Travel Time

 

Travel time is coming up, so why not wish someone safe travels or let them know they'll be missed while they are away?! Play along with the travel challenge at Cupcake Inspirations Challenge too. 

Stamp the Sunset

1. Using the stamp from Altnew's Enjoy the Flight set, ink the Warm Sunshine yellow first. Use a blending brush to soften the edges of the ink before stamping. Continue with each color you choose for your sunset, allowing a little overlap of colors. Cut the image out with a circle die and set aside. 

Assemble the Airplane

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Die cut the airplane pieces using metallic silver paper for the body and two shades of colored card stock for the wings, etc.  Assemble using the packaging as a guide. 

Easel Card Base

Cut an A2 top folding card base. Score and fold at the center. Then score the top in half again (2.75" mark. Fold it under. 

Sentiments

Cut a 4.25x 2.75 inch piece of light blue card stock. Use embossing ink to stamp the sentiment "flying by to say hi" in white embossing powder. Heat set, then ink the bottom of the panel in Tide Blue and blend up a bit towards the sentiment. Adhere this panel to the bottom half of the card base (that will fold under).

Put it Together

Open the card by pushing the blue panel back and popping up the center fold. Adhere the sunset circle and airplane. Be sure not to adhere the entire sunset circle to the card. Only adhere the bottom half. 

To hold the card open, you'll need something to act as a doorstop. Die cut a small tag from cream card stock and stamp "safe travels" in black. The small tag is backed in white to make it extra thick.  I fyou want to be sure it holds, use foam tape to give the tag more height. When the card is pushed open, the bottom edge rests on the tag. Add some twine or ribbon to the tag if you wish. 

Stamp some flowers on the bottom edge of the card if your recipient is going somewhere tropical. Use colors in your sunset to tie it all together. 

Supplies

Altenew: Enjoy the Flight stamp & die set, Warm Sunshine ink

Gina K Designs: Tiny Tags die sets, Hello Beautiful stamp set,  inks (Wild Lilac, Tangerine Twist)

Concord & 9th: Creamsicle ink

Brutus Monroe: Alabaster embossing powder 

Ombre Floral

 

Creating an ombre floral look with a stencil gives this background a different twist. Grab your ink families and get started! You can enter the April ombre challenge at A Place To Start or enter the Anything Goes category. 

The first layer of Altenew's Styled Backgrounds stencil set is inked with the Cherry Blossom ink set. Start with the lightest color, Pink Diamond, at the bottom and work up to the darkest shade, Rubellite. Starting with the lightest color will allow you to use the same brush and work darker, without changing brushes. I left out the darkest color of the set, Razzleberry. 

The second layer of florals is inked with shades of orange. I used a combination of inks from Gina K, Concord & 9th and Altenew. 

The leaf layer is inked with the Tropical Forest ink set, using all four colors.

To finish the card, cut a sentiment in white and ink it lightly from the top, leaving the bottom white. Cut the background layer in a medium pink and ink the top as well, for an ombre sentiment. Pop it up with a little foam tape to help it stand out more. Stamp a subsentiment and sequins for flower centers. 

Supplies:

Altenew: Stencil Art Styled Backgrounds (March 2026), Timeless Sentiments Dies, Blooming Thanks stamp, Inks (Pink Diamond, Pinkalicious, Rubelitte, Peachy Glow, Bamboo, Parrot, Olive, Moss)

Gina K: Disco Ball sequins, Tangerine Twist ink 

Concord & 9th: Creamsicle ink

Other: foam tape

Sweet Spring Nest

 This sweet spring nest card uses the colors brown, green, and rose for the Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #335 this month. It's giving me hope that spring will come soon! 

My brown, green, and rose colors were all Gina K inks. I used Kraft ink to stencil the branches, Applemint for the stamped leaves and Dusty Rose for the flowers. The center of the flowers were stamped a little darker with Medium Cranberry

      

First, I stenciled on the branches, masking off the branches I didn't need for this card. Then I stamped the flower images, but didn't like how the branches showed through the flowers and leave! I started again with a little planning this time. 

I used my first attempt to plan where the flowers should be stamped first, then stenciled the branches in place. Small detail brushes help get into spaces near the stamping. 

The nest was cut from 3 different shades of brown with the darkest in the back. Some twigs and the eggs were shaded with some Kraft ink. Isn't the detailing on the eggs perfect?! The nest was elevated with foam tape. I love this sentiment and stamped it in Dark Chocolate ink. A few flower sequins finish it off. I left quite a bit of white space for more of a clean and simple look. 

Supplies: 

Altenew Nestled Whimsy layering stamp and die set (Mini Delight December)

Altenew Branching Out stencil

Gina K inks: Kraft, Applemint, Dusty Rose, Medium Cranberry, Dark Chocolate 

Gina K sequins from Advent Box

Foam Tape 

Hello Sunshine!

Wishing for the days of more sunshine here in the Midwest! This card uses sunny colors along with the glasses and sunny sentiment. Created in an arch shape for the A Place to Start "No Squares" challenge this month. Can't wait to brighten someone's day with this card. Check out the challenge and other design team inspiration here

Stenciled Background

              

The Altenew Stencil Art Bi-monthly subscription for March, Styled Backgrounds, includes stencils to make three backgrounds. One is a pretty floral and the other two are geometric. I'm sure I'll be making good use of these. 

 

To create this geometric background, just ink the first color, then rotate the stencil 90 degrees and match the etched lines to your first image and ink the next image. After rotating the image 4 times, you get this pattern. 

Assembling the Diecut

Assembling the die cut pair of glasses was easy by following the pictures on the packaging. The hardest part was deciding on the color to use for the frame. I did use a silver pen to add the little screw pieces on the corners. Honestly, I cut the tiny little pieces and lost one, twice!! These cute glasses are the Mini-Delight subscription for March. They come with a floral stamp set and two sentiment stamps. They will be available on the website without a subscription for a little higher price. 

The flowers are cut from the Pond Flowers dies. This is an older set and still so handy. The striped strip uses the Pinstripe background stamp. 

Arch Shaped Card

After cutting the geometric panel with an arch die, I chose a slightly larger arch die to cut the card. Just align the die so it is slightly to the left of the fold of your card. The die won't cut the folded edge as long as it's not touching the cardstock. Adhere elements in place and you have a card full of sunshine! 

Since I will be mailing this card, I outlined the geometric arch panel in gold pen instead of adding another layer. I did pop the glasses up with a lower loft foam tape. 

Supplies:

Altenew Stencil Art: Styled Backgrounds, Mini Delight: Stylish Shades, Pinstripe background stamp, Enamel Dots: Tea Party,  Fresh Dye inks: buttercream, warm sunshine, terracotta, blush rose.

Cardstocks unknown, metallic silver paper, gold gel pen

Challenges I'm entering:

A Place to Start- Anything Goes with a Twist of no squares (link above)

Little Red Wagon  L is for Leftovers (leftover yellow striped piece from my scrap box)

A Cut Above. Anything Goes with a Diecut 

 

Postage Love!

Love is in the air and the mail! I have loved these postage cards since I saw my first one. Here's a postage layout with the Waffle Flower postage grid & postage stamps, with some mini stamps and a long script from two other companies. These grids are so handy for little stamps and take less thought in composing the layout. They also work well with lots of smaller stamps you probably have on hand. 

 

Cupcake Inspirations Challenge this month is a love themed card in honor of Valentine's Day. These Valentine Icons stamps from Pretty Pink Posh worked perfectly. Check out the other designer's cards and play along with us at Cupcake Inspirations Feb 16-Mar 15. 

I had made this postage background previously and inked it with a neutral gray ink. I'm so glad I made an extra to have on hand! The centers of each box was left lighter so the stamps could be colored with the background color showing through. After stamping the icons, I colored them with alcohol markers. 

I die cut the letters for LOVE out of card stock and planned where they would go. Stamping the postage prices and other items was next, which is my favorite part! 

Next, I adhered the letters and added some sparkle to them. Valentine cards need sparkle! A couple of enamel dots, including some hearts in the center of the cancellation circle, added more whimsy.  

Finally, it's time to add a sentiment. I tried out some sentiment strips in the center as I have often used, but finally settled on this wide script stamped right across the card. Perfect!

If you have a postage collage die, don't forget about it. There are so many stamps you can use with these along with the stencils and stamps Waffle Flower continues to release. 

Products:

Waffle Flower postage collage grid die, postage collage blocks stencil, postage collage stamp set

Pretty Pink Posh Valentine Icons stamp set

Lawn Fawn Celebration Scripty Sayings stamp set

Altenew Fine Alphabet dies, Evening Gray Crisp Dye Ink, alcohol markers, enamel dots

Scrapbook.com clear shimmer glitter pen

 

A Valentine Bookmark

 

A Valentine Bookmark

I love to read and collect bookmarks, so this project was special to me. The Valentine Bookmark comes together easily and is fun to color with alcohol markers! I used the mama & baby bunny for the Place to Call Home Challenge this month: Anything Goes with optional small critters. 

Join in the challenge here

 A Place to Start

1. Cut the bookmark card stock pieces, red & white, with the Bookmark Builder die set by Taylored Expressions. 

2. Stamp the library, bunnies and books with black ink before coloring with alcohol markers. Use a light cool gray for shadows. I added the red glasses on Mama Bunny! So cute! 

3. Add some highlights with a white gel pen. 

4. Stencil some hearts with pink and red ink. Add some glitter pen on the hearts for some extra shine. 

5. Stamp the Happy Valentine's Day sentiment in red in. 

6. Adhere the white piece to the red and thread a soft white piece of yarn through the top to match the bunnies. 

This makes a useful Valentine for a friend or teacher. Happy Reading! 

Supplies:

Taylored Expressions Bookmark Builder die set

Lawn Fawn Little Woodland Library stamp set, Celebration Scripty Sayings stamp

Scrapbook.com Scattered Hearts stencil, Clear Shimmer glitter pen

Altenew alcohol markers

Gina K inks in Red Velvet, Red brick, Dusty Rose

Challenges:

A Place to Start Challenge - Anything Goes with optional small critters (link above) Feb 2-27

The Paper Players                                            We Love Stamping- Feb challenge -use hearts 

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                                           Simon Says Stamp Wed Challenge Anything Goes 

                                                                 Tag Along and ATC