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)

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)

A Tiny Bit of Texture

I love how the Sizzix Lattice embossing folder provides a textured background for the framed, stamped image. Its pattern is much smaller than that in the paper below, thus working together rather than against each other. Also, the daintiness of the pattern compliments the fine lace around the heart.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: PSX
Papers: white cardstock (Georgia Pacific), patterned (Basic Grey)
Ink: Memories Soft Stone
Accessories: Spellbinders Labels, ribbons (stash), button (stash), Distress Markers

Candy Striped

This wide ribbon worked well with the Core`dinations cardstock. For a different twist, I stamped the sentiment on the top of the card on my "faux stocking topper".

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: Verve
Papers: cream cardstock (stash), red cardstock (Core'dinations)
Ink: Distress Festive Berries
Accessories: border punch (EK), pearls (Kaiser), stick pin (Jenni Bowlin), embossing folder (Sizzix Vintage Wallpaper)

Sizzix Snowflake Embossing Folder

This folder is the perfect backdrop for winter themed cards. I appreciate the varying sizes of the snowflakes and the non-linear pattern.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: SU
Papers: white cardstock (Georgia Pacific), patterned (Memory Box Winterberry)
Ink: Staz On Timber
Accessories: ribbon (stash), Polar White Flower Soft, Spellbinder Matting Basics A, embossing folder (Sizzix Snowflakes) 

Diamonds

Rhinestones come in all shapes and sizes. These were given to me. A circle die cut in the embossed paper makes the perfect base for an ornament.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: PTI
Papers: white cardstock (Georgia Pacific), red & green cardstocks (Bazill)
Ink: Distress Peeled Paint
Accessories: Spellbinder Circles, embossing folder (Sizzix Woodgrain), ribbon (BoBunny), rhinestones (Recollections & Kaiser)

The Perfect Companion

for embossing folders is Core'dinations cardstock. It comes in various packages, including Whitewash (used here), Kraft, Distress and original. Once dry embossed, this carstock can be gently sanded to reveal the core colour of the paper.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: Inkdadinkado
Papers: kraft cardstock (Bazzill), off white cardstock (Core'dinations Whitewash), patterned paper (K & Co.)
Ink: Staz On Timber, Distress Antique Linen
Accessories: embossing folder (Sizzix Sheet Music), jute (stash), bell (stash)

The Stocking Was Hung...

I thought that this embossing stocking die cut worked perfectly with this patterned paper.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Papers: white cardstock (Georgia Pacific), red cardstock (Bazzill), patterned (K & Co.)
Accessories: ribbon (stash from Betty M.), stocking die & folder (Sizzix), Spellbinder Matting Basics A

Paper Strips to Ravishing Ribbons

LeAnne Pugliese @ weeinklings.blogpsot.com made a card using strips of patterned paper and simply cutting notches out of the end of them. Coordinating patterned papers make this easy. Staggering the "ribbons" nicely outlines the dry embossed image at the bottom of the card front.

Natalie

Card Recipe

Stamps: pumpkin (stash), spider (Inkadinkado), witch (Inkadinkado)

Papers: orange cardstock (Bazzill Sienna), patterned (MME Mischievous)

Inks: ColorBox Roussillion, Versafine Onyx, Distress Black Soot

Accessories: Spellbinder Big Scalloped Circles Small, Marvy circle punch, embossing folder (Sizzix Pumpkin Patch), ribbon (Martha Stewart)

A Little Trick

On this card I used an acrylic sentiment stamp. Though it is linear, I was able to curve it so that it perfectly fit in the space I had. Acrylic border stamps can also be adjusted in this way. This is one advantage of acrylic stamps over rubber stamps.

Natalie

Card Recipe

Stamps: image (Inkadinkado), sentiment (PTI)

Papers: white cardstock (Georgia Pacific), patterned strip (Fiskars/Heidi Grace)

Ink: Versafine Onyx

Accessories: Copic Markers, buttons (stash), twine (The Twinery), rhinestones (Kaiser), Spellbinders Labels 18, embossing folder (Sizzix Plaid)

Oops!

My original intention was to make this card front with the larger oval Embossing Diffuser. After dry embossing my cardstock, I stamped my sentiment in the smooth, oval area. However, I "messed it up" and went with Plan B. I used an oval Spellbinder die to create an oval frame with the dry embossed cardstock and stamped the sentiment directly on the exposed card front. Something can always be salvaged from a boo boo!

Natalie

Card Recipe

Stamp: Impression Obsession

Papers: light pink cardstock (CTMH), dark pink cardstock (Core'dinations)

Ink: gold

Accessories: Spellbinder Ovals, ribbon (Fabricland), pearls (Kaiser), embossing folder (Sizzix Vintage Wallpaper)

Introducing Tim Holtz' Embossing Diffuser

Though I didn't get the crisp results using the Embossing Diffuser that I expected, it did create a smooth area for me to directly stamp my sentiment. This makes things easier, since it is more difficult to adhere a die cut stamped with a sentiment to a dry embossed card front.

Natalie

Card Recipe

Stamp: Hero Arts

Papers: kraft cardstock (Bazzill), red cardstock (Core'dinations Kraft)

Ink: Versafine Onyx

Accessories: ribbon (stash), Tim Holtz Embossing Diffuser (oval), embossing folder (Sizzix Vintage Wallpaper)

Bingo!

This is just one of many ways a Bingo card can be used in a card design. The "14" was perfect for a Valentine so I highlighted it by sweeping a firm ink pad across the raised number, after covering the remainder of the die cut to make sure that ink didn't end up elsewhere.

Natalie

Card Recipe

Stamp: Hero Arts

Papers: kraft cardstock (Bazzill), patterned papers (Basic Grey Bittersweet)

Ink: Memories Crimson

Accessories: ribbon (stash), Spellbinder Classic Hearts and Nested Frame dies, Bingo embossing folder (Sizzix)

And the stockings...

I can honestly say that I created this card from scratch. Should have, however, put a piece of white cardstock on the tops of the stocking before adhering the Flower Soft so it wouldn't be as transparent. I knew the sheet of wood grained patterned paper that I had would come in handy some day. Still looking for burning logs to fill the fireplace.

Natalie

Card Recipe

Stamp: Impression Obsession

Papers: Core'dinations Distress Fired Brick, wood patterned paper (Paper Pizzaz), other patterned papers (BG Eskimo Kisses)

Inks: Distress Walnut Stain, Staz On Timber

Accessories: stocking die (PTI), Polar White Flower Soft, brads & jute (stash), Bricked embossing folder (Sizzix)

A Wooden Haunted House

I made the same die cut, but gave it a wood grain texture using an embossing folder. There are many ideas for using the same die so they are well worth the investment.

Natalie

Card Recipe

Stamp: Papertrey Ink

Papers: black and yellow cardstocks (stash), patterned (Cosmo Cricket Matilda)

Ink: Versafine Onyx

Accessories: brad (MM), Spellbinder Nested Frame Dies, embossing folder (Sizzix Woodgrain)

Distress Cor'dinations Cardstock

Here I've dry embossed and sanded the Distress Cor'dinations cardstock to bring out the underlying cardstock colour. Having the matching Distress Inks made the stamping a breeze.

Card Recipe

Stamps: PTI

Papers: cardstocks (Tim Holtz Distress Fired Brick and Bundled Sage), patterned (MME Stella Rose, Hazel)

Inks: Distress Fired Brick and Bundled Sage, Versafine Onyx

Accessories: brads (stash), Spellbinder Standard Circles Large & Small) and Labels 18, Sizzix Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, ribbon (stash)

Hit the Wall

A climbing vine was the inspiration for the fibre embellishment on this card. That's why I chose the stone wall embossing folder to use on the vertical piece of cardstock beneath it. Coloured the paper flower with Glimmer Mist. Just thought this card sketch was very unique and had to try it.

Natalie

Card Recipe

Papers: off white cardstock (stash), patterned (Basic Grey Two Scoops), green cardstock (Bazzill Guacamole)

Ink: Distress Bundled Sage

Accessories: letter stickers (Sticker Studio), fibres (stash), paper flower (Kaiser), brad (Basic Grey Two Scoops), Glimmer Mist Juniper, Sizzix Bricked embossing folder

Embossed Eggs

I dry embossed pieces of Core'dinations cardstock in 7 different embossing folders so that I would have 7 different eggs. Then I used the egg dies to cut out the shapes, noting the pattern in the dry embossing. After sanding, I wanted to bring out the dry embossing so I applied ink to the eggs, carefully sweeping the pad across the raised areas.

Natalie

Card Recipe

Stamp: PTI

Papers: pink cardstock (Core'dinations), yellow cardstock (Bazzill), patterned (AMM)

Ink: Distress Vintage Photo

Accessories: Spellbinder Nested Eggs and Fancy Tags, Cuttlebug Embossing Folders (Textile Texture, Perfect Paisley, Diamond Rough, Floral Fantasy, Herringbone, Swirl), Sizzix Embossing Folder (Finial Press)

The Bigger the Bow the Better

To balance the stamped, die cut image on the right I used the "weight" of a wider bow. It's smoothness does not distract the eye from the beautiful texture of the embossed, blue cardstock layer. The image was coloured with coloured pencils.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: CTMH
Papers: white, red & blue cardstocks (stash)
Ink: Versaink black
Accessories: ribbon (stash), rectangular die (Spellbinders), watercolour pencils (Staedler)

Cornered

In an attempt to balance my card layout, I put the ribbon and bow on the corner of the card layer. Just a little change from having the ribbon horizontal or vertical.

Natalie

Card Recipe
Stamp: PSX
Ink: Colorbox Queue
Paper: orange & grey cardstock (Bazzill), patterned (Heidi Grace)
Accessories: Spellbinders Circles & Scalloped Circles, ribbon (stash), Cuttlebug Embossing Folder