so I made the shadow thing behind it to bring back the pinks.

Stitching

Started: September 7th
Finished: September 7th

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full front of ice cream card

golfer card laying down

Tee Time

CraftyK Leave a comment

Oh my goodness the cards are coming fast now! This one took the span of two days because of how late it was started the first day. I am now running the cross stitching part one after the other. Prepping 3 at a time to work on consecutively to get them all done. This one marks 16 to the end of the #cardproject2019.

golfer stitched

This one may look simple, but the color changes and 3/4 stitching throughout made it a little more challenging. My uncle has always loved golf as far as I know and has really enjoyed it since retiring.

I used to stay with my cousin for a week in the summer and my uncle tried to teach me how to golf. I was no good and still am not, I don’t blame his teaching, it’s just not something I find enjoyable. I’m pretty sure he’s actually good at it.

I used my new friend interfacing fabric to make this one a cut out. I felt as a golfer in motion it should stand off the card. I also had this green paper that is white on the other side so it made a great ready to go card.

have a wonderful birthday stamp

The bottom I used scrapbooking paper and a birthday stamp I have. I used brown ink and clear embossing powder to give more dimension and shine to it. The embossing worked really well on this. I even came up with the novel idea to use scissor to hold the paper down while using the heat gun so I wouldn’t burn my fingers. I used the Cricut to cut out the small piece of paper.

Stitching

Started: August 26th
Finished: August 27th

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front of golfer card

cat face

Happy Kitty

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Hopefully you like cats. I do. I have 2 of them. My cousins have several cats among them as well. The cousin who is getting this card however had to give up his cats after finding out one of his kids is allergic. Yet the whole family still loves cats. They are all getting a cat card to at least have a non-allergy causing cat around. I cannot guarantee the card is free of cat hair either. I usually have one on my lap while attempting at stitching.

happy cat thread

This pattern is part of a set from a quilt book. I tried to highlight the symbols and colors I would need, yet missed the pink. It’s not in the picture when I started, but I had to go find some pink for the ears by time I was done.

stitching top

This was a pretty fast pattern to work on. It was the designing of the card that took a while.

I had no idea where to begin. I went through both paper drawers a couple of times before finding the blue geometric patterned paper from a book I bought last year.

The pattern was small enough to add some stamping with a birthday message. That paper was easy to find, I find myself using it a lot. It’s not white and has some character to it.

bottom view

I used my Cricut to cut out the blue paper and ivory paper for stamping on. I have a corner rounder cutting thing I used to round the corners. I was lazy and didn’t design the box in Illustrator and the Cricut program doesn’t allow for rounded corners.

After stamping I decided since I had my clear embossing powder by me to emboss just the word birthday. A little got on the letters above, but not enough to change the effect I was going for.

front of card standing

For not having a clue how to start designing this card I think it came together really well. Bringing in the additional element of the stamp helps offset the smaller cross stitch design.

Stitching

Started: May 9th
Finished: May 11th

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front of Happy Cat

the otter stitching

Otter Love

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The newest addition to the family by marriage loves otters…and Harry Potter. While Harry Potter is great, a little harder to come by cross stitch patterns. And for some reason I remember her otter love before HP.

I went searching for an otter pattern on Etsy and ended up with one from dailycrossstitch.com that is pretty adorable.

the pieces

There are lots of browns in this pattern, with pops of color with the pink and blue. It’s a very easy pattern to work which is good when you need to move through them quickly.

standing front view

This card ended up using a few new things I have learned about over the past year. First is the super new interfacing fabric that I think I mention every post now. The next is embossing powder for stamping.

The fun curves of this pattern lent itself to being one that is cut out and mounted. Since it doesn’t take up the full space I also decided to pull out some stamps. Then I read that the ink was the kind you can emboss with…and found I had bought powder called “Tinsel”. Knowing that Iris has mailed just glitter in an envelope before I couldn’t help but add some to the card.

close up of stamping

I haven’t figured out how to “clean up” the powder before running the heat gun over it making everything permanent. So this attempt looks messy to me along with some areas being heavier on the glitter than others. Overall it’s a cute card that came together nicely.

Stitching

Started: April 21st
Finished: April 29th

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front only

set of 4 thank you cards

Holiday Thank Yous

CraftyK Leave a comment

Despite knowing all year when Christmas is I managed to put off creating my thank you notes. I also flat out didn’t do cards to send to people. I probably should, but if I make them it’s lots of work and my personal life is pretty boring so nothing to write lengthy prose about. Anyway, I digress.

These cards are to send to the 4 people who give me gifts in my old age (post 30). My mom, my mother-in-law, and my godparents. This year I enlisted help for my godparents gifts from my husband. He’s getting into woodworking and made something for each of them. Since it’s his thing, I don’t have pictures of the projects. So this will continue to be about the cards and my side ramblings.

I have stamped onto wallpaper before and decided to go for it again. Although it’s somewhat hard to see I did actually stamp on the pear card. I also took a Sharpie to it for an outline. For the white card I used black ink and stamped right onto the wallpaper. I had to wait awhile before adhering it to the cardstock because it was starting to bleed a bit. I barely touched it and it started to run up the lines in the wallpaper. After letting it sit for a while I went ahead and finished up making it into a card. The pear I didn’t seem to have those issues, but you can barely see the text. It’s a little more visible in person depending on the angle.

For the other two cards I got out the handy Cricut. I was never good at cutting squares or any shape for that matter. Straight lines are hard and getting them the correct size is even worse. I used the Cricut to cut out my squares from pink and grey paper. I then took a red ink to stamp Thank You onto the pink paper and a dark blue ink I onto the grey. Then I used foam tape to adhere the paper to the wallpaper to give a more 3D appearance.

To attach the wallpaper to the cardstock I used double sided tape on all 4 cards. I didn’t have the time to mess with Yes Paste and get it all to stick properly. I hope to spend some time working on more wallpaper cards next year. Until then I have now created some cards for December and can complete my blog on 2018 Cards. I think I’ll do another blog for next year since I know I’ll have a lot of cards to make for my mom’s side of the family.

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flat lay 4 thank you cards

Birthday on my mind

CraftyK Leave a comment

I somehow managed to not make any cards in the entire month of August. All year I made a point to make at least one a month. I missed the mark last month.

The card featured here was on my mind since I finished my last set of new cards in July. I knew I wanted it to be a birthday card. I would cut an oval with the Cricut, stamp Happy Birthday with a script font in blue, and mount it to the card using foam tape. I had the wallpaper piece ready to go and everything, but for some reason I put this off for over a month.

 

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I have been working on another cross stitch card for October, it’s just nowhere near done yet. More on that one later.

Back to the new card I made…I was doing my normal mass scrolling through Facebook and saw a new event pop up from a former teacher. (I only knew her through National Honors Society, never actually had her as a class teacher) Anyway, at some point we became friends on Facebook. So this event is to send her snail mail birthday cards. She is turning 40 and wants to celebrate with everyone by getting “a boatload of mail” for her birthday.

I wish I had thought of that last year when I turned 30. I love getting snail mail, but sadly my mailbox is filled with bills and junk.

Even though I don’t know Ms. Connors that well I decided that the reason I wanted to make this card and had the idea for it for so long was to send it to her. One of those odd the universe is trying to make something happen, just listen!

I hope she likes her custom hand made card from a former semi-student.

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just because…

CraftyK Leave a comment

I told you I would write about stamping attempt #3, so here it is.

A brown plaid card on its own isn’t very exciting, but with my new stamping venture I was excited to start thinking of ideas. I had already affixed the plaid wallpaper to the card and chose to have the darker section at the top. After going through my new cards this one got tagged for needing something more.

Next I went to my stamps to pick something out, just because in a typewriter font seemed like a great idea. I found a button that would look good with the paper and found paper that would match nicely to stamp on.

I decided I wanted a rounded corner rectangle. I can’t remember if this is possible to do within the Cricut design space, I wasn’t finding anything quickly so I made my rectangle in Illustrator and uploaded it into the Design Space.

The cutting, stamping and embossing went off without a hitch.

The attaching to the card is where things went awry.

After I make a wallpaper card I mark the back with 2 small dots to let me know the bottom. Mistake #1: I failed to look at the back. Mistake # 2: I didn’t try to open the card the way a typical person/non-lefties do.

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So this is what happens when you don’t check something and just start taping and gluing. I was so proud of this card until that moment. I am left handed, but have adapted to the spine being on the right and opening on the left.

I felt that even though the whole thing is backwards (and upside down, however you want to look at it) I can still use it based on the words I chose to adorn on it. “just because” Now it’s more of an ironic statement that “just because” I decided to make this card upside down.

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This post uses affiliate links. This just means that if you go to the site and end up buying something I’ll get a small percent, this doesn’t increase the cost to you at all. 🙂

All commissions from affiliate links go to the maintenance of this blog. Thank you for your support!