For my up line, Desiree's, team meeting this month, we are doing a shoebox swap. That's where each attendee designs a card and cuts enough projects for everyone attending and includes all the tools and supplies to make it in a shoe box. Then, when we get together, we pass the shoeboxes around and make one of each card. We do that when a new catalogue comes out and it gives us some ideas for classes for the coming weeks. The cards have to be simple enough not to need a lot of explanation and for a fairly new stamper to be able to do. My bundle to work with was the At Home with You Bundle, which consists of the At Home with You stamp set and the At Home Framelit Dies.
This is such a fun and versatile set to play with. The main feature is a door, with a couple of framelits that die cut the outline and cut it so that it opens. The rest are all seasonal accessories and sentiments that will keep you using this set all year long!
- On the Early Espresso cardbase, I added a panel of Crumb Cake that I embossed using the Brick Wall embossing folder and sponged it lightly with Early Espresso ink that was already on the sponge. I didn't want to make it too dark, just accentuate the brick pattern.
- I stamped the door on Real Red cardstock using Early Espresso ink and die cut it with the At Home Framelits. At the same time, I die cut the outline of the door from Very Vanilla cardstock as well, and trimmed down the sides very slightly so that it wouldn't show around the edges of the red. I die cut the little panes of glass at the top of the door too!
- I stamped the inside of the door with the sentiment: For Your Amazing Hospitality using Real Red ink, making sure not to stamp where it would show through the windows.
- I stamped the other accessories: the mat, the sign, the lanterns - in Early Espresso on Very Vanilla cardstock and die cut them. I added them with Glue Dots for the most part, except for the lanterns which I used Stampin' Dimensionals for!
- The thin red strip of paper at the bottom of the door is almost impossible to glue down as it's so narrow. I just cut it out and glued the welcome mat over the area it should be in and it looks fine.
I have been feverishly coming up with decor and games for my Catalogue Launch this Saturday and, while watching TV at night, I made these two giant flowers using our new In Colours, Lemon Lime Twist and Berry Burst cardstock. I got the instructions from Wendy Cranford's blog and through her, the site where you can download the templates: Any One Can Craft. It takes time, patience and a lot of cardstock, but it's not hard to do!
These make a real statement all right!
Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the products used to make this card today.
