Waffle Flower

Notecards in a Box

Posted on by Lynn Hill

It’s so easy to jump on Facebook and send a quick FB messenger note of thanks to a friend. But, I don’t think the need for a friendly snail mail note will ever disappear completely – unless, of course, the postal service happens to go away. Lord knows I am doing my best to keep the USPS in business with my regular cards and stamp buying endeavors.

My mother-in-law recently mentioned that she needed a small package of stationery so that she could keep in touch with a few people. I was headed to Hallmark and then I realized that it would be more fun for her to have a personalized set of notecards and I set out to make the perfect set for her.

I love getting cardstock that matches my ink colors and at Taylored Expressions it’s an easy task because there are cardstock colors for just about every shade of ink offered on the website. I used toffee ink and matching toffee cardstock for the first three notecards. I love the way toffee looks on crisp white cardstock so I inked the Full of Flowers background on an A2 base and my notecard was all but finished.

I think the cards would have been complete with the very simple background die as the cover. However I wanted to add something to personalize the cards. I recently ordered the Initially L die set specifically for this purpose from Taylored Expressions because I knew it would come in handy for all kinds of projects for my mother-in-law and for myself. We are both “L” girls.

I cut a rectangle strip of toffee and a circle from red pepper cardstock using the smallest circle in the Noteworthy Belly Band die set. Don’t you love that color combination? Then, using the smaller uppercase letter from the Initially L die set I placed an L in the center of the circle. The card was cut down to provide a 1/8″ border when set on top of a toffee base and I think it rounded out the card perfectly.

I made three more cards using cupcake paper and ink with a circle cut from My Favorite Things’ ripe raspberry cardstock.I couldn’t make up my mind whether the card looked best with a cupcake background or with the ripe raspberry so I made a couple using each color. Even after finishing them I couldn’t decide which one I preferred. Just about the time I am ready to say that I prefer the cupcake background my eye goes for the ripe raspberry.

I wanted one set using a red, white, and blue color scheme so I pulled out some Catherine Pooler Rockin’ Red ink and a piece of navy cardstock (I think it was from a discontinued color by MFT). A deep red L finished the card just like I wanted it.

There are so many ways to perfectly align a red rubber background stamp and I always use the Misti stamping platform so that I can reapply ink when (not if, when) it doesn’t completely cover on the first application. I make a ring using purple tape and place it on the back of my cardstock to hold it in place. I remove the foam plate from my Misti and line the paper up using the grid inside the stamping platform. Once the paper is positioned I place the rubber stamp face down on top of the paper and close the Misti door. This will enable you to lift the Misti cover with the stamp adhered. Add ink to the stamp and close the door.

I have found that red rubber stamps need a bit more pressure than the clear stamps, especially when the image is a background. I don’t sweat it. After I close the door I give it a firm press and lift the door. If there are some areas that aren’t fully covered I will close the door again and press in the area that the ink didn’t transfer sufficiently. Sometimes, after I open the door a second time, I find that I need to add another coat of ink to the stamp. If more ink is needed I repeat the process and keep checking the stamped image until it is evenly covered across the stamping area.

When I plan to use a stamp for several cards using different colors of ink I use a Lawn Fawn Stamp Shammy to give it a quick clean. I like to get the shammy wet, ring it out, then lay it on the base of the Misti and smooth it out. I then close the Misti door and give it a firm press. If the ink is particularly juicy I will open the door, flip the shammy over, and repeat the process. When I am going to immediately press with a different color I use a dry microfiber cloth to dry the stamp. These cloths work so much better than a paper towel or baby wipe because they are lint free. They can be bought on Amazon in sets of 24 and they last “forever”. If there will be a time lapse before stamping in a different color I leave the Misti door open and allow the stamp to air dry.

To really clean stamps, both red rubber and clear stamps, I use Taylored Expressions Stamper’s Spritz. This stuff works better than any stamp cleaner I have used in the past. It comes in a spritz bottle and is available in a refill bottle that’s pourable. To be honest, I don’t even have a spritz bottle. They were out of stock when I decided to try it so I just bought a refill. To use the liquid, I pour a bit onto one of my microfiber cloths and rub it across the stamp I need to clean. It works like a charm.

*** Beware: The Stamper’s Spritz will remove the wood finish from furniture if you don’t wipe it up after a spill. I would say, “Don’t ask me how I know this,” but am hoping you won’t make the same mistake as me so I’ll fess up. I opened the bottle one day and a little bit of liquid ran down the side of my bottle. I didn’t think it was a big deal so I screwed the lid on the bottle and went about my business. When I came back the next morning I started cleaning my desk so I could begin a new project and when I lifted the bottle there was a ring on my BRAND NEW DESK. Being honest here, I got tears in my eyes. I would’ve been more upset if it had been on my kitchen table or another surface that is always visible but, that said, I still love the product but am very careful when I use it.

To finish my cards, I purchased a set of pre-folded A2 notecards and attached the card fronts to them. This finished project included ten really nice note cards that I slipped in a clear card box along with the envelopes and a set of stamps. A belly band gave the box a pretty visual and these cards would make a nice gift for someone who enjoys sending snail mail. I know my mother-in-law will empty her box in no time. When she starts running low I can make just make more cards to add to the box. They would also work well as a note to accompany a mailed gift.

Supplies:

I do not receive compensation for listing the items I have used in this post; however, I like for you to be able to easily click links to order any items you might find interesting.

I am visible on Instagram (@LynnHillIsACraftyMess) and Facebook (@LynnHillIsACraftyMess) and I hope that you will scroll to the bottom of the page and click to subscribe.

When I first started card making I had a difficult time finding a cardstock with the quality I wanted. I discovered My Favorite Things and was so pleased that I began using their cardstock exclusively. When Covid hit and it was difficult to get just about everything, MFT began reworking their cardstock and are just now beginning to get restocked with new colors. In the meantime, I found Taylored Expressions’ cardstock and love it just as much as I always loved My Favorite Things paper. I would also recommend Gina K. Designs’ cardstock if you want quality paper. If you are looking for the perfect high-quality cardstock for your cards and paper projects I would recommend Taylored Expressions. There are 53 colors of cardstock available and 51 colors of matching ink. What cardstock do you use and is there are reason you prefer one brand over another?

Until next week, happy crafting!

Jump Into Spring

Posted on by Lynn Hill

Last week I promised I would be inviting Spring to be sprung with my post but I think the weather actually jumped right in and got to work without me! It is so nice to have a little bit of warmer weather and I am actually seeing some green things peeking from beneath my mulch in the flowerbed. What a welcome site.

I recently made a card using the Puddle Jumper stamp set from My Favorite Things and decided that I would see if I could improve my technique and create a blog post of my work.

When I saw the Puddle Jumper stamp and die set I “jumped” on it because the frequency of boy images in stamp sets is a little low for my liking. The set was just adorable and I could see this colored in the traditional yellow or any number of other color combinations/patterns.

Supplies Used to Make Puddle Jumper Card

For the card I created today I decided to stick with the traditional yellow rain slicker with matching umbrella and rain boots.

To create the variegated coloring on the boy’s clothing I used the lightest color over the whole area to be colored then added each of the other colors beginning with the darkest and ending with the lightest. I used a quick layer of the lightest color over the whole image I was coloring to help blend the colors a bit further.

I used the same techniques with the pants and shirt.

Learning to color skin and hair is a bit of a challenge for me. I can see that I am getting better but it is definitely a work in progress. If you also have difficulty with hair and skin you might want to check out Sandy Allnock’s Coloring the Human Rainbow tutorial or Taylored Expressions’ YouTube post with great skin and hair tutorials. Both artists also have free charts that you can download and practice with. Visit their website (Sandy Allnock) for those very helpful tools. You have have an account at Taylored Expressions to get the free download but it doesn’t cost and is worth the link up for the freebie (Taylored Expressions, click register. After registering, click the Get Inspired Link and click Free Downloads).

I decided to create a bit of weather for my little boy to be jumping around in so I used the die that accompanies the Puddle Jumpers stamp set to create a mask. When I am making a mask I expect to use more than once I like to use Gina K. Designs Masking Magic sheets. Once I have finished using the mask I simply adhere it to the die storage envelope and it is there and waiting for the next time I need it.

I have also recently discovered Post-It Removable Labeling Tape. It is 2 inches wide and makes great masks too. However, be prepared to spend a small fortune if you are going to buy some because it comes in a 36-yard roll. The Post-It tape would probably only be good for one use and, as you can see, my mask has been well used (at least six times) so the Gina K. Designs Masking Magic is an excellent.

Once I adhered my mask I chose three blue Distress Oxide Inks. I began with the lightest color then progressed to the darker colors and finally finished with a quick rub over the entire image with the lightest color to be sure the colors were well blended. I did not remove the mask until the very end of the project.

What fun is a raincoat without rain to accompany it? I used My Favorite Things Rainy Circle die to create another mask using a clear transparency sheet. When the first card was created with this technique I simply cut the mask out of white cardstock, laid it on the card, and used a Taylored Expressions Blender Brush to add the raindrops.

That technique worked fine the first time I did it. However, I wanted to make several identical cards and when I attempted to speed the process up I ended up going off the mask and smeared ink on the face of the card. In thinking of a way to remedy this and to make the process quicker, I remembered that I had a box of transparency sheets and decided to try to create my mask using the clear sheet. Voila! I was able to see directly where I wanted the mask/stencil to be placed. I taped the template down and since the entire card was protected, my raindrops fell exactly where I wanted them with no smears. After removing the homemade stencil I cleaned it with a wet baby wipe and placed it the die envelope and it will be available for use on future cards. This was a valuable experiment and I can see myself using up by transparencies in the future. Add a little Pixie Spray and I think this will revolutionize my stencil and mask-making process.

I added just a few more misty raindrops when I rubbed the Blueprint Sketch Distress Oxide Ink onto my palate, spritzed it with water, and then flicked it onto the card front with a paintbrush.

With all fo the rain on the front of the card I decided that a puddle wasn’t absolutely necessary for my little jumper to stomp but I created a very light shadow using a C2 Copic marker. I then removed the Masking Magic mask and adhered it to my die envelope for future use.

I wanted the sentiment to be stamped directly on the card and to eliminate the possibility of an error, I used the Misti Stamping Tool. The Misti allows you to stamp an image once and if the ink isn’t dark enough or even you can simply rein the stamp and press it onto your card a second time for a perfectly aligned second try.

I positioned the next-to-largest A2 Layering die on the card and arranged it to create pleasing borders. Finally, I adhered a few Waffle Flower Clearly Enough dots and adhered the work to a yellow A2 card base using Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Strips.

I originally stamped my image a few weeks ago in preparation for this blog but somehow got a smudge of ink on the card before I started coloring. I figured it wouldn’t hurt and wouldn’t show up but it just kept bothering me so I added an arrow element to hide the smudge. I think it actually added an interesting feature to the card. Mistakes are sometimes friendly like that!

I really love red envelopes for some reason and figured this little Puddle Jumper needed one. I added the ducklings from My Favorite Things Purrfect Friends and put this card in my “ready to send” pile.

I have been trying to post several times throughout the week on my Instagram page and would love for you to stop by to see them (@LynnHillIsACraftyMess) and my Facebook (@LynnHillIsACraftyMess).

Supplies:

I do not receive compensation for listing the items I have used in this post; however, I like for you to be able to easily click links to order any items you might find interesting. When Possible I have included two links in case items are out of stock on one site.

** The MFT stamps and dies used to create this card are currently not available on MFT Stamps but they are available at other retailers.

Copic Color Combinations:

  • Raincoat/Umbrella/Boots – Y00, Y11, Y13, Y15, Y17
  • Pants – B00, B12, B14, B16, B18
  • Shirt – R32, R35, R37
  • Umbrella Handle – C2, C5
  • Boot soles – W4, W6
  • Skin – E11, E21, E51
  • Hair – Y000, Y21, YG 91, E31, E33

I am working on getting the nerve to create a video tutorial to go along with my weekly post. Maybe sometime before summer gets here I will feel confident enough to post one. In the meantime, I think Spring will be in full force next week so I am thinking it’s time for the Easter Bunny to make an appearance on the blog. I would love for you to share this post with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest and hope you will travel to the bottom of this page to subscribe to my blog via email so that you don’t have to miss a single entry. Thanks for stopping by!