Adding Glitter to your Project without the mess!

Glitter is so much fun, so how would you like to add it to your project without the mess?  The answer is easy:  Glimmer Paper!

The red Glimmer Paper works so well with both Real Red and Cherry Cobbler paper, almost all the green papers (Pear Pizzaz, Old Olive, …) but one of my favorite combinations is to add it to Pacific Point. This card is simple and yet so elegant.

  

Instructions:

• Cut your Pacific Point CS to 4 ¼ by 8 ½ and score at 4 ¼. Run it through the Big Shot with your Texture Plates Kit #4 for the background imprint.
• Run some Pacific Point scraps through the Big Shot with the Beautiful Wings die for the butterflies.
• Cut a Whisper White CS piece to 3 by 2 ½. Stamp the thank you greeting from the Short & Sweet stamp set in Pacific Point ink.
• Cut a piece of Red Glimmer Paper to 3 by ½ inches and tear it in half (along the long edge) to give it the torn look. It is a little harder to tear than regular cardstock since it is a little thicker.
• Adhere the Whisper White piece with Snail Adhesive to your card. Add the Glimmer Paper strip also using the Snail.
• Add the butterflies using Stampin’ Dimensionals.

 

Are you ready to use Glimmer paper in your projects? Then order it now and keep checking this blog as I will be posting more projects showing off Glimmer Paper next week.

Tanja
316-305-5207
tanja@spunkycards.com

 

 

 

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CASE-ing = a creative way to find inspiration

What do you do when you have a stamping kind of “writers block?” How about CASE-ing a project you like? CASE stands for Copy And Share Everything. Lots of times we see something that catches our attention because we like it. Then we take what we like and add our own creative touch. That’s why Stampin’ Up! calls its publications Idea Books since they are just full of amazing projects waiting to be CASEd.

Here is an example of CASE-ing a card. First, the card that is my inspiration. You can find it on page 31 of the new Occasions Mini Catalog:

Now my interpretation using my supplies:



I loved the layout of the Whisper White on the Daffodil Delight with the torn edge on the right and the paper pierced bottom. I used a different stamp set, Four All You Do, and wanted to mix up the colors a little so I used Cherry Cobbler for my flowers as recommended by the Color Coach. When I CASE, I usually do that to get out of my comfort zone. So I love using the Color Coach to recommend color combinations to me. Instead of a yellow brad, I opted for a button from the Brights Designer Buttons. The stem is stamped in Always Artichoke. The butterflies are cut with my favorite Big Shot die, Beautiful Wings.

To purchase or look at the supplies in more detail, click on the items to visit my online store:

  Stamp set: For All You Do
  Cardstock: Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Cherry Cobbler
  Embellishments: Designer Buttons
  Tools: Color Coach, Paper Piercing Tool & Mat Pack, Big Shot, Beautiful Wings Die

Happy Stamping!
Tanja
316-305-5207
tanja@spunkycards.com

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The Stamp-a-ma-jig, a monster and a Christmas tree!

This year, I am making lots of different Christmas cards instead of sending everyone the same card.  I’ve been having a blast with my Make a Monster and Punch Pals stamp sets as my little monsters are having a lot of fun with the Christmas three.  Here are two of the many cards I stamped:

The girly card on the left is done in all In Colors plus Daffodil Delight. The monster is colored in Poppy Parade and Blushing Bride. The greeting is from the set Four the Holidays.

The card on the right has a masculine feel to it especially when sitting right next to the girly card. I ran a piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock through my Big Shot to give it the wood grain texture (Textured Plates #4) and Pear Pizzazz carstock serves as the card base. I used Cherry Cobbler for the frame of my monster. I think he is going to eat the tree but that’s left to everyone’s imagination. He might just play with it instead. The greeting is from the Short & Sweet stamp set and punched with the 1 ¾ by 7/8 large oval punch.

My secret to combining the tree and the monsters is Stampin' Up!'s Stamp-a-ma-jig.  It is a must have item for any kind of two-step stamping and makes the placement of the images so easy and perfect.

More questions? Leave me a comment or email me. Thanks to new improvements from Stampin’ Up! you can click on the links and see the sets in my online store without having to search for them anymore. Make these adorable sets part of your Christmas by shopping my stamps online!

Tanja
316-305-5207
tanja@spunkycards.com

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Stamp-a-ma-jig

ISLE CARD Tutorial (yes, we like instructions)

Here is my Christmas card that I am mailing to Germany this week.  I love using isle cards for my family pictures because my Grandfather never has to worry about finding or getting a frame to display the picture.  He just stands up the card and we can smile for him all day.

Isle cards are much simpler than they look and I’ve got some easy step by step instructions for you.  You can make them all sizes: square, portrait or landscape shape and the sizing is easy to adjust for each.

CUTTING AND SCORING YOUR CARDSTOCK

  

Cut and score your cardstock to your card size.

My card is going to be 5 ½ inches by 4 ¼ inches and the shape is landscape. So my CS measures 8 1/2 inches by 5 1/2 inches and is scored at 4 1/4 inches for the “regular score” line. My second score line is half the distance of 4 ¼ which makes it 2 1/8.

If you want your card to be 5 ½ inches by 4 ¼ inches but have it oriented as “portrait” then your CS needs to be 11 inches by 4 ¼ inches and your first score line is at 5 ½ inches and your second score line is at 2 ¾ inches.

If your card is supposed to be a 4 inch square card, then your CS measures 4 by 8 and the first score line is at 4 inches and the second at 2 inches.

Can you see the pattern?

FOLD YOUR SCORE LINES

The pictures are better than a thousand words.

ATTACH YOUR CARD FRONT

Attach a second piece of cardstock that has the same size as your card front. Use your favorite strong adhesive on the lower half of your card front as shown in the picture. If you plan on embellishing your card front you probably want to do that before this step. That way you can run the ribbons all the way around or tuck the edges neatly. You can also hid the back sides or your brads or eylets.

WHY DOES MY CARD FRONT KEEP SCOOTING AWAY?

Your card should look like this and will need to have something to keep the upstanding part straight. When you embellish the lower part of your card, Stampin’ Dimensionals help keep your upright front straight. You can also use buttons or other embellishments as “place keepers.”


THE FINAL PRODUCT

Are you ready to make lots of these cards now? Jump right in. I guarantee that you will cause smiles all over when people open your cards. I will admit that when I sent this type of card to my Grandfather for the first time, I took a picture before I mailed it and emailed that picture to my Mom to show her how the card props itself up when you raise the front and tuck it under the embellishment or raised paper. I always make isle cards with the school pictures of my girls.

If you have any problems, questions, or if you want these instructions as a pdf file for yourself, please leave me a comment to this post or email me at tanja@spunkycards.com and I’ll get that out to you.

Tanja
316-305-5207
tanja@spunkycards.com

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Winter Snowflake Card

November has arrived and with it colder weather.  It isn't cold enough for frost yet, but my six year old daughter puts it best:  It COULD snow any day.  That means that our family is now waiting for two elusvie guests: snowflakes and the tooth fairy.

I do have plans for the first time that snow flakes start dancing from the sky:  I will be mailing this card to a friend.

This card features:

DIE CUT LETTERS (Naturally Serif Big Shot Die #113453)

DIE CUT SNOW FLAKES (Northern Frost #120901)

UNI-BALL SIGNO GEL PEN (105021)

Cardstock colors:

Night of Navy

Whisper White

Any questions?  You can leave me a comment or email me.  Feel free to browse my online store for these and all other awsome stamping supplies.

Tanja

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WATER COLORING with STAMPIN' UP! MARKERS

I am very excited as I have been having a wonderful time playing with my Markers, Watercolor Paper and Aqua Painters and the result is stunning!  I can blend my Markers beautifully.

I don't have time today to write a complete supply list for this card but I hope that it will inspire you to get in your stamping corner and have fun this weekend.  As always, you can call or email me with all your questions.

Tanja

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MAKE A MONSTER is feeling a little green!

Yesterday was Card Club day at my house and this is the get well card we made.  Can you tell that we like having fun?

SUPPLIES

Stamp set: Make a Monster
Paper: Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler, Pear Pizzaz, Woodland Walk DSP
Ink: Basic Black
Markers: Pear Pizzaz, Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black
Punches: Scallop Trim Border
Other: Stampin' Dimensionals, Brads, Big Shot, Square Lattice Embossing Folder

We had loads of fun yesterday and all of us (especially me) are looking forward to our November meeting, where we’ll be making awesome Christmas tags!

Contact me if you'd like to have fun on a monthly basis.  Come to a club meeting as my guest to see if you like it.
Tanja

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Batty for You

As promised, here is the second card we are making in my September card club:

The Batty for You stamps looks great so many ways:

• 
  
  Emboss it in black as we are doing here
• 
  
  Stamp it in color for focal points or background images
• 
  
  Use your markers to color parts of the images or text
• 
  
  ...

There is really no limit to your imagination.  Maybe you would like to make two cards every month where you learn a new technique?  Card clubs are really fun and are a great way to slowly build up your stamping collection while learning how to use your tools.

Email me for details at tanja@spunkycards.com.

Tanja

Autumn Harvest

Tomorrow is the 3rd Tuesday of the month and that means

it's CARD CLUB DAY!

I am so blessed to have eleven fabulous stampers in my card club and each month I try to inspire them. 

This is one of the two cards we'll be making tomorrow:

The stamp set is Autumn Harvest (110372) and it lends itself to all kinds of beautiful fall scenes and Halloween cards.  Tomorrow I will show a picture of the other card we will be making.  If you feel inspired to join my card club, email me!

Tanja

tanja@spunkycards.com

P.S.:  To order this set, send me an email or shop online at http://www.tanjaweir.stampinup.net/.  My online site is open 24/7.

A very special thank you to "The Aquarium"

Today's post is a very special one to me because this card has so much meaning.  For many years, my hubby has dreamed of having a salt water aquarium and his dream is coming true.  On Friday we visited our new favorite store in town: The Aquarium.  We asked a ton of questions that were all met with enthusiasm and patience from the owners.

Yesterday, Sunday, I was still so thrilled about the wonderful service we received there that I sat down to make a thank you card that I am mailing today.

The aquarium itself is made with Marina Mist in the background and a piece of Window Sheet  for the front.  The plant life is Pear Pizzaz punched out with the 2-step Bird Punch (117191) and the grass is Certainly Celery 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon (109031) that I freyed to get the look.  The coral sand is a strip of Whisper White cardstock that I sponged with Crumb Cake ink.

The fish is from an old retired favorite set of mine but there are a few current sets that include fish you could use: 

• Something Sweet (W: 117688, C: 118589)
• Little Lambs (W: 117030, C: 120525)
• C is for Cat (W: 115764)

This same card could also be done by cutting your Window Sheet in a cirle and chop of a little top and bottom to make it look like a fish bowl.  There are no limits to your imagination.

If you need any help or have questions, call (316-440-8893) or email me (tanja@spunkycards.com) for help.

Tanja

P.S.: As always, you can email me (tanja@spunkycards.com) to order or order online 24/7 (remember to check out the clearance section if you order online)

Monsters at the card club!

We really went to town making MONSTER cards at our August Card Club meeting. The stamp set is just so cute and versatile and I can hardly count the number of different monsters you can create out of these parts:

Stamp Set: Make a Monster (Wood: 118742, Clear: 120606)

It is just so amazing to me how you can make such cute happy, sad, funny, mean, ... monsters. I have made cute children's birthday cards and cards for my hubby where two monsters (he and I) are walking hand in hand. It is just tooooo cute.

This card comes really alive with two things:

• The textured background (Square Lattice 119976)
• The offset colored circles.

I hope you enjoyed this cute card. Here are the colors:

Basic Black & Whisper White

Pear Pizzaz, Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight & Marina Mist

Remember, my online store, is open 24/7!

Tanja

Tropical Flower

Pear Pizzaz meets Rich Razzleberry and dazzles with Shimmer Paint Spray!

Our new card stamp club started last week and took off with two beautiful cards. This one came alive through the color combination. We all already liked Rich Razzleberry but the Champagne Shimmer paint really made it come alive.

Our second card used the stamp set "Make a Monster" and you'll have to peek in tomorrow to see it!

See you tomorrow!

Tanja

Couch Potato Cat?

"Here kitty, kitty, ....... here, kitty, kitty, .... "

This little (or big fat) cat is one of my favorite punch art characters! Isn't he great? We've made him Tuesday night at my card club and I welcome you to join my next card club starting in August. I am looking for both daytime and evening stampers to join us!

Back to the card. This cat really pops against the Always Artichoke background that is featuring a sneack peak of one of the brand new Designer Series Paper collections available July 1st. Let's see what really makes this card look great:

• The color combination is dynamic: Always Artichoke for the background, Rich Razzleberry for the couch and So Saffron for the cat.
• The couch really thrives from the upholstered look made with the Paper Piercing Tool .
• The cat was punched with circle punches, the medium oval punch and the 2-Step Bird punch for the ears.
• The stripes were drawn with the Appricot Appeal marker. It's just a little darker than the So Saffron and makes me think of Garfield.

I hope you find this cat just as much fun as I do. Contact me at tanja@spunkycards.com with any questions you may have or if you'd like to join one of my fabulous card clubs. My new round of card clubs begin in July for scrapbooking and in August for cards. Sign up today by emailing me!

Don't have too much fun stamping without me! Tanja

Who is monkey-ing around?

Who wouldn't fall in love with this little monkey? He looks great on this card but would look equally adorable in a scrapbook page. Tuesday night my fabulous card club members made two cards, this monkey card and a punch art cat which you will meet in my next post (so stay tuned).

There are several things that really make this card pop:

• The wood received its texture using one of Stampin' Up!'s textured plates. Next, I sponged the grey card stock with the same Dusty Durango ink that I used for the card. Remember, Dusty Durango is only available while supplies last!
• The eyes are taking advantage of the white background in the window of the shack. I used the crop-a-dile to punch holes into the monkey's head, then marked the eyes with black and highlighted them with the white gel pen. I found this pen is a "must have tool" when doing punch art cards.
• The ears, oh, can you tell what punch I used for them? They are the wings from the 2 Step Bird Punch.

Stay posted for the cat card and as always, don't have too much fun stamping without me. Remember, you can purchase all of these items 24/7 from my online SU! store.

Tanja

"Voila" and "Voila to go"

Voila and Voila to Go are just two of the wonderful stamp sets on the Last Chance List and this morning, I am showing you one of my favorite cards with this fabulous chef.

I have used him for birthdays, showers, menus, ... He has been my to go to set for so many occasions and he is so versatile. Most times, I watercolored his jacket and hat and sometimes I added brads on top of his buttons.

In this card, I layered his clothing. I stamped the chef on the white cardstock that is the focal point of this card. I also stamped him and the piece of pie on DSP and Pixie Pink. Then I got out my details scissors and cut out all these pieces and layered them on top. A little Stampin' Pastels to give the face and hand color and voila: the chef is ready to serve a piece of pie. Get your own Voila and Voila to Go before they are gone, July 1st. Feel free to email me or shop directly on my 24/7 Stampin' Up Demonstrator website. While you are there, browse the Clearance Rack and the Last Chance Accessories that have the most up to date information on limited items. The Clearance Rack is only available online.

Don't have too much fun stamping without me.

Tanja

P.S.: Here are pictures of the two stamp sets showing all the images in each set.

Happy Anniversary!

Excitement is running high in the Weir household as today is the second last day of school for the kids before we start summer break. The girls and I can't wait to be out and about without the rigid schedule of school.

That also means that this morning is my second last quiet morning that I have all to myself and so I decided to celebrate by making an anniversary card for my sister in law, Cathy, and her hubby, Frank.

I started with a cup of coffee and the bird punch and Whisper White paper. After a few minutes of playing around, I added the swirly strip (one of the fabulous Big Shot dies) and the background paper from the Sale-A-Brations DP pack. On that note, with the arrival of the new Idea Book only a few months away, I recommend that everyone stocks up on their favorite Designer Series Paper before it's gone.

The color of the background is really out of my comfort zone (which is Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry) but I really like it. I added the buttons and loved it. So then came the assembly. I tied the button in the front but didn't like that at all. The bows became the focal point which distracted from the birds. So I took the buttons back off and just ran the thread through them which is much more my style. It's a nice clean look where the buttons add to the whole rather than being the center of attention. Finally, I decided I needed a greeting but didn't really want to stamp so I got out my Big Shot alphabet die and cut out LOVE.

Oh, I almost forgot. I shaded the birds with chalk from the Stampin' Pastels to give them a bit of dimension. The wings are attached to the body with a Stampin' Dimensional and the bird itself is attached to the card with a Stampin' Dimensional as well. That makes them pop out a little more.

Now I wish I could slip myself in the envelope to see Cathy and Frank's faces when they open their card. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. You can also browse (and buy) all these items in my 24/7 online SU! store. Don't have too much fun stamping without me! Tanja

Spring Birthdays

We seem to be in the kids' birthday season. Victoria's birthday is this week and last week she was invited to her twin friends' party.

Of course, we had to make special birthday cards for Colby and Ellie! Here are the details:

Ellie's card

• Paper: Whisper White, Melon Mambo, matching Designer Series Paper.
• Big Shot: Top Note for the insert and the natural serif die for the letters.
• Punches: Two Step Bird (from the current mini, so it's only available until the end of THIS month).
• Other: Eyelets, yarn, and sponges to offset the bird a bit.

Colby's card

• Paper: Whisper White, Dusty Durango, matching Designer Series Paper.
• Big Shot: Top Note for the insert and the natural serif die for the letters.
• Stamp Set: Animal Stories.
• Other: Jumbo eyelets, ribbon, brads.

As always, don't have too much fun stamping without me.

Tanja

Birthday Party Invitations

I cannot believe my baby is turning six this month. It seems like yesterday that I brought her home from the hospital. Wow!

Needless to say, I am making her birthday party invitations and I wish that I had SU!'s My Digital Studio. I first ran my Whisper White cardstock through my printer to print the text "Victoria is turning 6" onto the cardstock and then I ran it through again for the inside party information. It took me a while to match the colors to the Taken with Teal, Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry with my computer software and of course, they aren't exact matches. With My Digital Studio I would have all of SU!'s colors and lots of images, fonts and extras plus all kinds of downloads to compliment all of our crafting. It is a wonderful way to "digitally stamp" and you can print your creations right at home or have it printed for you.

Now, the bottom part of the card is handcrafted as I always do.

• The Taken with Teal was run through the Big Shot with one of my textured plates.
• The flower is from a retired set (one of Victoria's favorites) and I used the Stamp-a-ma-jig to line up for my "two step stamping." I am not sure how I managed to live without it. When I first got this flower set, I always eye-balled the second stamp placement and it NEVER looked this good.
• The ribbon is the 1/2 inch polka-dot grosgrain ribbon Rich Razzleberry (Can you see me dance? Rich Razzleberry is going to stay as part of the color renovation taking place with the arrival of the new Idea Book & Catalog this summer).
• The butterflies are cut in Melon Mambo using the Beautiful Wings embosslits die (Remember this die is in the mini catalog which runs out at the end of April and it is not in the new mini that starts May 1. So order it while you can).

Well, I am off to finish the other invitations for all of Victoria's guests. I just couldn't wait to post this one first. Don't have too much fun stamping without me!

Tanja

March Card Club

This month, we made a "folded frame" card (left) and an "easel" card (right) and both turned out great.

Folded frame card: We sized the DSP (Designer Series Paper) to be 4 by 4 inches so that we could get 12 pieces out of one sheet of DSP. This is a really great layout when you need 6 or 12 similar cards but each will look a bit different since it will use a different section or side of the DSP. Fun!!! Of course, the "Things I love" stamp is perfect for this card.

Easel card: Who wouldn't be thrilled to get a card in the mail that stands up like an easel. This layout is AWESOME to use for pictures. I am going to make one that is a bit larger for my Grandfather in Germany with the girls' school pictures. For this card, we stamped the background flowers with the "Vintage Vogue" stamps in Elegant Eggplant, Appricot Appeal, and Sage Shadow. Very pretty! The butterflies are cut with the Big Shot (Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die) and I used the textured plates with the Big Shot to imprint the paisley pattern into my paper for the background. Sorry, it's hard to see the background on my pic.

As always, we also had a challenge going for our card club and this month was pretty easy because we decided that "any card" would be welcome. Traci, Deanna and Debra made cards and here they are:

We have great plans for next month. We'll be making one card using the emboss resist technique and for our second card, I am working on putting a soda can through the Big Shot. We'll find out in April if I've perfected the technique enough that we are all doing it at our club night.

Tanja

Cards in a jiff

This set of cards is going to become a must in my house. I love spending hours on making cards but sometimes you need something simple that can do the job while not spending days in your stamping corner. I started with a 12 by 12 sheet of Kaleidoscope DP and thought about getting the most out of this sheet of paper. I pondered 4 by 4 cards for a little bit but liked the idea that if I cut it into 3 by 3 inch pieces, I could get 16 of them out of my one sheet of DP. So that's what I did. So then I needed either an embellishment or a stamped image and I looked over my stamp sets and settled on the elephant from the "Out of the Box" Level 1 hostess set. I stamped him on white CS in Only Orange and really liked that. I punched him and a piece of Pink Passion CS with circle punches and then cut my white CS to fit around my paper. The CS is 3 1/4 inches by 7 1/2 inches (scored at 3 1/4). And this little card is the outcome. Forgive the shish-k-bob stick in front of the card in all the pictures. The cards kept wanting to move on me while taking the pictures so I decided to line them up behind the stick. With my second piece of 3 by 3 DP, I decided to add a button in the middle of the flower. The elephant is on the inside of this card. And lastly, this piece is first framed in white (3 1/8 by 3 1/8) and then the Tempting Turquoise CS is the same size as the white from the other cards. This card looks higher because it was stubborn and squeezed up behind the bamboo skewer.

This is a great way to make 16 little cards in "no time flat."

Tanja