Vera Stamps

Happy Birthday, EJ!

vera — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 22:46:33 +0000

EJ turns three in a few days, so I made him this card using today’s SCS sketch challenge (SC529). I like how the numbers in this Geared Up stamp set can create a fun and fitting robot for a kid’s birthday card. Same with the individual letters from the Designer Typeset, which I used to personalize the sentiment. I colored the image with Copic markers to the best of my ability (yes, I should practice more).

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Geared Up (Verve Stamps); Endless Birthday Wishes, Designer Typeset (SU!)
Paper: So Saffron, Rich Razzleberry (SU!); RSVP (BasicGrey); Blending Card (X-Press It)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaFine Onyx Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Big Shot, Word Bubble Framelits Dies, Stampin’ Dimensionals (SU!); Copic Markers (0, G000, BG72, BG75, RV42, RV69, Y26)

Meade Girls’ February Challenge

vera — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 02:38:18 +0000

My friend Amanda presented us, Meade Girls, with another sketch (Mojo Monday 248) challenge this month and gave us bonus points for using the following colors: Kraft, Blushing Bride, Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink, and White. I needed a birthday card for a friend who lives at the beach and remembered the Wetlands stamp set that Amanda inspired me to buy.

Thanks for stopping by!

All supplies by Stampin’ Up!® unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Wetlands, Friend by Definition
Paper: Pink Pirouette, Crumb Cake, Blushing Bride, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Crumb Cake, Pretty in Pink, Early Espresso
Accessories: Big Shot, Fancy Fan Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Eyelet Border Punch, Large Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Kraft Taffeta Ribbon, Sponge Daubers, Stampin’ Dimensionals; Petite Ovals Large Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Mojo Monday 381

vera — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 22:25:29 +0000

I enjoyed creating my own background paper, with flower images from the Be Blessed stamp set by Verve Stamps, for this Mojo Monday layout. I knew I wanted to stamp the main sentiment on Pink Pirouette card stock, and to find the rest of the color combination I let myself be surprised by the SU ColorLab at My Create Ink. It chose for me these remaining colors: Rich Razzleberry, Regal Rose, Melon Mambo, and Pear Pizzazz. The white pearls were colored with a Copic marker to match the card colors.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Be Blessed (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Textured Rich Razzleberry, Regal Rose, Pear Pizzazz, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White (SU!)
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Regal Rose, Melon Mambo, Pear Pizzazz (SU!)
Accessories: Big Shot, Petals-A-Plenty Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Stampin’ Dimensionals (SU!); Pinking Circles Small (Spellbinders); Self-Adhesive Half Pearls (Simon Says STAMP); Copic Marker (RV14)

Deepest Sympathy

vera — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 01:13:03 +0000

This is my first blog post since I unexpectedly lost my dad in October and, sadly, I had to make a sympathy card for a friend who has also lost her father.

I thought the dry embossed vellum technique would look nice with the flowers from Gina K’s One in a Million stamp set and I added a sympathy sentiment from Borderline by Verve Stamps. The layout is last week’s Mojo Monday sketch (374).

I hope to do more stamping now that my sprained wrist has healed, because I realize that I have really missed it (and I have been getting a little rusty).

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: One in a Million (Gina K. Designs); Borderline (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Blackberry Bliss, Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Whisper White, Vellum Card Stock (SU!)
Ink: Jet Black StazOn, Memento Tuxedo Black (SU!)
Accessories: Big Shot, Stylus, Stampin’ Pierce Mat, Mini Glue Dots, Stampin’ Dimensionals (SU!); Mini Classy Label Die Set, Black Ribbon (Verve Stamps); Tim Holtz Damask Alterations Texture Fades Embossing Folder (Sizzix)

Celebrate the Season

vera — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 22:10:12 +0000

Looking around for inspiration for my new Snowflake Card Thinlits Die, I found this blog post by Amy Koenders. I simplified her design a little bit, because I intended to use the card for a shoebox swap with my friends in Laurel, MD. It was well worth all of the die-cutting that went into this! Here’s a look at the inside of the card:

It’s quite easy to create the big snowflakes by running the card stock through the Big Shot twice, as shown in this video by Stampin’ Up!

Thanks for stopping by!

All supplies by Stampin’ Up!® unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Endless Wishes
Paper: Coastal Cabana, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer Paper, Winter Frost Designer Series Paper Stack
Ink: Coastal Cabana, Bermuda Bay
Accessories: Big Shot, Snowflake Card Thinlits Die, Silver Stampin’ Dazzle Marker

Easy Watercolor Outline & Debossing

vera — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 04:01:49 +0000

Well, it may be difficult to see the actual debossing in the picture, but it looks pretty amazing IRL. I cut two pieces of cardboard with the Backyard Basics Framelits Die and glued them together. Then placed this on top of the watercolor cardstock and ran it through the Big Shot with an embossing pad to deboss the image. The flower stamp was inked up with three different Distress Inks and stamped inside the debossed area. The color from the stamped lines was then pulled toward the center of the image using an Aqua Painter. Thanks, Jennifer Rzasa, for the great tutorial on Day 5 of the Stretch Your Stamps 2 online card class!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Backyard Basics (SU!); gefeliciteerd (Verschooten Antwerpen)
Paper: Smoky Slate, Basic Black (SU!); Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Cardstock (Ranger)
Ink: Versamark (Tsukineko); Tim Holtz Mowed Lawn, Picked Raspberry, and Seedless Preserves Distress Ink (Ranger)
Accessories: Big Shot, Backyard Basics Framelits Dies, Rich Razzleberry 1/4″ Grosgrain Stitched Ribbon, White Stampin’ Emboss Powder, Heat Tool, Aqua Painters, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, Stampin’ Dimensionals (SU!); Cardboard

Faux Watercolor

vera — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 21:51:21 +0000

A sympathy card I had to make for a very sad occasion. I followed Shari Caroll’s instructions for her faux watercolor stamping technique on Day 1 of the Stretch Your Stamps 2 online card class.

Thanks for stopping by!

All supplies by Stampin’ Up!® unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Paisley; TXT 6001 Family Stamps (Hobby Post)
Paper: Confetti White, Vellum Card Stock; Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Cardstock (Ranger)
Ink: Tim Holtz Evergreen Bough, Frayed Burlap, Peeled Paint, and Walnut Stain Distress Ink (Ranger)
Accessories: Big Shot, Beautiful Wings Embosslits Dies, 1″ Square Punch, Pearl Basic Jewels, Stampin’ Dimensionals; Mini Mister, Inkssentials Ink Blending Tool (Ranger)

Creating Random Patterns

vera — Sun, 17 Aug 2014 01:54:15 +0000

For the past two weeks, I have enjoyed watching the videos in the Stretch Your Stamps 2 online card class. I had hoped to keep up with my homework, but I’ve only managed to create a few cards so far.

On Day 7, Debby Hughes showed us how to use graphic stamps in random patterns and I have shamelessly CASEd her beautiful card with the supplies I had on hand. Do you recognize the kite image from the Send Me Soaring stamp set in the background?

Thanks for stopping by!

All supplies by Stampin’ Up!® unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Hello There, Send Me Soaring
Paper: Pale Plum, Whisper White
Ink: Going Gray, Pale Plum, Pink Pirouette, Pistachio Pudding, Strawberry Slush, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: 2013-2015 In Color Sequin Assortment, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

Mojo Monday 353

vera — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 19:01:54 +0000

This birthday card was created for our nephew David, who is an avid gardener. On several occasions, we have enjoyed the tasty vegetables he grows!

I used the sketch from Mojo Monday 353, which worked well with the image I had in mind: the cauliflower from the Vintage Garden – Produce set by Waltzingmouse Stamps. With some great papers from BasicGrey, this card came together pretty quickly.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Vintage Garden – Produce (Waltzingmouse Stamps); Wordy Birds (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Dusty Durango, Crumb Cake, Whisper White (SU!); All Spruced Up (Gina K. Designs); Herbs & Honey, Highline (BasicGrey)
Ink: Handsome Hunter (SU!)
Accessories: Big Shot, Finishing Touches Edgelits Dies, Stampin’ Dimensionals (SU!); Flag It Dies Set (Verve Stamps); Classic Squares Small Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Pop-Up Box Card

vera — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 01:47:30 +0000

When I spotted this Simple Blooms Card in a Box in Featured Stamper Nancy Thomas’s gallery on Sunday, I knew I had found a fun card to send to my great-aunt Louisa, who celebrates her 103rd birthday next week. I used the instructions for an A2-sized card from the Pop-Up Box Card tutorial on splitcoaststampers.com.

I stayed pretty close to Nancy’s design, using images from the Hello Sunshine stamp set that went well with the patterned papers I picked. This time, I even managed to power up my Silhouette Portrait to cut the white card stock before I started stamping.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Hello Sunshine, Warm Spring Wishes (Gina K. Designs); Scroll Plain Jane (Verve Stamps); gefeliciteerd (Verschooten Antwerpen)
Paper: Pistachio Pudding, Basic Black, Whisper White, Gold Soiree Specialty Designer Series Paper (SU!)
Ink: Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding, Garden Green (SU!); Black Onyx (Gina K. Designs)
Accessories: Big Shot, Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die, Garden Green and Calypso Coral Stampin’ Markers, Uni-Ball Signo Gel Pen, Stampin’ Dimensionals (SU!); Scroll Die (Verve Stamps)