First, sorry I’ve been a little MIA. I caught some respiratory bug and have been sick for 2 weeks. I’m finally starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks to all that sent so many get well wishes. They meant the world to me. Getting back into the swing of things though, I experienced a little loss of mojo. Yes, it happens to me too! But, I always know that I can get things back on track with a WOW Card Sketch.
A card sketch is a quick and easy way create cards in a flash. I would love to start a new series on my blog and YouTube channel. But, I need your help. Would you like to see a WOW Card Sketch series? Is this something you would find helpful? Leave a comment and let me know. I used this sketch to create three different styles. Today, let’s dive into my Gather Together Fall inspired card.
Once I drew the sketch, got all my dimensions nailed down, my next decison was a theme. Mine was Fall and a season of thanks. What better set than the Gather Together bundle. The #1 rule in using a sketch, don’t get stuck on making the WOW Card Sketch to literal. It’s only a guide.
You can see here that I turned the focal image in order for it to meet my needs and use of my “pretties”. Those leaves are over the top gorgeous. The dies in the Gathered Leaves set cut and emboss at the same time. I spritzed my Pretty Peacock card stock with a little Champagne Shimmer Mist, then ran it through my die cutting machine. Instantly you get a great embossed and sparkly image.Gotta love that!!
Because I wanted to finish off the inside of my card, I added a Very Vanilla mat and went to stampin’. That’s what we do best, right?
Then, by using my WOW Card Sketch, I pulled that gorgeous Come to Gather designer series paper and cut my mats. If you guys know me at all, you know I love rich Fall colors. My color palette is Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Merry Merlot and Pretty Peacock. Choosing Very Vanilla for my neutral, tied everything together.
Want to see how quick and easy this card comes together? I would love for you to subscribe to my YouTube Channel. Be sure to hit the “bell” when you do. By doing that you’ll get notifications when I upload a new creation.
I’ve got a challenge for you. Create a card using my sketch, post it in the comments on my WOW NOLA Creations Facebook page for a chance on my prize wheel. The prize up for grabs is the Winter Knit 3D Embossing Folder. I can’t want to see your creations.
Here’s how the magic happens.
Print off or refer to my WOW Card Sketch #1
Card Base – Early Espresso CS – 4 1/4″ x 11″, scored at 5 1/2″
Mat – Very Vanilla CS – 4″ x 5 1/4″
Mat – Early Espresso CS – 3 3/4″ x 5″
DSP Mats – Come to Gather DSP – three @ 3 1/2″ x 1 1/2″, ink the edges in Merry Merlot
Stitched Label – Very Vanilla CS – 2 1/2″ x 4″, scut with the die from Stitched Nested Labels.
Embossed Leaves – Pretty Peacock CS – 3″ x 3 1/2″, spritz the card stock with Champagne Shimmer Mist, cut with the dies from Gathered Leaves.
Sentiment – Very Vanilla CS – 2″ x 2″, cut with the die from Ornate Frames.
Large Leaf & Sentiment Frame – Cajun Craze CS – 5 1/2″ x 3″, stamp the large leaf in Cajun Craze, cut the leaf image with the die from Gathered Leaves. Cut the frame image with the die from Ornate Frames. Either spritz or highlight the frame edge with wink of stella.
Inside Mat – Very Vanilla CS – 4″ x 5 1/4″, stamp the wheat, first and second general in Cajun Craze. Stamp the sentiment in Early Espresso.
WOW Card Sketch #1 – Gather Together Card Supply List
Customer Thank You card time again. I am so grateful for each of my customers and followers. My birthday month was fabulous and I want to thank everyone that placed an order. What better set to use for thank you cards, than the Gather Together bundle. And it’s Fall Y’all, so my color palette is a rich one.
My card base is Crumb Cake with a gorgeous embossed mat of Merry Merlot. For my designer series paper, I chose the Woven Threads pattern. I just love the Terracotta Tile accents in that one. Because I topped it off with a piece of our Mercury Glass Designer Acetate, the banner has lots of texture and interest.
My little leaf cluster was created with the stamps and dies from the bundle. Did you know that the dies in the Gathered Leaves set cut and emboss at the same time? I think that’s pretty fabulous.
To achieve that deep embossed pattern, I spritz the card stock with my spritzer filled with Champagne mist, first. Then I placed the dies and ran it through my die cutting machine. Voila, embossed leaves!
Adding a piece of Very Vanilla card stock to the inside of the card gave me another surface to stamp. That gorgeous leaf was stamped in two generations of Mossy Meadow. To finish off the sentiment for my thank you card, I went with Terracotta Tile, tying in the color from the front.
I love how this one turned out. These are in the mail, as I’m writing this blog post. I hope you all enjoy this month’s thank you card. How about a quick video tutorial with a special surprise. I’ll announce the big winner of my Birthday Month Ordering Giveaway. Good luck everyone!
Here’s how the magic happens.
Card Base – Crumb Cake CS – 4 1/4″ x 11″, scored at 5 1/2″
Embossed Mat – Merry Merlot CS – 4″ x 5 1/4″, embossed with the Layered Leaves 3D Embossing Folder.
Banner – Woven Threads DSP – 2″ x 5 1/4″ and Mercury Glass – 1 1/2″ x 5″, punch one end of each with the Triple Banner Punch.
Large Leaf – Mossy Meadow CS – 3″ x 3″, stamp in Mossy Meadow, die cut with the die from Gathered Leaves
Embossed Leaves – Terracotta Tile CS – 4 1/4″ x 2″, spritz with Champagne Shimmer Mist, die cut with the three dies from the Gathered Leaves set.
Sentiment – Very Vanilla CS – 2 1/2″ x 1/12″, stamp in Mossy Meadow, die cut with the die from Stitched Labels.
Inside Mat – Very Vanilla CS – 4″ x 5 1/4″, stamp the leaf, 2 generations in Mossy Meadow. Stamp the sentiment in Terracotta Tile.
Have you seen the Christmas Countdown Project Kit on page 38 of the Holiday Catalog? It makes a great Advent Calendar and countdown to the big day.
But, the opposite side, of the little boxes, can also be decorated to your heart’s desire. I decided that the flip side of mine would become my Random Acts of Kindness Countdown. What better way to commerate the month of thanks?
And as my little Random Acts of Kindness for you, I’m gifting you the two files I created for this project. Because you’ll need numbers for the little box drawers, I created a numbers file that you can easily punch with a 1″ circle punch. Random Acts of Kindness Numbers
The second file is a 2-page PDF with a Random Act of Kindness for each of the drawers. I used the Everyday Label Punch to punch these out. Random Acts of Kindness Verses
During the design process, my first task at hand was to choose my papers and layout for each. To make things easy for you, I’ve grouped each paper design with the corresponding numbers.
Using the Come to Gather DSP was an easy decision. I think the colors are calming and just bold enough for the Fall season. In that suite, we also have the Gather Together bundle. I used that to stamp and die cut the cute little pumpkin images. Here’s a closup of each of the 7 designs.
I’m going to give my grandchildren a box and I’m going to keep one. We are going to have a Random Acts of Kindness challenge. I think this is a great teaching moment and a chance for me to communicate a lesson of service.
All you’ll need to do is print my files on Whisper White card stock and punch them out. Fill your box and the countdown is on. I’ld love to hear from you, if you decide to create one. To make it super easy, I’ve even filmed a video for you.
Here’s how the magic happens.
Box Mats – Come to Gather DSP – 1 15/16″ x 1 15/16″, trace the notch from one of the leftover panels from the Christmas Countdown Project kit. Punch the notch with a 1″ circle punch.
Pretty Peacock with Leaves – 4
Woodgrain – 4
Merry Merlot w/leaves – 4
Peacock Check – 3
Dark Background w/Pumpkins – 3
Light Background w/Pumpkins – 4
Mini Pumpkins – 3
Accent Strips – multi color check – four @ 1/2″ x 2″
Accent Elements
Wheat Stems – Cajun Craze CS – four @ 1″ x 3 1/2″ and Early Espresso CS – four @1″ x 2 3/4″, cut with the dies from Bouquet Bunch.
Pumpkins – Cajun Craze CS – 1 1/2″ x 6″ – stamp four of the pumpkin images in Early Espresso with the stamp from Gather Together. Die cut with the coordinating die from Gathered Leaves.
Leaf Punch – Pretty Peacock CS – punch four leaves
Sprig Punch – Pretty Peacock CS – punch three sprigs
Embossesd Leaves – Pretty Peacock CS – 3″ x 3 1/2″, spritz with Champagne Shimmer Mist, die cut with the dies from Gathered Leaves.
Bows – Pretty Peacock CS – 3 3/4″ x 1 1/4″, cut four with the die from Bouquet Bunch.
Large Leaf – Cajun Craze CS – four @ 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″, cut with the die from Seasonal Layers
I’m so very excited to start my Random Acts of Kindness November 1st. I hope my grandkids really enjoy this. Until next time, Create Something Beautiful!
In today’s fast pace world, I truly think it’s important to thank those that touch our lives on a daily basis. It’s fall, so that means pumpkin everything. So why not create a cute pumpkin spice thank you treat?
How about leaving this sweet little Pumpkin Spice Thank You Gift in your mailbox for your postal carrier? I’ll bet you will be the hit of the route. What about your UPS driver, nail technician, hairdresser or even the cashier at your favorite super market? Sometimes we take these all important people a little for granted. Nothing says appreciation like a handcrafted gift.
And, because we are getting ready for that all important Thanksgiving holiday, you know I had to find a Pumpkin Spice flavored treat! To create my 3D pumpkin, I used the cute bundle, Harvest Hellos. That one coordinates with the cute Apple Builder punch. But, it’s more than that. You can also create super cute pumpkin’s.
Oh my, stamping on the Come to Gather DSP, was such a great idea! Stamp five pumpkin images, punch them out, fold in half and voila a 3D pumpkin.
Creating the Pumpkin Spice Thank You Treat Holder was inspired by the Little Debbie treats that I found at my local Dollar Tree. Any big box in the U.S. will be carrying these. Be sure to grab a couple of boxes. I think you’ll want to create a few.
I just love that sentiment! It made me smile when I stamped it. My color palette is Merry Merlot, Cajun Craze, Pretty Peacock with Whisper White. The goregous woodgrain DSP is from the Come to Gather pack. Love it!!! Grab a cuppa, sit back and relax. I hope you enjoy my video tutorial of this sweet Pumpkin Spice Thank You Treat!
Here’s how the magic happens.
Box Wrap – Merry Merlot CS – 4 1/2″ x 11″, scored at 1/2″, 2 1/2″, 4 1/4″, 6 1/4″, and 8″
Slider Box – Merry Merlot CS – 7 1/2″ x 5″, scored on all four sides at 1 1/2″.
Mats – Come to Gather DSP – one @ 4 1/4″ x 2 3/4″, one @ 4 1/4″ x 1 3/4″, and one @ 4 1/4″ x 1 1/2″
Window – Window Sheet – 4″ x 1 3/4″
3D Pumpkin – Come to Gather DSP – 2 1/4″ x 12″, stamp five of the pumpkin images in Cajun Craze. Punch with the Apple Builder punch.
Leaves – Pretty Peacock CS – 3/4″ x 4 1/4″, stamp two leaves in Pretty Peacock, punch with the Apple Builder punch.
Stem & Trendil – Early Espresso CS – Scraps – Punch one stem with the Apple Builder punch. Trim a sliver of the CS, curl on a pencil to form the trendil.
Scallop Oval – Cajun Craze CS – 1 3/4″ x 2 1/2″, cut with the die from Layering Ovals.
Sentiment – Whisper White CS – 1″ x 3″, stamp in Merry Merlot, die cut with the smallest oval from Stitched Shapes dies.
Who doesn’t love a fancy fold? The Squash Fold is so easy, you aren’t going to believe it. With this card, I wanted to show you an alternate use with the fabulous Beautiful Boughs dies. Because I paired them with the Gather Together bundle, I was able to achieve a lovely Fall card.
Are you ready? I’m so proud of this card, I sure hope you enjoy it. All you have to do is untie that beautiful Pretty Peacock ribbon, voila!
Wait, don’t say it’s too difficult. Because you know why? It’s not. It’s truly the easiest fancy fold ever. The secret of the Squash Fold is in the diagonal score and fold. Starting off with a piece of Merry Merlot, 8 1/2″ x 8 1/2″, score at 4 1/4″ on both sides. Then to create that diagonal fold, line up the paper, point to point, in the valley of the trimmer. Score that line and you’ll have your Squash Fold.
I think my color palette screams Fall. That’s because I started things off with the Come to Gather Desginer Series Paper. Then to kick it up a notch, I used the new Golden Glitz Delicata Metallic Ink to give those Beautiful Boughs a lovely glimmer and shine.
To finish things off on the inside of the Squash Fold, I added not only a sentiment, but a little focal image. If it’s Fall, it’s got to have pumpkins, right?
Would you like to create a Squash Fold? I’ve made it easy. Here’s my video tutorial. You can follow along step by step.
Here’s how the magic happens.
Card Base – Merry Merlot CS – 8 1/2″ x 8 1/2″, score on one side at 4 1/4″, turn 90 degrees and score again at 4 1/4″. Place the card base in the trimmer diagonally. Score point to point down the middle of the card stock.
Front Mats – Cajun Craze CS – 4″ x 4″. Come to Gather DSP – 3 3/4″ x 3 3/4″, ink the edges of the DSP n Pretty Peacock.
Inside Mats – Come to Gather DSP – four @ 4″ x 4″. Cut two in half diagonally.
Card Front Boughs – Pretty Peacock CS – one @ 3 1/4″ x 4 1/4″ and one @ 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″, cut with the deis from Beautiful Boughs.
Pine Cones – Cajun Craze CS – 2 1/2″ x 2″ and Early Espresso CS – 1 3/4″ x 2 1/2″, cut with the dies from Beautiful Boughs.
Sentiments – Whisper White CS – one @ 1 3/4″ x 3″ and one @ 3 1/2″ x 3 1/4″, cut with the dies from Beautiful Boughs. Stamp the sentiments in Pretty Peacock.
Label for Pumpkins – Whisper White CS – 3 1/2″ x 3 1/4″, cut with the die from Beautiful Boughs. Run through the die cutting machine with the Basket Weave embosing folder.
Pumpkins – Cajun Craze CS – 2″ x 5 1/2″, stamp the pumpkins in Early Espresso and die cut with the dies from Gathered Leaves.
Inside Boughs – Cajun Craze CS – 3 1/4″ x 4 1/2″ and Merry Merlot CS – 2 3/4″ x 2 1/2″, cut with the dies from Beautiful Boughs.
All of us have those special friends, there through thick and thin. They need to know how much they mean to us. My Fall Inspired Friendship Frame was created for my wonderful WOW friends that attend my weekly classes. These ladies are the best. We laugh, cry, create and pray together each Wednesday evening. Big shout out to Cindy, Peggy, Connie, Charlene, Margie P., Tammy, Joan, Shawn, Carol, Kathy, Liz, Julie and Margie B. That’s my WOW Gang!!
During a recent WOW Class, I made a kit for each WOW member to create one of these for someone special in their lives. It was a lagniappe project. Everyone enjoyed it so much. The Friendship Frame started off with a recent visit to my local Dollar Tree. I spied the frame and my creative wheels started to turn. Because the frame was rustic and aged, I knew it would make the perfect Fall project.
Creating a fabulous background was the first task at hand. That’s when I decided to use my brayer and create a background with our new Basic Pattern Decorative Masks. That’s a long product name for stencils. Using our sponge brayer and the tree mask, I rolled Soft Suede onto a piece of Very Vanilla. But, the trees needed some texture. That’s where the technique came in. I inked up the Birch Background stamp in Early Espresso and stamped over the stencil. See how it created the little lines and textures on the tree trucks?
Free as a Bird is a very popular stamp set in the Annual Catalog. That one had the sentiment I wanted to use. I stamped it in Soft Suede and continued with the Fall leaf theme. Those cute little copper leaves are from a great new punch pack, Every Season.
By stamping the bird in StazOn, I was able to use my watercolor pencils to give it some color. Blending with the Wink of Stella, kills two birds with one stone. In other words, the blending and shimmer happened all at once. Hooray!!
Ready to create a Friendship Frame of your own? You know I won’t let you down. Here’s my video tutorial for you. It’s just like stamping with me.
Here’s how the magic happens.
Frame – Local Dollar Tree – 4″ x 6″ – you can buy them individually at the store or in bulk on the website.
Background Mat – Very Vanilla CS – 3 7/8″ x 5 7/8″. With the Basic Pattern Decorative Mask and Soft Suede ink, roll on color using the sponge brayer. Stamp over the mask, with the Birch Background stamp in Early Espresso.
Sentiment – Very Vanilla CS – 2 1/4″ x 3 1/4″, cut with the die from Petal Labels. Stamp in Soft Suede with the stamp from Free as a Bird.
Bird – Very Vanilla CS – 3″ x 3″, stamp with the bird from Free as a Bird in Black StazOn. Color with watercolor pencils as follows. Beak in Pumpkin Pie, breast in Bermuda Bay, top of the bird in Daffodil Delight, legs in Early Espresso. Blend with Wink of Stella. Fussy cut the image.
Leaves – Daffodil Delight CS – one @ 2 3/4″ x 2 3/4″, cut with the large leaf die from Gathered Leaves, emboss with Hammered Metal EF. One @2″ x 2″ cut the large embossed leaf from the Gathered Leaves set. Cajun Craze CS – 3 3/4″ x 2″, cut the medium and small embossed leaves from the Gathered Leaves set. Pumpkin Pie CS – 2″ x 4 1/4″ – cut one of the medium embossed leaves from the Gathered Leaves set and the large detailed leaf from Seasonal Layers set. Ink all the leaves with the Delicata Copper Ink.
Small Leaf – Soft Suede CS – 1 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ – cut with the die from Seasonal Layers and embossed with the Subtle Embossing Folder.
Branches – Soft Suede CS – two @ 1 1/2″ x 4 3/4″, cut with the die from Seasonal Layers.
Sprigs – Copper Foil – 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″, cut with the die from Frosted Frames.
Small Copper Leaves – Copper Foil – from a scrap, punch two leaves with the punch from the Every Season Punch Pack.
Small Flower – Daffodil Delight CS – from a scrap, punch one flower with the punch from the Every Season Punch Pack.
In the comment section below, be sure to let me know if you decided to create a Friendship Frame for someone special in your life. Until next time, Create Something Beautiful!
Use the code, place a minimum $50 order (before tax and shipping) and I'll send you a package of the Metallic Pearls ($7 Value), as my thank you. Orders over $150 will automatically qualify for my gift.
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The content in this blog is the sole responsibility of Susan Levasseur as an Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator. The use of and content of classes, services or products offered is not endorsed by Stampin’ Up!
