Category Archives: Technique

Brayer, back in town!

Hi there

You may have seen that the brayer is back.  You might have used on before and having one hiding in your crafting supplies, but if not, and you have no idea what to do with one, settle down and watch this handy video.

To add one to your shopping basket, simply click the button below.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a wonderful day.

add the brayer to your shopping basket

Enjoy Creativity | Technique Focus Colouring

Christmas is right around the corner and you might be creating lots of Christmas cards to send to your friends and family. As you make your cards for the Christmas season, try out this fun colouring technique that might seem complicated at first, but is actually really easy to execute.

Start by inking the “Christmas” stamp from the More Wishes Stamp Set with a Soft Sea Foam ink pad.

Use a Sponge Dauber to add Wild Wheat ink to the bottom of the word before stamping on Very Vanilla Cardstock.

Die cut a panel of Wild Wheat Cardstock using the Tiny Christmas Trees Die and layer it over a piece of Wild Wheat Cardstock that has been coloured using a Blending Brush and Soft Sea Foam ink.

Take some Wild Wheat 2023–2025 In Color Jute Trim and pull one string from the spool to get a thinner piece. We that that with Very Vanilla Baker’s Twine and adhere both behind your stamped sentiment.

This is a great technique to try and it’s not just for Christmas cards.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by – I hope you have a wonderful day.

Get Creative | CASEing

When time and inspiration are short, a simple CASEing (Copy and Share Everything) session can be a paper crafter’s best friend. Why not CASE the super-cute technique in this post?

To achieve this look, simply stamp individual background pieces together to create a seamless pattern. This project uses the Sparkling Snowflakes Stamp Set, but the overlap technique will work with just about any image.

Make your card using the following steps:

  1. Select three cardstock pieces to make a colour-block pattern (the colours in this post are Lost Lagoon, Pool Party, and Pretty Peacock).
  2. Heat emboss the cardstock pieces using white Stampin’ Emboss Powder; then, splatter the cardstock using a Water Painter and watered-down White Craft ink. Adhere the three pieces to the Basic White Cardstock base.
  3. Punch a 2″ x 2-1/4″ (5.1 x 5.7 cm) piece of Basic White Cardstock using the Sparkling Snowflake Tag Topper Punch.
  4. Stamp the sentiment in Pretty Peacock ink on the tag topper piece and adhere the white Baker’s Twine bow. Adhere the sentiment tag using Stampin’ Dimensionals.
  5. Add white Adhesive-Backed Glitter Sequins to the card front.

Beautiful! Use this technique to make a stack of cards to use today or put in your stash to use on another! It’s great to know that whenever you are in a time crunch, you can simply get “on the CASE!”


Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by – I hope you have a wonderful day.

Enjoy Creativity | Technique Focus | Paper

Ever tried making your own designer paper? With so many beautiful stamps to choose from, it’s easier than you might think!

Begin by using a simple image or two to build your confidence, then work your way up to multiple images and two-step stamps. Start by stamping your larger images first, the medium-sized images next, and the smaller images last – if you want to fill in any gaps.

Reversible stamps like the Precious Pine Cones Stamp Set give you additional options for building up layers of colour. After stamping the detailed side, you can go back over the image with the opposite side, using the “stamp-off” technique to add subtle colour.

The ink colours used for this card are Garden Green, Old Olive, Pecan Pie, and Shaded Spruce. And for the cardstock, Pecan Pie and Poppy Parade with a hint of Gold Foil. Embellishments are Pecan Pie 1/2″ (1.3 cm) Bordered Ribbon and Blooming Pearls.

Enjoy!

Enjoy Creativity | Technique Focus

Adding a beautifully textured embossed layer is a sure way to enhance a handmade card, this card front is created using the Cane Weave 3D Embossing Folder.  However, if you’d like to bring even more dimensionality and vintage appeal to your creation, you may want to think about distressing the cardstock.

There are two ways to distress paper. First, you can roughen up the edges of embossed, Basic White Cardstock by opening your Paper Snips and dragging the blade across the edge of the cardstock at the right and bottom corners; then, bend in the edges to give the cardstock layer a crumpled, well-loved look. 

For the second distressing method, after you have stamped your images (Bold Bouquet Stamps) and die cut them (Bold Bouquet dies), use a Sponge Dauber to add Basic White Stampin’ Ink to the edges of your die cuts. After you die cut the images, dab the Sponge Dauber with Basic White ink and softly rub it on the die-cut pieces in a circular motion. This helps soften the ink’s appearance to give it that distressed look.

Have fun.  

Enjoy Creativity | Technique Focus

Do you love citrus then take a look at the delightful Sweet Citrus Bundle. This versatile bundle includes a stamp set, a hybrid embossing folder, and dies—all of which give you lots of options for creating dimensional projects that will help you tell loved ones that they’re simply the zest!

To make this technique card, fill a Stampin’ Spritzer with water to dampen Basic White Cardstock before embossing as this will soften the paper and allow it to absorb the ink better. 

Before embossing, add Crushed Curry ink directly to the Sweet Citrus Hybrid Embossing Folder, then run it through your Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine. Let the embossed Basic White Cardstock piece dry before adhering it to the 3-1/2″ x 5″ (8.9 x 12.7 cm) Soft Sea Foam Cardstock.

For the baker’s twine, you can give this some colour by using the Light Flirty Flamingo Stampin’ Blend. Once the twine is dry, tie it into a bow and then layer it behind the Garden Green Cardstock sentiment tag, which has been heat embossed with white embossing powder and cut using Stitched Rectangles Dies.

What a great set for when life is handing out lemons!

Enjoy Creativity | Technique Focus

You can go absolutely bananas over the adorable Little Monkey Bundle!

If you’re looking for a simple technique, grab this bundle and a few Watercolour Pencils and enjoy some colouring on coloured cardstock.

To make this card, stamp out the monkey outlines on Crumb Cake Cardstock. Then use Basic White, Early Espresso, Flirty Flamingo, and Pecan Pie Watercolour Pencils to add some colour. Die cut the bananas using some Daffodil Delight cardstock and then use some Daffodil Delight and Pecan Pie Watercolour Pencils to add some extra accents to the bananas.

To make the card base, blend Garden Green, Granny Apple Green, Lemon Lime Twist, and Soft Sea Foam ink with Blending Brushes to create a beautiful colour combination. Next, use a Water Painter and Basic White ink to sprinkle water droplets over the card.

To finish, die cut a few Stylish Shapes and add some tree limbs, which are coloured with Early Espresso, Garden Green, Old Olive, and Pecan Pie.

Even though this technique is simple, it’s very effective and adds a fun element to any card. 

Enjoy playing with this great set!

Get Creative | Technique

Never be afraid to try something new. You may even discover something brilliant—look what you can do when you add some Gilded Leafing to some Balmy Blue & White 1/2″ (1.3 cm) Variegated Ribbon!

Looks difficult? It’s not!

Simply apply Multipurpose Liquid Glue to the ribbon using the broad tip, then press the golden flakes into the ribbon. Tip: The glue will soak through the ribbon, so (using your fingers) press flakes into both sides. You’ll need to add a few layers of flakes to achieve the effect. You will love the result!

Isn’t this a stunning and elegant technique to add to your crafting repertoire! It’s perfect for fancy, formal occasions—or maybe just to let someone know you think they’re “golden”, add some heat embossing to your card to add some more golden effect!

Get Creative | Rays of Light

Have fun using your Stampin’ Write Markers in a creative way. With a choice of a variety of vibrant colours (Azure Afternoon, Blueberry Bushel, Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry, Flirty Flamingo, Granny Apple Green, Lemon Lolly, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, and Shaded Spruce), create a sunny card that’s bursting with energy. The stamp set? Rays of Light Cling Stamp Set.

Colour each sun ray with a different marker, making a pattern, and huff on it (as you would a window in winter). Stamp the image on Thick Basic White Cardstock.

Die cut the Lemon Lolly Cardstock circle and adhere it to the card front. Then, heat emboss the sentiment on Lemon Lolly Cardstock, fussy cut the individual words, and adhere them to the cardstock circle. Finish by adding a few white sequins from the Adhesive-Backed Sequins Trio to complete the bright look of this card. So pretty!

After that, it’s simply a matter of adhering the panel to the card base. Voilà! 

Enjoy Creativity | Technique Focus

Looking for a new technique?

As you make your cards, you can use any cardstock or stamp set, these cards use new Core Colours Cardstock and the adorable Hello Kiwi Stamp Set!

Starting with Basic Black Cardstock for the card base, add a panel of Lemon Lime Twist on one card and a panel of Berry Burst on the other card. Then stamp different fruit images on both panels, making sure to use Lemon Lime Twist ink and Berry Burst ink on their respective panels.  Don’t stick anything down just yet!

Next, tear back a small section of cardstock on each card, taking care to tear along the grain of the paper to give it the best results and to make sure it tears easily. Once the section is torn to your liking, roll the torn paper and adhere it to the panel with Mini Glue Dots.

In the space exposed by the torn cardstock, use some Stampin’ SEAL to adhere a piece of Basic White Cardstock stamped with your greeting and a few stamped ink splatters. Finished the card with some white Adhesive-Backed Sequins.

Even though this technique is simple, it adds a fun element to any card.