Over the Kitchen Counter: Angie's Place for Cooking and Crafts

thanks so much

One of my favourite bloggers, Angie, inspired me to make this simple, yet very adorable, white-on-white card.  I loved how it turned out and it was so easy to duplicate and quick to make.  Of course you could use any line-art stamp you have for the image and any greeting stamp for the sentiment.  I stamped in black Staz-on and coloured with ink and an aquapainter.  You can't really tell in the photo, but I added a hint of dazzling diamonds glitter to the centre of the middle flower.  The card is 4-1/4"x4-1/4" and the popped-up layer is 2-1/4"x2-1/4".  As Angie says, the photo doesn't do it justice...make one and see for yourself how cute it is!

Happy Together

I thought this stamp set was adorable and for some reason it reminds me of the Partridge Family show opening from the '70s...

I stamped the birdies in black Staz-On and coloured them in with Stampin' Up markers.  I layered them on Old Olive card stock and Sweetpea DSP and added some Chocolate Chip satin ribbon.  The Happy Together is punched out with the Word Window punch and layered on the Modern Label cut-out.

The birds represent me and my peeps, but you could easily stamp more "kid birds" and add another "parent" to configure a different family arrangement...so cute, I have lots of ideas on how to use this set (there are 5 stamps in all!).

SYI thank you

Robyn, over at The Pink Stamper, addressed the issue of making layers on cards made with the Stretch Your Imagination Cricut cartridge.  The Layers Creative Feature button works perfectly with the images you can select on this cartridge BUT does not work when using the Card Feature (the Layer button will not cut a proportionally-sized icon to match the card size).  Robyn managed to cut a slightly smaller matching icon for her card by trial and error and others have suggested measuring the card opening as a starting point.

The way I approached the problem was to cut the card in white card stock first and then again in the colour of designer paper I wanted the icon to be in the centre of the card (in my case, a flourish).  I then simply used my exacto knife to trim out the icon and glue it over-top of the white base for a perfectly matching layer. 
I cut the Card Frame and Layers border for the <Flrsh4> card on page 78 of the handbook and added the shadow background on the inside.  A few butterflies popped up covered a spot where I'd placed a glue dot for ribbon (after I'd changed my mind) and a thank you greeting added a bit of stamping to this little note card.  I really made this card just to see if I could conquer the issues with layering and I actually like the way it turned out in the end!  I love a challenge when it comes to making things work...

Sweet Treat Happy Birthday

I made this birthday card for my mother who will be turning 86 this year!  I used the Sweet Treats Cricut cartridge and cut the <Cake4> on page 40 of the handbook at 3-1/2 inches.  I cut the Layers and Shadow as well.  I used Soft Subtles card stock from Stampin' Up and DSP from the Sweet Pea collection.  This Paper Stack is in the SU Occasions Mini Catalogue and is a great value (you get 48 sheets of paper!), the colours and patterns are so pretty.   I don't usually do much on the inside of my cards but I really wanted to use this greeting from the Whimsical Words stamp set and I couldn't resist the beautiful butterfly paper from the stack.  The little popped-up butterflies are punched with the new Butterfly Pocket Punch from Creative Memories - so delicate and cute!  I love the way the inside panel looks! 

Good Luck!

  This card was made 100% just for fun!  I cut the leprechaun from the Paper Dolls Dress-up cartridge using the Cricut.  I cut all his layers using patterned and gold paper; his little buttons are tiny micro pearls.  The 4-leaf clover is cut using a feature button and the "good luck" is a rub-on.  Of course, his little happy face is stamped with the Peachy Keen stamps and his cheeks have a pink glow from Copic markers.  So cute and fun to make.

Follow Your Heart

  I really wanted to try out my Whimsical Words stamp set from the SU Sale-a-bration promotion and was very happy to discover that this "Follow your heart" sentiment fits perfectly inside the Full Heart punch.  I used the tiny hearts from the Sprinkles set as my background on the Chocolate Chip card stock, which I heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  I layered some Summer Sun under the popped-up Close to Cocoa scalloped-edged square to add a bit of colour to my chocolatey card and the satin ribbon, plus a trio of pearls, give a hint of femininity.

Happy Heart Day

I'm showing you Valentine's Day cards even though it's Groundhog Day today!  I made these little 3x3 cards to slip inside my kids' Valentine's goody bags - the little flowers in the heart are colour-coded for each child.  Do you have certain colours for your kids?  Maybe it started because we had twins and it was just easier to remember who got what/ate what/drank what if we kept a certain colour attached to each one...and it just stuck after that (to this day!).  One is blue, one is red, one is green...and now those are their favourite colours!  Anyway, I stamped the images right onto the white card stock in Memento ink and coloured them in with my Copics.  I stamped the smaller hearts (from the Love You Much stamp set - SU) on Designer Series paper and punched them out using the Heart to Heart punch.  I rounded the corners of the cards with the Corner Chomper (which I LOVE, by the way!) 

Hello Kitty Valentine

Hello Kitty is pretty darn cute, especially holding a big, pink heart!  I made this card using the Cricut and the Hello Kitty Greetings cartridge.  I used the Card Feature Key and cut the card on page 49 of the handbook at 4-1/2" in black card stock.  Then I cut the <HK9> kitty in white and added the various layers (silhouette, bow, nose, heart).  I embossed the heart with the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder and glittered up her bow with some Zig Two-Way glue and Dazzling Diamonds.  I cut a white kitty using the Blackout feature to line the inside of the card where I stamped a sentiment and will write a message.  So sweet! 

Scallop Trim Border

  The new Scallop Trim Border punch from Stampin' Up makes a beautiful, detailed cut, perfect for decorative borders on cards.  I wanted a simple, slim card to mail to a friend so adding embellishment to the card stock was a great way to add detail without bulk.  The space-saving feature of this new style of punch allows you to lock it shut (to stand on end or lay flat) but since I just leave it open on my shelf it was more the intricate cuts and larger punch and handle surfaces that appealed to me...and even more of a selling point was that I got it FREE with my sale-abration order!

Stardust Thank You

It took me a while to get to using it, but my new favourite tool is the Stardust Maker from Creative Memories.  This 4" long border punch allows you to make a continuous border of stars (with tons of little leftover stars to use as confetti or embellishments) and is so smooth and easy to use.  It's now on the "While Supplies Last" list so I definitely think it's worth grabbing soon if you like it.  I've used it on both my scrapbook pages and cards and when you layer a contrasting piece of card stock underneath, the stars just shine.  I am excited to get the just-released Love Struck Maker next: same tool but it creates a trail of hearts!  Perfect for Valentine's Day projects!