Find yourself at sea

E E Cummings had the right idea about finding yourself at sea; but not when you sail down the Hudson where my son sails! This is the card I made for him after his sailboat collided with another in a speed race.

Credit for this card goes to Schirmcat over at splitcoast who created the design.

1. Paper piece the sailboat from print paper

2. Stamp text on separate gold paper

3. Rim the water edge and sun with stickles or other sparkle glue

4. Assemble

card by cat gondek

Plate #6

Plate #6 was used for the following card recipes.
This plates can be purchased through the link below:
http://www.sweetpeastamps.com/category_16/Full-unmounted-sheets.htm

Postoid Collage

Supplies:

Stamps from Plate #6 (Sweet Pea Stamps)
Copper Ink Pad (Tsukineko)
Cream Colored Paper (Unknown)
Distressed Printed Paper (Paperwerks)
A6 Card Blank (Unknown)
Collage Sheets (Altered Pages)
Mulberry Paper Flowers (Prima Mktg)
4 Small Blue Brads (Lasting Impressions)
Icicle Stickles (Ranger)
Adhesive (Xyron)
Stamp Paper Edging Scissors (ProvoCraft)
Found Items

Instructions:

1. Stamp the small images onto the cream colored cardstock. Trim out with the paper edging scissors.
2. Cut the printed paper to 4.25" x 5.5".
   
3. Cut out and adhere collage sheet images randomly onto the printed paper.
4. Add the stamped images.
5. Attach the paper flowers and add a dot of stickles to the center of each. Allow to dry.
6. Add additional found items to the collage to add character and fill in blank spots.
7. Attach the brads to the four corners of the piece.
   
8. Adhere the piece to a A6 card.
9. Enjoy sharing!
   

Love Letter Card

Supplies:

Large Collage Stamp from Plate #6 (Sweet Pea Stamps)
Vintage Photo Ink Pad (Ranger)
Copper Ink Pad (Tsukineko)
Cream Paper (Unknown)
Purple Printed Paper (Paperwerks)
Copper Mica Cardstock A6 Card (California Paper Goods)
4 Small Purple Brads (Unknown)
Adhesive (Xyron)
Cotton Ball (Unknown)
Paper Trimmer (Purple Cows)

Instructions:

1. Using the cotton ball, rub it across the Vintage Photo ink pad and swipe the color onto the cream colored paper.
2. Stamp the collage image onto the distressed paper, tear out and ink the edges with the Vintage Photo ink pad.
3. Cut the purple printed paper into a 3.75" x 5" piece.
4. Attach the stamped image at an angle onto the purple paper with the purple brads.
5. Adhere the matted image onto the front of the card.
6. Enjoy sharing!

Dreaming of the post office!

I am having a fight with my post office. Seems every time they see me now, they purposely FEEL for embellishments so they can charge me more. This card is flat as a pancake; lets see how they respond to it.

Can you believe this is really 2 scans of the same card? My scanner is crazy! It will either fade out the color, or make a totally new combination. Wonder if I could learn to use that to my advantage?

Directions :

1. Stamp sentiment and create two borders, each one 1/4 inch larger

2. Cut first background paper 2 1/2 x 3 1/2, or a size that balances the size of your chosen image. Layer once with background 1/4 inch larger

3. Create central stripe and back it with background 1/4 inch larger

4. Punch dots of various sizes and layer -- for ONCE the post office won't make me pay extra. I attached mine with scotch glue. You COULD put a brad in each which would be lovely but my post office would see that as a fat packet.

Card by cat gondek

When Thank you isn't enough

Sometimes just "thank you" isn't quite enough. This card says it in French, in your very own handwriting. What you can see is the brayered background but what you can't see is the sparkle from using kaleidoscope embossing powder.

1. Stamp with versamark and clear emboss using kaleidoscope embossing powder

2. Brayer over using a kaleidacolor pad.

3. Cut and mat

4. Write "Merci" and punch; layer with darker punch and attach.

Sample by Cat Gondek

Dream dream dream ...

  I just love using that undersea vegetation stamp and here it is used as a corner even though it stands on its side.

1.  Stamp dream twice, follow your dream and sea vegetation in white craft ink on dark paper. Let dry.

2. Color lightly with chalks or markers in just a few spots.

3. Mat with narrow green at center and larger pink on sides. Add ribbon and brads.

Sample by Cat Gondek

Undersea butterfly!

This one was really fun to do combining the undersea with the Happy Birthday Butterfly and getting what I think was a very effective result.

It uses the Sweetpea phrase "If I counted every drop in the sea, It wouldn't match what you've given me" with the butterfly birthday however you don't see the happy birthday at all. Then the border is filled in with the undersea plants and some positive and negative punches making the whole card very busy but striking in my opinion.

1.  Stamp butterfly birthday on glossy cardstock and heat emboss with clear powder.

2.  Brayer background with "bouquet" kaleidacolor pad over the butterfly and borders. Polish ink off embossing with a kleenex

3. Stamp background over and over with undersea plant stamp from Sweetpea.

4. Stamp sentiment on blue cardstock, layer on a longer strip and punch out a branch.

5. Punch additional branches from 3 colors of cardstock. 

6. Layer and attach, adding a couple of pearlized translucent brads.

card by cat gondek

Plates #3 & #4

Plates 3 & 4 were used for the following card recipes.
These plates can be purchased through the link below:
http://www.sweetpeastamps.com/category_16/Full-unmounted-sheets.htm

Party Divas

In a hurry for cute party invitations but don't want a bunch of cards that look like they were done on the assembly line? Try these two samples. They are made using the same supplies, making them easy and efficient while not all looking the same.

Supplies:

Bodacious Mermaid Stamp
Party Time Stamp
Black VersaFine Ink Pad (Tsukineko)
Kaleidacolor Autumn Leaves Ink Pad (Tsukineko)
Copic Markers (Imagination)

• G94 Grayish Olive
• G24 Willow

Peach PhotoTwinn Marker (Zig)
Adirondack Markers (Tsukineko)

• Mushroom
• Rust
• Ginger

White Cardstock (Unknown)
Printed Cardstock (Unknown)
Green Card Stock (Bazzill)
Double Sided Tape (Provo Craft)
Sticker Maker (Xyron)
Mod Podge (Plaid)
Scissors
Paper Trimmer

Instructions:

1. Stamp the mermaid image on white card stock, trim out neatly and color. Use the greens for the tail, the pink for the shell top, peach for the skin and the remaining colors for the hair.
2. Cut the green card stock to 4.25" x 11" and fold to 4.25" x 5.5".
3. Ink the party time stamp using the Kaleidacolor ink pad, make sure to use all the different colored inks and the letters are all coated. Stamp the image on the white card stock.
4. Stamp the image parallel to the first image about .5" away from the first stamped image.
5. Continue to stamp the image at least 7 times. Try to move the words of the image up and down each stamped line to give the card more interest.
6. Cut the back ground paper to 4" x 5.25" positioning the stamped images within the area in a pleasing manner.
7. Attach the background paper to the front of the card with double sided tape.
8. Attach the mermaid to the card front with Mod Podge.
9. Cut a 1" x 2" strip of the printed cardstock, run through the sticker maker and cut into two 1" x 1" pieces.
10. Cut the one inch printed cardstock pieces at a diagonal to create corners and attach to the card front.
    

***********************************

To create the second card:

1. Ink the party time stamp using just the red color from the Kaleidacolor ink pad and stamp.
2. Trim away the excess paper from the stamped image allowing for a .75" strip.
3. Cut a 1" x 5.5" strip of the printed cardstock.
4. Run both the printed cardstock and stamped image strip through the sticker maker and attach the stamped image onto the printed strip.
5. Create another green card as before and attach the matted, stamped image to the front about .25" away from the left hand edge.
6. Create another mermaid image as before and attach to the card front.
7. Enjoy Sharing!