Congratulations Using Brushed Gold Cardstock

One of the retiring products that I'm really going to miss is the Brushed Gold cardstock. It adds such an air of elegance to any card, especially when paired with Basic Black cardstock! As I was preparing for my All Occasions Stamper's Dozen, I wanted to create a Congratulations card that would be able to be used for a male. I was specifically thinking of a Graduation Card, but since not all of my attendees might have a Grad in their lives this year, I wanted to be able to make it a generic Congratulations card that would be useful for all sorts of occasions, but with the same colours and layout, so my customers could choose the sentiments and images.

The image above is the generic card and this next one has the graduation theme:

• The Brushed Gold cardstock is dry embossed using the Stylish Stripes Embossing Folder, again a very classic look.
• The sentiments are from two different stamp sets.  The Congratulations is from Guy Greetings (as is the Hats Off to You in the top photo). The Class of 2015 is from a single stamp set called - you guessed it - Class of 2015! All the sentiments and images are heat embossed in either Black  or Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder. The single stamp Class of 2015 is embossed using both black and gold. That was a bit tricky to achieve, but basically I stamped the image with Versamark Ink then covered up the 2015 part with a scrap of cardstock and sprinkled on the Black Stampin' Emboss Powder. After tapping it off, I removed the scrap and sprinkled on the Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder on the lower half of the sentiment only. Because the black image was already fully covered in the black powder, the gold powder didn't really stick to any of those areas, and I was able to heat set it just as is.
• I stamped and embossed the Congratulations after that.

• The hats in this image are from Guy Greetings and are embossed in Black Stampin' Emboss Powder.
• A thin strip of 1/8" Basic Black Taffeta ribbon finishes the front panel on both cards.

This is a very easy card to do, except for the multiple embossing of the one image, but you can see how easy it is to create a dignified, classic congratulations card for someone!

You might want to stock up on the Brushed Gold and Brushed Silver cardstock as well as the Basic Black 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon before they are gone for good (June 2) or the supply runs out. Email me with your order or go online anytime to my On-Line Store.  (*Oops! Sorry! Update: Brushed Gold is now sold out!! You really have to act quickly!)

                                           

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 Stampin' Up! products used to make this card today!

Product List

Guy Greetings Clear Stamp Set [138828]	Guy Greetings Wood Stamp Set [138825]	Guy Greetings Photopolymer Stamp Set [137178]	Class Of 2015 Wood Stamp [137175]	*Brushed Gold 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [102935]
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121045]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730]	Versamark Pad [102283]	Black Stampin' Emboss Powder [109133]	Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder [109129]
Basic Black 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon [119261]	Embossing Buddy [103083]	Heat Tool [129053]	Stylish Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [132174]	Big Shot [113439]
Fuse Fast Adhesive [129026]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]	Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755]

* Sold out

Your Perfect Day for The Paper Players

I know that I just did a card for The Paper Players, but they have a new challenge out and I just happened to have made a card this weekend with the same layout!  Wild how that happened!  I was coming up with designs for Make and Takes for a retreat I'm organizing for my customers in OK Falls and I decided to focus on the Something Borrowed DSP pack.  Going hand in hand with that DSP series is the Your Perfect Day stamp set and I really love the little wreath image in that set. When I checked out The Paper Players latest challenge, I was amazed to see that I used the very same sketch! I know I can't prove that to you so you'll have to take my word for it!

Here's a closer look: (By the way, the box is also one of the Make and Takes and is created using the Gift Box Punch Board!)

• I love the neutral loveliness of the Something Borrowed Designer Series Paper, but with the extra splash of colour from the Coastal Cabana cardstock and ink, it's just that much prettier! I've also added some gold accents to up the elegance factor.
• If you find it hard getting a solid image from your photopolymer stamps, here are a couple of tips. Clean them first with Stampin' Mist and the Stampin' Scrub, then rub them on your wrist a few times.  Stamp with your cardstock on a Stampin' Pierce Mat, that you have reserved just for stamping, and it will also help you get a solid image. I was having some issues with the wreath until I rubbed the surface of the stamp on my wrist then inked it up and stamped. That worked perfectly!
• Notice the beautiful embellishment on the Gold Satin Ribbon. It is one of the Something Borrowed Embellishments and it is awesomely elegant bling for your cards.  I changed the colour of the Rhinestone in the middle with my Coastal Cabana Blendabilities! I also used it on the Rhinestones that form the centers of the little flowers on the wreath.

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!

Product List

Your Perfect Day Clear Stamp Set [138853]	Your Perfect Day Wood Stamp Set [138850]	Your Perfect Day Photopolymer Stamp Set [137160]	Something Borrowed Designer Series Paper [137785]	Brushed Gold 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [102935]
Coastal Cabana 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [131297]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730]	Sahara Sand Classic Stampin' Pad [126976]	Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad [131175]	Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Coastal Cabana Assortment [131000]
Gold 5/8" Satin Ribbon [134547]	Something Borrowed Embellishments [137855]	Rhinestone Basic Jewels Embellishments [119246]	2-1/2" Circle Punch [120906]	Circles Collection Framelits Die [130911]
Glue Dots [103683]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]

Chalk Talk for The Paper Players and Stamp of the Month Club

Guess what I did for a good part of the morning yesterday. If you read yesterday's post, you probably have a good idea! Yes, I cleaned up the glitter explosion. First, I vacuumed everything off, Then I wiped everything down and sorted and bagged the orders. Did I get all the glitter? Despite a thick, sparkly layer in my vacuum canister, my area rug that looks like a bejewelled flying carpet, and a rather glittering complexion myself, no, I did not!! I got most of it, mind you, but my customers will definitely find that their orders have a little more in the way of festivity than usual. Thank goodness it's December and getting closer to Christmas. Maybe they'll think I'm just trying to spread the holiday spirit around!

After dealing with that, I set to work on a special card for The Paper Players Challenge #225:

Nance Leedy came up with formal attire for the challenge cards in honour of Christmas, New Year's and a farewell to some of the design team over at The Paper Players.  Here's what I went with:

• For my Playing with Papercrafting vendor and craft fairs, I use this Soft Sky, Gold and Basic Black colour palette.  The colours are striking together, so I thought they would be great for this "Black Tie" challenge.
• I chose Chalk Talk Stamp Set because Chalk Talk is my Stamp Set of the Month for December's Stamp of the Month On-line Club.  This card is one of three that you will get along with the Chalk Talk set and step-by-step tutorials for all three of the cards.  You get this all for $35 and you can join here.
• I used Brushed Gold cardstock for the background panel and I embossed it with the Filigree Frame embossing folder. Brushed Gold cardstock is the essence of elegance and when I used it in this lovely embossing folder, that bumped it up another notch!

• The image on the large label stamp was heat embossed in Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder, which gives it extra shine and presence as a vocal point.

If you want to know more about how to make this card, let me know or follow this link to join my Stamp of the Month Online card.

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!

Product List

Chalk Talk Wood Stamp Set [130631]	Chalk Talk Clear-Mount Stamp Set [130634]	Brushed Gold 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [102935]	Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121045]	Soft Sky 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [131203]
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730]	Versamark Pad [102283]	Venetian Crochet Trim [134581]	Soft Sky 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon [131210]	Gold Sequin Trim [132983]
Filigree Frame Textured Impressions Embossing Folders [135818]	Chalk Talk Framelits Die [129983]	Deco Labels Framelits Die [130102]	Circles Collection Framelits Die [130911]	Big Shot [113439]
Heat Tool [129053]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]