On the Lighter Side

I thought I would lighten things up using papers in lighter shades of green and purples. The sentiment was stamped with the swirls in the patterned paper in mind. Consequently, the bow was needed to fill in the space above.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: MSE
Papers: Aerial, Sage, Lavendar
Ink: Versafine Onyx
Accessories: ribbon (Fabricland), Spellbinder Labels 8 & Decorative Labels 8

Standing On Its Own

The contrasting colours in the card base and the die cut frame left no justification to further embellish this card.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: Verve
Papers: Inspire, Thistle, Mocha
Ink: Staz On Timber
Accessories: Spellbinder Labels 8 & Decorative Labels 8

Pearl Accents

To balance the sentiment stamped in the upper, left hand corner, I used pearls in the bottom, right corner.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: Verve
Papers: Inspire, Thistle, Mocha
Ink: Staz On Timber
Accessories: Spellbinder Labels 8 & Decorative Labels 8, pearls (Kaiser)

Tone on Tone

The patterned paper used to cut the Decorative Labels 8 die was in the same tone as the cardstock base, emphasizing the texture in the die cut.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: Verve
Papers: Inspire, Thistle
Ink: Staz On Timber
Accessories: Spellbinder Labels 8 & Decorative Labels 8

More Wallpaper

The small, patterned paper was also well suited as a background for the die cut and framed image.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: Verve
Papers: Provence, Eggshell, Ovals
Ink: Staz On Timber
Accessories: Spellbinder Mattes, Ovals, Labels 8 & Decorative Labels 8

Another Layer

Using a smaller Labels 8 die allowed me to still use a Decorative Labels 8 die and a coordinating paper for a background.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: Verve
Papers: Provence, Willow, Hyacinyth
Ink: Staz On Timber
Accessories: Spellbinder Mattes, Labels 8 & Decorative Labels 8

A Touch of Shimmer

All this card needed for a little texture was a soft border with a bow made out of sheer ribbon.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: Verve
Papers: Provence, Willow
Ink: Staz On Timber
Accessories: Spellbinder Mattes, ribbon (JoAnne's)

Stocking Up on Sympathy Cards

It was time to replenish my stock, so this card and the ones to follow will be an assortment made from the MemoryBox lines of patterned papers and coordinating cardstocks. They are perfect for a "simply stunning" card that requires little embellishment. The ribbon down the side of the card balances the sentiment stamped in the middle of the pattern already in the paper.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: Verve
Papers: Provence, Mocha
Ink: Staz On Timber
Accessories: Spellbinder Mattes, ribbon (stash)

A Special Birthday

This was Dorothy's birthday card. I inked part of a "Happy Birthday" stamp because I thought the font used for "Birthday" was appropriate for the theme of the card.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamps: Technique Tuesday 
Papers: bone cardstock base & paper (stash), patterned (Webster's Pages)
Ink: Versafine Onyx
Accessories: Spellbinder Decorative Labels 8 & Labels 8, button & ribbon (stash), number dies (Quickutz)

Zebra Love

To make a child appropriate Valentine I thought a zebra would be a good unisex icon to choose.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: CTMH:
Papers: red & black cardstock (Bazzill), patterned (Echo Park)
Ink: Versafine Onyx
Accessories: Spellbinder Rectangles, button & embroidery thread (stash)

Never Forget Valentine

This was what I came up with for a GIRL Valentine.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: CTMH
Papers: white cardstock (Georgia Pacific), patterned?
Ink: ColorBox
Accessories: Spellbinder Mattes, Scalloped Ovals & Ovals, ribbon (stash), heart punch (Marvy)

Crocodile or Alligator?

I never remember the difference between the two, but thought that this was another appropriate icon for a BOY Valentine. The Cuttlebug embossing folder created perfect animal texture.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: CTMH
Papers: white cardstock (Georgia Pacific), brown & green cardstocks (Bazzill), patterned?
Ink: ColorBox
Accessories: Spellbinder Labels & Ovals, embossing folder (Cuttlebug), buttons (stash), heart sticker (stash)

Dinomite Valentine

This was my idea for a BOY Valentine.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: BG
Papers: white cardstock (Georgia Pacific), brown cardstock (Bazzill), patterned (BG Archaic)
Ink: ColorBox
Accessories: Spellbinder Labels & Ovals, heart sticker (stash), twill (Fabricland)

Row on Row

Not only does this card show the versatility of a border stamp, but it's appropriate for any age or gender. It's wise to use some kind of guide when moving the border stamp from one position to the next; this provides consistent spacing between rows. I used a long, rectangular acrylic block for spacing.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: Stampin' Up
Paper: white cardstock (Georgia Pacific)
Ink: ColorBox Cranberry, Versafine Onyx
Accessories: ribbon (stash), Spellbinder Squares

Border Combo

I created a double border using both ribbon and lace to support the die cut heart. The paper "ribbon" was hand cut.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: PTI?
Papers: white cardstock (Georgia Pacific), pattenred (BG)
Ink: Staz On Timber
Accessories: Spellbinder Scalloped Hearts & Mattes, ribbon & lace (stash)

A Balancing Act

This patterned paper is quite busy, so in order to "pull it all together" I used a wider, solid coloured ribbon for the bow and mounted the image on a solid cardstock die cut frame.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: Impression Obsession?
Papers: pink cardstock (Bazzill), patterned (BG)
Ink: Staz On Timber
Accessories: Spellbinder Mattes & Squares, rhinestone (Kaiser), ribbon (Fabricland)

An Old Fashioned

Nothing unique about this card design, but I was pleased with the combination of patterned papers. Placing the larger pattern on the bottom and the smaller on the top seem to give the design proper "weight".

Note: the descriptions of the Valentines which follow may be "lacking" because I mailed the cards out before I had a chance to write the copy for them--sorry.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: PSX
Papers: pink & brown cardstocks (Bazzill), patterned (BG)
Ink: Staz On Timber
Accessories: ribbon (Fabricland), Spellbinder Labels & Ovals, flower (I Love Roses)

Lots of Layers

My goal here was to use as many patterned papers as possible. I kept in mind the intensity of the colours in the patterned papers when layering them.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Papers: pink cardstock (Bazzill), patterned (BG Bittersweet)
Accessories: Spellbinder Hearts, ribbon (Fabricland), heart punch (Marvy), button (stash)

Pin It

I was inspired by another online card maker to create this card. Thought the clothespin was a unique embellishment.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: MSE
Papers: cream cardstock (Core'dinations), patterned (MME Market Street), kraft (Bazzill)
Ink: Staz On Timber
Accessories: crimper (Fiskars), Spellbinder Mattes A & B, heart die (Sizzix), button & embroidery thread (stash), clothespin (Maureen G.)

Plenty of Pink

I thought this design needed a little "kick" so I created shimmering borders by adhering strips of doubled sided tape to the top and bottom of the card and applied fine pink glitter.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Papers: pink cardstock (Bazzill), patterned (BG Bittersweet)
Accessories: Spellbinder Hearts & Scalloped Hearts, glitter (MS Tourmaline), ribbon (stash)

Hanging By a Thread

Just another way to incorporate hearts into a card design. Here too Distress Ink was used to "finish" the different pieces of patterned papers.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: Autumn Leaves
Papers: cream cardstock (Core'dinations), patterned (MME Market Street)
Inks: Staz On Timber Brown, Distress Festive Berries
Accessories: scalloped scissors (Fiskars), ribbon (Fabricland), heart die (Sizzix), heart punch (EK Success), Spellbinder Mattes, brown marker

An Old Fashioned

This is a perfect example of using Distress Inks to colour a stamped image so that it coordinates with patterned papers. This image was stamped on white cardstock and coloured with pink and brown Distress Inks.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: Inkadinkado
Papers: cream cardstock (Core'dinations), white cardstock (Georgia Pacific), patterned (MME Madison Ave.)
Accessories: Distress Inks (Spun Sugar & Vintage Photo), ribbon (stash), paper roses (I Am Roses)

Hearts & Roses

With a Victorian theme in mind, I chose this ornate heart image to stamp, a paper rose and a damask embossing folder.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: Stampendous
Papers: white cardstock (Georgia Pacific), patterned (BG Bittersweet)
Ink: Distress Spun Sugar
Accessories: Spellbinder Labels, paper rose (I Love Roses), brads (stash), embossing folder (Sizzix)

Jumpin' Hearts

Another great way to use small scraps of coordinating patterned papers to fill the white space in a card design.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: Hero Arts
Papers: white cardstock (Georgia Pacific), patterned (BG Bittersweet), pink shimmer cardstock (Bazzill)
Ink: Staz On Timber
Accessories: heart border punch (MS), ribbon (Fabricland), heart punch (Emagination)

A Row of Hearts

Not only did I use up scraps of coordinating patterned papers, but I used a variety of heart dies and punches to create this design. A foam square beneath the ribbon die cut draws the eye to the sentiment.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: MSE
Papers: white cardstock (Georgia Pacific), patterned (BG Bittersweet)
Ink: Staz On Timber
Accessories: button & embroidery threads (stash), Spellbinders (Classic Hearts & Neted Lacey Pennants), heart punch (Emagination), heart die (Sizzix)

Four Corners

For my fourth DCWV card, I framed the square die cut with rhinestone "rivets".

Natalie

Card Recipe
Papers: card base (DCWV), patterned (BG Sultry)
Accessories: Spellbinder Squares & Hearts, rhinestones (Kaiser), ribbon (stash)

Add a Little Sparkle

I used a third DCWV embossed card base, but changed things up by cutting a smaller square and leaving a larger border around the patterned paper and accenting the square with a swirl of bling.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Papers: card base (DCWV), patterned (Sultry)
Accessories: rhinestones (Zsa), Spellbinder Squares, heart punch (EK Success), ribbon (stash)

Popped Out

I used another DCWV card base, but die cut within a die cut for something different.

Natalie

Card Recipe

Papers: card base (DCWV), patterned (BG Sultry), pink shimmer cardstock (Bazzill)

Accessories: Spellbinder Squares & Hearts