Creating Kindness Design Team Blog Hop – Guest Designer

Anna’ Stampin’ Cave – Creating Kindness Design Team Blog Hope – Guest Designer

Creating Kindness Design Team Blog Hop TEAMWORK

Oh my!! I’m so thrilled, and still can’t believe it: I’ve been asked to join absolutely amazing artists from the Creating Kindness Design Team in their November Blog Hop as a guest designer.

Our theme this month is TEAMWORK. Teamwork can go many ways and I decided to team up a few products:

  • Animal Outing Bundle with super fun and elegant Tropical Escape DSP. I think they are a perfect fit!
  • I also teamed up Stampin’ Write Markers with an Aqua Painter & acrylic block for a controlled water colouring.

Anna' Stampin' Cave - Creating Kindness Design Team Blog Hop. Animal Outing Bundle with Tropical Escape DSP from Stampin' Up!

Wild About You card dimensions:

  • Shaded Spruce cardstock: 11-6/8″ x 4-1/8″ scored in half at 5-7/8″ & cut the bottom of the card front for the extra panel at 3″ x 4-1/8″
  • Whisper White reg. cardstock: 4″ x 5-6/8″ panel for the inside; for the mats: 2-5/8″ x 4″, 2-7/8″ x 4″ and for the sentiment a rectangle 3-6/8″ x 2-5/8″
  • Tropical Escape DSP for the mats (leafy/foliage design): 2-9/16″ x 3-7/8″ and 3-15/16″ x 2-6/8″
  • Watercolour Paper for stamping critters

Anna' Stampin' Cave - Creating Kindness Design Team Blog Hop. Animal Outing Bundle with Tropical Escape DSP from Stampin' Up!

Watercolouring

For my card, I decided to use two images: an utterly cute rhino and a branch with an equally adorable tree frog. I stamped the branch twice to use one for the inside of my card.

I stamped all my images onto watercolour paper using black Stazon Ink.  Watercolour paper has a quite porous surface, so Stamparatus came with help to make sure all the images were stamped perfectly.

TIP: Stazon is the best ink to work with water/watercolour.

I watercolour all my critters using an aqua painter and Stampin’ Write Markers. I simply scribbled some colour onto an acrylic block and using it as a palette I picked the ink with an Aqua Painter. I love to watercolour and with this technique, there’s nearly no waste.

Colours I’ve used:

  • Rhino: Smoky Slate, Gray Granite and Basic Gray
  • the bird: Bermuda Bay, Pacific Point, Pumpkin Pie and Daffodil Delight
  • branches with frog:  Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Old Olive and Granny Apple Green

When all critters were to thoroughly dry, I die-cut them with coordinating dies from Animal Friends Thinlits Dies.

How-to: Partial die-cutting

For the large stitched rectangle I’ve used the largest square from the Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies and a partial die-cutting. You can find it explained here.

I stamped the sentiment in the top left corner of my die-cut rectangle. For the ease, I’ve used Black Memento Ink and Stamparatus. Why? Well, who else would want to mess up the stamping at this point?! lol

Anna' Stampin' Cave - Creating Kindness Design Team Blog Hop. Animal Outing Bundle with Tropical Escape DSP from Stampin' Up!

I assembled the card laying all mats together with the liquid glue. Also, my tree frogs on branches I adhered with liquid glue: one inside of the card and one just above the rhino on the front. And the rhino is the star of the card! I raised him with dimensionals in the centre of the front panel.

And that’s it from me for today. I hope you’ve enjoyed visiting my blog and that you like the card I created? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Below is the list of the fantastic Creating Kindness Team who organized this hop. So please, jump on and check all the fantastic inspiration. Honestly, you don’t want to miss it!

The next on the hop is amazingly talented Jenny Hall!! To visit her blog click the button below or just use the list!


As always, if you wish to purchase any of the products I have used, simply click the images below to go directly to my online store.

HOST CODE for the month of November is 326DJQHJ. Use this code to receive special rewards from me.


Product List

Aqua Painters

£16.00

Stamparatus

£46.00

Big Shot

£102.00

Pin me

Summary of the project which gives all the views of the card in one photo. I’d love if you pinned and called by on Pinterest xx

Anna' Stampin' Cave - Creating Kindness Design Team Blog Hop. Animal Outing Bundle with Tropical Escape DSP from Stampin' Up!

 

Teachers Thank You Gift Using Stampin’ Up! Tropical Chic Bundle

Anna' Stampin' Cave - Teacher's Thank You Gift Fridge Magnet and Thank You card using Tropical Chic Stamp Set and Tropical Thinlits Dies from Stampin' Up!

Anna’ Stampin’ Cave – Teachers Thank You Gift Using Tropical Chic Bundle

Thanks for coming to my blog today! We are being highlighted internationally by Kylie Bertucci and you are able to vote for my project. The top ten winners will get to be part of an international blog hop so please vote for my project. My project is under the number 20. You can do it here or use a button at the end of my post.

A theme for this month’s highlight is ‘Teachers Gifts’. And however, it’s been a long time since our daughter finished primary school (she starts Uni after summer break) I thought why not make a cute little set of a fancy fridge magnet and a mini 3×3″ Thank You card.

To make these I’ve used Stampin’ Up! Tropical Chic Stamp Set & Tropical Thinlits Dies. I also used coordinating Tropical Escape DSP.

Anna' Stampin' Cave - Teacher's Thank You Gift Fridge Magnet and Thank You card using Tropical Chic Stamp Set and Tropical Thinlits Dies from Stampin' Up!

Teachers Gift Fridge Magnet dimensions:

  • Basic Black cardstock for the base: 3-1/4″ x 6-1/2″
  • Basic Black cardstock for the notebook: 1-1/2″ x 3″
  • Whisper White cardstock: 3-1/8″ x 3-1/8″
  • Granny Apple Green cardstock: 3″ x 3″
  • Tropical Escape DSP: 2-7/8″ x 2-7/8″
  • Whisper White cardstock for stamping & die-cutting
  • Rhinestones
  • magnet sheet 3″ x 4″

Teachers Thank You Card dimensions:

  • Basic Black cardstock: 3″ x 6″
  • 2x Whisper White cardstock: 2-7/8″ x 2-7/8″
  • Granny Apple Green cardstock: 2-6/8″ x 2-6/8″
  • Tropical Escape DSP: 2-5/8″ x 2-5/8″
  • Whisper White cardstock for stamping & die-cutting
  • Rhinestones

Anna' Stampin' Cave Teacher's Thank You Gift Fridge Magnet using Tropical Chic Stamp Set and Tropical Thinlits Dies from Stampin' Up!

First, I created the base for my magnet: I cut Basic Black cardstock to 3-1/4″ x 6-1/2″ and using liquid glue I adhered the magnetic sheet at the back. Next, I created the notes area. I have found this little notebook in my drawer but it had a navy spine and was a little too long (3″ x 4″) and I needed a square one. So I removed the old spine and shortened notebook using the guillotine.

To create new spine I cut a 1-1/2″ x 3″ piece of Basic Black cardstock and scored it at 7/8″ and 1″. Adhered it to the notebook and adhered notebook to the base.Anna' Stampin' Cave Teacher's Thank You Gift Fridge Magnet using Tropical Chic Stamp Set and Tropical Thinlits Dies from Stampin' Up!

To finish off the top of my magnet, I took a Whisper White cardstock square, glued Granny Apple Green on top and layered a slightly smaller square of Tropical Escape DSP and adhered them all to the base.

For stamping the foliage I’ve used Stamparatus: I stamped each greenery image in Granny Apple Green ink, followed by Shaded Spruce but dabbed off some colour from the edges of the images.

I did the same with flowers but I used Blushing Bride with Poppy Parade. I decided to leave one flower just in Blushing Bride. I die cut all my images using coordinating dies, arranged and adhered them to the magnet using liquid glue and dimensionals.

For the sentiment, again, I’ve used Granny Apple Green with Shaded Spruce.

Anna' Stampin' Cave - Teachers Thank You card using Tropical Chic Stamp Set and Tropical Thinlits Dies from Stampin' Up!

For the card, I’ve used a 3″ x 6″ piece of Basic Black, scored at 3″. Same as with a magnet piece, I layered Whisper White with Granny Apple Geen and Tropical Escape DSP on top and adhered them all to the card base.

Anna' Stampin' Cave - Teacher's Thank You Gift Fridge Magnet and Thank You card using Tropical Chic Stamp Set and Tropical Thinlits Dies from Stampin' Up!

Using Stamparatus, again, I stamped each of my images and die cut them using coordinating dies.

The sentiment comes from the same stamp set but I stamped only ‘Love & Thanks’ with Blushing Bride at full strength and Poppy Parade dabbed off for gradient look.

Few rhinestones finish off my little projects.

I truly hope you’ve enjoyed coming to my blog today.

Now, make sure you head over to Kylie’s blog to check all lovely projects and vote for your favourites. Hope my project will be among them. My project is under number 20!

As always, if you wish to purchase any of the products I have used, simply click the images below to go directly to my online store.

My exclusive special offer this month only: FREE Stampin’ Up! Pearlised Doilies

How it works…

  • Place a product order of £50 or more (excl. shipping) in my online store in the month of August. 
  • Add Host Code U6KK4ACY. To claim your reward you must include this code in your ordering process.
  • This August Special Offer will be applied to all qualifying orders placed through my shop using Host Code U6KK4ACY between 1 August – 31 August.
  • If your order is £150 or more do not use Host Code. You will earn your own Host Rewards to spend.
  • IMPORTANT:  My FREE Special Host Gift giveaways are mailed separately from any order and will arrive mid-September.

Stamparatus

£46.00

Big Shot

£102.00

Pin me

Summary of the project which gives all the views of the card in one photo. I’d love if you pinned and called by on Pinterest xx

Anna' Stampin' Cave - Teacher's Thank You Gift Fridge Magnet and Thank You card using Tropical Chic Stamp Set and Tropical Thinlits Dies from Stampin' Up!

DON’T FORGET TO CHECK

Request Autumn/Winter Catalogue below –

Stampin' Up! Autumn Winter 2018 Catalogue

How can you get a FREE copy of the new Autumn/Winter 2018 Catalogue?

For those living in the UK and Northern Ireland, you may request a catalogue using the form below and I will add you to my mailing list for this catalogue.

You can also opt-in to receive my customer email newsletter, featuring tips, product shares, news of Stampin’ Up! specials and my personal promotions.

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Earn in August – redeem in September –> click here for more details

All-new, limited-time Colour Your Season products – Products available while supplies last or until 31 August 2018 – order yours today –> click here

Rustic Best Birds For Global Design Project #084 Challenge

Anna’ Stampin’ Cave – Rustic Best Birds For Global Design Project #084 Challenge

Hello and welcome everyone! Today I’m back with my entry for Global Design Project. This week is Case The Designer Challenge over at GDP and we’re casing wonderful Michelle Last. I have to admit I absolutely love Michelle’s style. She’s an incredible artist and amazing person too (I had the privilege to meet her in person a few years back).

It’s a beautiful card to CASE: clean & simple with lots of yummy texture. But I didn’t really want to follow the colour combination or the layout of Michelle’s card (but as you will see I failed miserably as I ‘accidentally’ cased the layout anyway haha ). For my card, I decided to focus on a couple of products she used instead: Best Birds Stamp Set and coordinating Birds & Blooms Thinlits Dies.

Rustic Best Birds card dimensions:

  • Crumb Cake cardstock: 8-1/4″ x 5-7/8″ scored in half at 4-1/8″ (21cm x 14.8 cm scored in half at 10.5 cm)
  • Crumb Cake cardstock: 4-1/8″ x 5-6/8″ (10.2 cm x 14.6 cm)
  • Whisper White cardstock for stamping & die cutting
  • Pool Party cardstock: 3/8″ x 4-3/8″
  • Burlap Ribbon: approx 5-6/8″ (14.6 cm)

I don’t know about you, but when I first saw this stamp set it has called countryside to me. I only bought this bundle a few weeks ago and was really eager to have a play. So this week’s challenge was perfect for inking up my stamp for the first time.

First, I created the background for my ‘idyllic’ scene. I took Crumb Cake panel and stamped it with Hardwood background stamp in Soft Suede. I also sponged the edges of the panel with Soft Suede ink to add to the ‘rustic feel’.

Next, I stamped and die cut all the elements of my scene. The bird is stamped using Crumb Cake ink. Flowers – Pool Party. For little berries/fruits, I’ve used Pear Pizzazz. Branch is stamped in Soft Suede ink and coloured in with markers: Crumb Cake for the branch and Pear Pizzazz for leaves.

I love this sentiment “It’s a good day” from Best Birds Stamp Set. I stamped it in Soft Suede on a piece of Whisper White cardstock and die cut using an oval die from Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies. I think stitched edge suit rustic ‘feel’ of this card just perfectly.

Before I assembled my card I played a little with a placement of all the elements. To add some ‘natural’ texture I decided to use Burlap Ribbon as a banner. I also cut a thin strip of Pool Party cardstock to ‘break’ all the browns. When I was happy with the placement, I took a photo and started the assembly.

Tip: If you have a layout, either a card or a scrapbook page, that consist of lots of small elements, play with the placement first, before glueing things down. Once you’re happy, take a photo of your test layout with your phone ( we all have it on hand, don’t we?). Next, assemble your card/scrapbook page piece by piece by piece with a help of your reference photo. No more guessing ‘where was this or that element supposed to go.

I truly hope you like my little, rustic card. It reminds me of my childhood in Poland and summer holidays we spent in the countryside with our great-grandmother. Wonderful memories.

As always, I really want to encourage you to visit the Global Design Project challenge blog to see other beautiful projects from all around the world. Just click on their logo below to visit the website

Thank you for stopping by and have a blessed day,

Roses & Dragonfly No°2 – Inlaid & Partial Die-cutting Birthday Card

Anna’ Stampin’ Cave – Roses & Dragonfly No°2 – Inlaid & Partial Die-cutting Birthday Card

And here I am again with Rose Wonder and Detailed Dragonfly Thinlits Dies!

My little sister (well not that little, she’s nearly 22 y.o. But hey! she will always be my little sister) came to last week and said she and her friends wanted me to make a birthday card for their girlfriend.

They really liked this card I’ve made a few weeks back…

anna-stampin-cave-stampin-up-dragonfly-dreams-bundle-and-rose-garden-thinlits-dies-inlaid-partial-die-cutting-technique

…and wanted something similar hence No°2 in the title 🙂

The base colour they wanted was orange with silver details, as these are the colours their friend loves. So fun and challenging as I don’t create much in orange! But I love challenges. I love to sit down and design, create something unusual; not just grab a card, two or three colours one stamp and bah! – five minutes later the card is done! I do clean & simple sometimes but that’s not my concept of creativity 🙂 I am an artist at heart. It have to be a process, it have to be messy and a little bit crazy too; so when I’m done my soul sings…

…and this is exactly how this card came to life

Anna' Stampin' Cave - Roses And Dragonfly Birthday Card using Inlaid Partial Die Cutting_Stampin' Up! Rose Garden Thinlits Dies_Detailed Dragonfly Thinlits Dies

Roses & Dragonfly No°2 card dimensions:

  • Calypso Coral cardstock card base: 11-6/8″ x 4-1/8″ scored in half at 5-7/8″ (29.7 x 10.5 cm scored in half at 14.8 cm)
  • Whisper White cardstock: 5-6/8″ x 4″ (14.6 cm x 10.2 cm)
  • Whisper White cardstock: 2 panels 5-5/8″ x 3-7/8″ each (14.3 cm x 9.8 cm); one for blending and one for die-cutting
  • strips of Calypso Coral and Whisper White cardstock for sentiment

First I adhered panel of Whisper White cardstock to the card base using snail adhesive. Next, I took one of the smaller panels and using ink pads and sponges I created a backing panel for the die-cut piece.

Anna' Stampin' Cave - Roses And Dragonfly Birthday Card using Inlaid Partial Die Cutting_Stampin' Up! Rose Garden Thinlits Dies_Detailed Dragonfly Thinlits Dies 4

As first, I blended in my darkest colour, Calypso Coral, followed by Pumpkin Pie and Peekaboo Peach. But you can start with the lightest shade first, it doesn’t really matter. I continued adding more colour until I was happy with the depth. To add more interest I flicked few droplets of water to my panel.

Water react with ink creating this beautiful, distressed look. Bear in mind that for the best results you have to do it when the ink is freshly blended.

I took the second Whisper White panel and arranged the dies how I wanted them to go. Next, I die-cut all elements, one at a time and put them away on a flat surface so I don’t lose any of the small pieces. Once everything been die-cut I adhered what’s left of the panel to the orange background. I’ve added some splatters of ink all over it and inlaid all my die-cut pieces back in. More detailed explanation can be found here ->

I added this panel to the card base with Foam Adhesive Strips for extra dimension.

Anna' Stampin' Cave - Roses And Dragonfly Birthday Card using Inlaid Partial Die Cutting_Stampin' Up! Rose Garden Thinlits Dies_Detailed Dragonfly Thinlits Dies 3

The sentiment I’ve used comes from Rose Wonder Stamp Set. I stamped it on Whisper White cardstock with Versamark ink. I heat embossed it in silver, mounted on a slightly wider piece of Calypso Coral cardstock and add it to the card.

To make the card looks even more pretty, I scattered rhinestones all over the panel. To wrap it up, I stamped dragonfly image inside the card and on the envelope. It’s hard to see but I’ve used all three colours of ink on this little creature.

The card has been given already and I know the girl loved it to bits. That is my biggest reward 🙂 But I hope you like it too. Would love to hear your opinion it the comments below.

If you wish to purchase any of products I have used, simply click the images below to go directly to my online store and don’t forget to enter the hostess code for the month of April XMAJ4CYX to receive a gift from me.

Thank you for stopping by and have a blessed day,

Just a note: the Dragonfly Dreams as a Bundle at 10% discount is available only until 31 May. After that date, you will be able to purchase Dragonfly Dreams Stamp Set and Detailed Dragonfly Thinlits Dies only separately, not as a bundle.

Don’t forget to check:

Stampin’ Up! Spring Summer & Annual Catalogue 2016 2017 Retiring List

Anna' Stampin' Cave Stampin' Up! Retiring Products 2017

It’s that time of the year again, when Stampin’ Up! is getting ready to retire stamps and accessories from both the Annual and Spring Summer catalogues. As sad as it is to see these products go, there’s still time for you to get them before they’re gone. Retiring products will only be available until 31 May, or while supplies last. So if there’s something from retiring products on your wishlist, don’t wait until last day – once they’re gone, they’re gone. And they are selling fast! Click here for more details ->

You Are Amazing – Kylie Bertucci’s International Stampin’ Up! Blog Highlights

Anna’ Stampin’ Cave – You Are Amazing – Kylie Bertucci’s International Stampin’ Up! Blog Highlights

International-Highlights-header-vote-fav

Thanks for coming to my blog today! We are being highlighted internationally by Kylie Bertucci and you are able to VOTE on my project. The top ten winners will get to be part of an international blog hop so please vote for my project. You can do it here or use button at the end of my post.

Anna' Stampin' Cave - Stampin' Up! All Things Thanks Stamp Set CAS Card You Are Amazing

Our theme for this highlight is using the stamp set All Things Thanks! This is a Wonderful stamp set with so many gorgeous sentiments. We wanted to highlight how versatile it really is.

This is my first time taking part in Kylie Bertucci’s International Stampin’ Up! Blog Highlight so I’m a little bit nervous. For my card, I went with monochromatic clean and simple design.

Anna' Stampin' Cave - Stampin' Up! All Things Thanks Stamp Set Monochromatic CAS Card You Are Amazing.JPG

You Are Amazing Card dimensions:

  • Whisper White cardstock: 11-6/8″ x 4-1/8″ scored in half at 5-7/8″ (29.7 x 10.5 cm scored in half at 14.8 cm)
  • Basic Grey DSP from Neutrals DSP Stack: two pieces 3″x 3″ each (7.6 cm x 7.6 cm)
  • Basic Grey cardstock: 1/2″ x 3-3/6″ (1.2 cm x 9.5 cm)
  • for sentiment piece of Whisper White cardstock
  • Whisper White Thick Baker’s Twine: 12″

First, I stamped my sentiment in Basic Grey on a piece of Whisper White cardstock and die cut it using 2nd smallest oval from Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies. Next, I took my card base and adhered my squares of Designer Series Paper in the middle, offsetting them slightly.

I took Basic Gray strip of cardstock and created a fun banner using a dotted strip die from Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies.

I adhered the banner in in the centre of my card front and popped up the sentiment on top using dimensionals. I wrapped bakers twine around my card and tied a simple knot on the front. For the final touch, I added a rhinestone to the ‘i’ in the sentiment.

Anna' Stampin' Cave - All Things Thanks Stamp Set by Stampin' Up! Monochromatic CAS Card You Are Amazing.JPG

Thanks for visiting my blog today and make sure you head over to Kylie’s blog to check all lovely projects and vote for your favourites. Hope my project will be among them as I would love to be chosen to do an international blog hop.

Vote for me Kylie's Highlights Badge

Thank you for stopping by and have a blessed day,