from my ink pad to yours: Love & Happiness

January 24, 2022

Another Love & Happiness Valentine

Before you read on I want to draw your attention to the "STAY IN TOUCH" link just above. Click there to sign up for my newsletter. You'll be so glad you did! Many thanks ~ Chris

I have another Valentine with the versatile Love & Happiness Bundle and it is part of the Crafty Collaborations Valentine Blog Hop.

This is a card I designed for this past week's color challenge on Splitcoaststampers. Jeanne, our hostess chose Poppy Parade, Polished Pink and Pear Pizzazz. Talk about an alliterative combo but it really works, especially if you want to include dessert which is to make a Valentine card!

Here are the bare bones of the combination:

Poppy Parade

Polished Pink

Pear Pizzazz

Well, actually I started with just white "bones", making use of the hybrid 3D embossing folder with coordinating dies (all part of the Love & Happiness Bundle) to make this love white floral heart:

I made two of the embossed hearts, one for the background and one to cut out and pop up. The heart is located in the center of the folder so to make it appear higher I cut more off the top than the bottom. For this card, I cut it with the largest scalloped rectangle from the Scallops and Contour Dies. This one has a open, kind of lacey border.
I thought that I would create more of a bouquet arrangement off to the side but really ended up liking this simple little flower centered near the top of the heart. The problem was this wasn't leaving me with much of the challenge colors. What to do, what to do???
Well, I did three things. First of all I added my greeting stamped in Poppy Parade and cut with one of the two label dies in the bundle.
Then instead of the white baker's twine I had intended to use I switched it up to the Poppy Parade and White twine (Fan Baker's Twine from the Hey Sports Fan Suite). This adds a note of playful sweetness that I really liked.
Finally, a trick that I'm sure to use again now that I've done it once: I cut out two more layers of the scalloped rectangle out of Poppy Parade and Polished Pink. I played around with these a bit and ended up layering them both with the Poppy just under the white layer. The two extra layers add dimension and just a hint of color. They could have both been either color - or you could try just one. Whatever. I just really like the added emphasis this adds. This is fun to use on a card like a Valentine when there's no excuse not to go a little overboard!
Just to make sure you go overboard enough - add one tiny pearl to the center of your flower. Voila. I had so much fun designing this card. I hope you enjoy it too!

Now you're off to the rest of the blog hop!

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

If you would like to receive my newsletter please click on the Stay in Touch link at the top of my blog. You can also check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link in the same location. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the January host code, ZD9RQ6SY, I will send you a free gift, your choice of a Simply Shammy or the Brushed Brass Butterflies. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

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Posted at 10:54 AM in Love & Happiness | Permalink | Comments (11)

January 11, 2022

His & Hers Vintage Valentines

Before you read on I want to draw your attention to the "STAY IN TOUCH" link just above. Click there to sign up for my newsletter. You'll be so glad you did! Many thanks ~ Chris

Today I'm joining in on a Vintage Technique Blog Hop with a couple of Valentines.

I'll share a few of my favorite vintage techniques and then send you on a blog hop to see some others.

I initially did the masculine Hats Off/ Sweet Conversations card for today's color challenge over on Splitcoaststampers - for a color combo that I had doubts about. By the time I had it done I realized that I used what I would consider a vintage technique. So I paired it with another favorite technique for a His and Hers approach. Here is the first:

The color challenge was to use Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight and Rich Razzleberry (and neutrals if needed). Dessert was to use them on a masculine Valentine.
Another challenge I had with this was to try not to make this look like a blue and yellow U of Mich hat. That wouldn't make a good Valentine for a Minnesota Gopher fan...I'm hoping the Daffodil Delight and Rich Razzleberry look at least a little like Minnesota's Maroon and Gold and the blue looks like denim???
As you can see I added the neutral, Crumb Cake, as a textured layer, using the stripes for the Stripes & Splatters 3D embossing folder duo. This is how I ended up going down the path towards a vintage look. I roughed up the edges with my fingernail before attaching it to my Rich Razzleberry DSP.
I stamped the Birch background stamp with Tuxedo Black on Rich Razzleberry before die-cutting the letters. These were attached to the Crumb Cake layer BEFORE roughing them up. Otherwise they are just too tiny to work with. I used the paper piercing end to rough up the edges here.
The hat and it's patch were colored with pencils. I colored in two directions on the hat to give it kind of a canvas/woven texture.
The little hearts are from Sweet Conversations.The slight texture in these images worked perfectly with my well worn/loved hat idea. I stamped on Basic White card stock but used my Crumb Cake light Blends marker to cover the white outline on these (and the hat) to help with the somewhat rustic or vintage look.
The DSP layers are on a Crumb Cake card base.

I couldn't pass up this technique theme without sharing one of my all time favorite techniques for adding vintage or shabby chic charm:

This is a technique I came up with when I first got my first die cutting machine. It involved pressure embossing designer papers (DSP) and then lightly going over the raised design with sandpaper to expose the design and white core of the paper. It works best with a pattern having little to no white in it - until you expose the core.
I decided to try this out with the Love & Happiness Bundle which includes a 3D embossing folder, along with the Flowering Fields DSP. This Fresh Freesia/Rich Razzleberry pattern works particularly well because the reverse side adds even more to the design.
To start with I embossed the DSP Bouquet of Love Hybrid Embossing folder and then cut out the embossed heart with one of the dies that comes with the folder. Use some sandpaper to lightly sand the raised areas: the flowered side of the frame and then the purple side of the cut out heart.
I trimmed my flowered piece down to 3 3/4" x 5". Since the heart design is placed in the center of the embossing folder I trimmed more off the top than the bottom so that I could have my heart appear more towards the top. I don't know why but I prefer not having my focal point in the center of my card. Maybe I'm just off balance?
Mount your DSP frame on Rich Razzleberry trimmed just slightly larger 3 7/8" x 5 1/8. I used Multipurpose Liquid adhesive, leaving room on one side of the heart to slide ribbon through. I also didn't put the glue right up to the edges so that I would be able to rough up the edges as desired. Add ribbon if desired. I used 3/8" Fresh Freesia Open Weave.
Rough up the edges of your sanded heart as desired - with your fingernail - and attach.
Stamp your greeting in Rich Razzleberry and die cut. As you can see, there are several greetings to choose from. You could also use this for a friend or "the one I love".
Use some scraps to die cut a few flowers. These are also from the Love & Happiness Bundle.

Finish it off with a Fresh Freesia jewel in the center of your flower.
As I look through the patterns in the Flowering Fields DSP I see more patterns I would like to try with this shabby chic technique

Now its time to check out the other blogs. I'm sure you will come away with all sorts of ideas to inspire your stamping!

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the January host code, ZD9RQ6SY, I will send you a free gift. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Shop with Me:

Product List

Love & Happiness Bundle (English)

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