No, no, no....it doesn't!

It's all about your own style - and here is one I made while experimenting with a technique.

I wanted to a) emboss and b) colour with embossed surfaces.

So I chose to:
1) ink my VERY VANILLA cardstock with all sorts of ink colours using SPONGES.
2)then I EMBOSSED my coloured and cut 4-1/4x5 inch rectangle cardstock using an EMBOSSING FOLDER where I sandwiched the cardstock and pressed it through my BIG SHOT DIE-CUTTING and EMBOSSING MACHINE.
3) now I used a separate sponge to ink over the entire piece with BLACK ink - quickly and lightly!  This colours the "raised surface" created by the embossing folder.  To get a more precise ink effect, I could of used my brayer tool.

Now, I punched out a black HEART with my Heart PUNCH, and a blue circle with my 1 inch CIRCLE punch and attached them with a black flower BRAD.

Labels: DIE-CUTTING PUNCHES, Holidays - Valentine's Day, Motif - Hearts, Techniques, Techniques- Embossing

Helloooo.....been such a long time between posts as I am in the throes of "re-organizing"!   Gosh where does all the stuff that clutters every spot come from? Anyways - I think its a good idea to use January as 'the' month to de-clutter esp. here in the wintery North.  Not much fun outside anyways, right?

But there is fun in our craft corners - and I tried a little technique with this card, so I'm here to share!

 I received a card in the summer which embodied a colourful personality - and it really made me feel great, all sun-shiny and happy!

Upon close inspection, the card involved no less than 3 patterns of cardstock. Very busy and different patterns!  Layered together as a "strip" or band against a soothing backdrop of a solid colour. The focal point - a 3D flower sat on top, slightly off-center. And all made sense together! WONDERFUL!

So: busy patterns layered together, soothing backdrop and a dimensional focal point! Voila!

Now I tried it, here it is - my Valentine's Card for a friend ( can't say who cuz they haven't received it yet!)

Labels: ACCENTS-Buttons, DIE-CUTTING PUNCHES, Holidays - Valentine's Day, Techniques

I created a Holiday 'WOW' Card Swap on Love is in the Details forum, and so here is what I considered to be my 'WOW' style!  I love birds and the bird cage is the icing on the cake!

I also just purchased a new wheel stamp which creates Music Notes - and I have been just dyin' to get something like that, so I used it to create the crimped paper along the bottom.

Here they are all together!  I have to make another for myself -  I always keep a sample one so I can include it with the cards I will receive from the others in the swap.  Don't they look pretty together?

Labels: Holidays-Christmas, Stampin Up MAKES, Swap, Techniques

Labels: Spotlighting, Stampin Up MAKES, Techniques

Look at this great idea. Our ORNAMENT PUNCH has been featured by many talented crafters as a means to make a ROSE FLOWER!
How neat is that!

Sooooo...I have been on a creative roll lately, plus I wanted to make something special for a friend of mine, Caroline. And I wanted to have a good challenge.

Now there are several ways to use this punch as a flower - many of which are a lot simplier than what I have done.  But if you've been a crafter for awhile, you should challenge yourself especially if you give classes - you can't expect it from others if you don't do it yourself!

It took me awhile - the petals were the most challenging. I was working 'blind' - no template, no instructions...and so each petal was a small engineering job in itself. Do I roll the petal this way or fold it that way? Should I tilt it this time or lay it straight...and so on.  To make matters interesting - I chose to make another at the same time, using crushed paper {I took a paper and squashed it over and over, then inked the creases with a sponge to distress it ....continue till the paper is 'pliable'}.  It was easy because while one flower was waiting for some glue to dry, I worked on the other one.

Before the night was done, I was finished both. However, for my gift flower, I moved on to the next part, placing it in such a way as to make a nice presentation. And in the end, the teacup flower was born!

Well - its done, and I believe she really liked it!

 I am totally going to make more of them. :)

Labels: 3D, ACCENT-Flower, Favours, GIFTS - Family Friends, MOTIF - Garden, Stampin Up MAKES, Techniques

Labels: 3D, ACCENT-Flower, ACCENTS-Buttons, ACCENTS-Fabric, Stampin Up MAKES, Techniques, TUTORIALS - Guest

Another approach to making your projects, is to add embellishments such as ribbon.

Here again, when starting out, buy 1 roll at a time. More of course, if you can, but at least with one - it brings on another 'dimension' to your project - texture.

Here are some examples:

Labels: ribbon, Starting Out, Techniques

You don't need to have a whole assortment of ink or paper to get started making cards.  I always advise people starting out not to worry, but to collect ink and paper a step at a time. Starting out myself,I typically bought 2 colours at a time. Then on my next purchase, I added another 2 - that would go nicely with my first two.  All of a sudden, my options went from two combinations to eleven!  By the time I added 2 more colours - well, you see!

Here are a couple of cards which demonstrate the monochromatic look of a single dominant colour.  I happen to like this approach and here we see the colours of green and blue.

First set shown is the popular and recurring stamp set,  Winter Post , (skaters ) shown with the Medallion XL stamp in the background. I really love this green and white ribbon too - I am definitley going to buy some!

 Then the lovely Serene Snowflakes   stamp set accented with half-back pearls (Pretties Kit) and Whisper White ribbon.

Labels: Starting Out, Techniques

Labels: Colouring, Techniques, Techniques- Embossing

Labels: CLASS-SUMMER 2010, Tags, Techniques

Labels: DIE-CUTTING BIG SHOT, Techniques

Labels: CARDS - Male, Techniques