House of Cards January Challenge: Let It Snow Center Step Card

Hello everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and a very Happy New Year.  I have some wonderful news to share with you today.  I am now on the House of Cards design team, and I am so excited to share my first inspiration card for this month's challenge. 

And so, here it is!!  This month's challenge is...

JANUARY 2015

Use Glitter and/or Colors

I decided to use a bit of both the colors and a bit of glitter for my card.  And those of you who know me already know I like to use dimension a lot, as well as change up my card styles.  So I decided on this easy center step card.  There are tons of templates online, and HERE is the one I used for this card.

Supplies:

Sin City Stamps Winter Wonderland set; MME Chalk Studio paper pad; Ink pads: Smokey Gray (VersaFine), Black Soot (Ranger), White and Wisteria (ColorBox); Prima Doily die; Martha Stewart Skylands Snowflake punch; Spellbinders Fancy Tags 2 and Snowflakes dies; Snowflakes embossing folder; Stickles Crystal and Turquoise glitter glue; Card stocks: Dark Blue, Turquoise, Light Grey, My Mind's Eye Chalk 6x6 pad

Score, cut and fold dark blue card stock per center step card template and directions.

Add strips of MME print paper to each of the border sections.  Emboss turquoise card stock with snowflakes embossing folder and highlight with Alabaster chalk ink.  Adhere to center of card.

Punch three strips of the light gray card stock with the Skylands Snowflake punch.  Adhere to border areas of card, as shown.

Stamp skating children onto light gray card stock with Smokey gray ink.  Fussy cut, and add white charcoal pencil to ground (ice) area.

I decided I wanted the image to show up better, so I used a stamp positioner to stamp the image once again with Black Soot, offsetting it to add the shadow effect.

Adhere children image to card, as shown.  I added a bit of crystal glitter glue to the ice area.  I know it is hard to see in the photo, but it really looks pretty in person.

Stamp "Let it Snow" on light gray card stock and die cut with Fancy Tags 2 die.  Add shading with Smokey Gray ink.  Adhere to top of card with foam dots.  Add tiny dots of turquoise glitter glue to snowflakes.

Die cut a set of dark blue and turquoise snowflakes.  Add Alabaster and Wisteria chalk ink to the high spots.  

I only used these three snowflakes for this card, but save the others for another wintry project.  The die cuts out the center hole, making it quite easy to layer with a brad.

Add some turquoise glitter to the dark blue snowflakes, and add a light blue gem sticker to cover the silver brad.

Place to the left of the children, as shown.  

I hope I have inspired you to play along with us and to get some great cards made using these beautiful colors, and perhaps, some glitter!  

Come back each Monday this month for more inspiration from the DT.  We hope you will join us and share your beautiful creations.  Click HERE to be taken to the original challenge post to link up!  Please check the House Rules HERE before linking up.  

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful, creative week!

Barbara xoxo

Proud as a Peacock Center Step Card

Hey there, Sin City Stamps fans!  Barbara here with some more fun ways to use your Sin City Stamps.  Another month has passed and it is already September.  Hope everyone had a wonderful, fun, and safe Labor Day holiday.  I want to share a center step card with you today, and show you how to make your cards sparkle.  I have shown these on my blog before, but if you missed it, I linked to a template I found online, so proper credit can be given to that person.   What I love about these cards is that they can stand alone, like a framed piece of artwork, and displayed proudly by their recipient.

Here is my finished card.

Supplies Used:

Sin City Stamps:  Wildlife Plate
Eggshell CS (Stamping Bella)
Copic Markers:  BG72, YG23, V17, Y38
Big Scalloped Circles SM die (Spellbinders)
Tuxedo Black ink (Memento)
Distress Inks (Salty Ocean, Evergreen Bough)
Aqua CD (DCWV)
Diamond, Lime Green Stickles (Ranger)
Peacock Feathers Black/Cream (Paper Studio)
Aqua graph print paper (Paper Studio)
Aqua Glitter CS (Recollections)
Multi Tags Scallop punch (McGill)
Center Step Card Template

Directions:

Trim aqua CS to 5-1/2" x 8-1/2".  Follow Center Step Card Template to make your score and cut lines. Your scored card should look like this from the front.

 A view of the card from the side.

Stamp peacock image from Wildlife Plate twice onto eggshell CS with Tuxedo Black ink.

Color images with Copic markers.

Fussy cut full peacock image and just the body of the second image.

Gently shape both pieces and adhere peackock body over full peacock image.

Add Diamond Stickles to the tail feathers and a light coat of 3D crystal lacquer to the body to give it some shine.

Die cut aqua glitter cs with 4th size scallop circle die.  Use pop dots to adhere peacock to scallop  circle.

Trim a 3/4" strip from peacock feathers black/cream paper.  Color strip with salty ocean and evergreen bough distress ink colors.

Cut strip into three pieces:  2 pieces at 3" x 3/4", 1 piece at 5-1/4" x 3/4".  Adhere to card front, as shown.

Stamp peacock feather onto graph printed paper with salty ocean and evergreen bough distress inks, as shown.  Trim to 3" x 3-1/4".

Adhere to card, as shown.

Stamp Proud as a Peacock with evergreen bough and single feather with salty ocean onto a scrap of aqua CS.  Cut each image out with tag shape punch.

Edge each tag with the distress inks.  Punch a hole in the top of both tags and attach together with a single eyelet, offsetting the smaller feather-stamped tag.

Add Lime Green Stickles to each "eye" of the peacock feathers on both the printed paper and the tag.

Color a piece of eggshell seam binding with both distress ink colors and spritz with water.  You can use your heat gun to speed up drying time.

Run seam binding through the tag eyelet, around the card front, and back through the eyelet, bringing both ends to the front.  Tie is a pretty bow.

Adhere aqua glitter scallop circle with peacock image to card front, as shown in photo of finished card above.

Voila!  You now have the sparkliest peacock and feathers around.  I wish the camera could pick up the sparkle, but trust me, it is beautiful in person.

I hope you enjoyed my card project today and that I have inspired you to make something sparkly with Sin City Stamps.  Check out the newest releases on the Sin City Stamps store, and keep checking back on the SCS Blog to see what the rest of the DT is creating.

Thanks so much for stopping by, have a wonderful weekend, and make some time for stamping!

Barbara

Easter Greetings Center Stepper Card

Epiphany Crafts

Happy Easter TRN fans!  I hope you are enjoying your week and the prospect of Spring.  And with Spring comes new beginnings.  The colors of Spring are so vibrant, with new growth everywhere.  The Robin's Nest crackle glitter card stocks are just perfect for this time of year.  And best of all, along with the matching neon dew drops, they are a whopping 20% off this month.

If you have an electronic die cutting machine, you can easily cut out this center stepper card.  However, they are just as easy to make without the use of a machine.  Simply follow my template and you have your base.

Cut, score, and fold purple crackle card stock as shown. (See template below).

I cut my bunnies and baby duck images from white velour paper using my Silhouette machine.

I also cut the cracked eggs  and rectangle layers using my Silhouette.

After inking all of the paper edges with coordinating inks, I began assembling the pieces.   I added my blue glitter crackle cs pieces to each corresponding section of the base.

Next, I colored my ducks with distress stains.

Add some orange color to the duck's feet and around the edges for shading.  I used a water brush to spread the color a bit.

I used a distress marker to mark my bunnies noses and ears, as shown.

Before adhering the cracked egg, place the larger duck on the front of your card.

Use your fingers to gently mold the bottom and top of the cracked egg, attached a couple of foam dots in the center, and apply a line of white glue along the outer edge.

Attach the cracked egg pieces over the duck, as shown.  You want to make it appear that he is emerging from the egg.

Carry the theme to the inside of your card by attaching the remaining die cut pieces to the inside, as shown.  Stamp your sentiment to the right using Versamark ink and white embossing powder.

 I had a few bits and pieces left over, and I still wanted to show you how fun the Epiphany Crafts punches and bubbles are.  So, I decided to make an Easter tag.  It would really personalize your Easter basket gift for that someone special.

 Die cut two label shapes and one egg shape from blue and purple crackle glitter papers.  Reverse and layer the papers, as shown.

 Using the Epiphany star punch, insert your paper into the punch, aligning the part of the design you want to appear inside the bubble.

 Insert the star bubble inside the opening, close the lid, and punch out your beautiful new star embellishment.

Epiphany Crafts punches are wonderful tools to have, and as you can see in the picture below, they make your embellishments very professional looking.  

 Add some cute little mini neon dew drops, not only to the egg, but also to the tops of the star bubbles, for added dimension and fun.

side view of tag

 Robin's Nest Products Used:

Blue Glitter Crackle CS
Purple Glitter Crackle CS
Pink Glitter Crackle CS
Orange Glitter Crackle CS

Neon Dew Drops

Other Products Used:

Epiphany Crafts Shape Studio Star 25 punch and bubble shapes
Silhouette die cut machine and images
White velour paper
Distress ink (Chipped Sapphire, Picked Raspberry, Faded Jeans)
Distress Stain (Squeezed Lemonade, Ripe Persimmon)
Distress Marker (Spun Sugar)
Water brush
Versamark ink pad
Easter Greetings (Penney Black) rubber stamp
White embossing powder

I want to thank you for stopping by today, and I hope you will take a little time to visit the Robin's Nest 
online store to check out the fabulous sale going on this month.  And while you are browsing, check Epiphany Crafts web site to see all of their wonderful products, as well.

Have a wonderful and blessed Easter!

Barbara