Step It Up!

By | 11/08/2012

Sometimes you will make a card and it just seems flat.  It’s nice, you like it, but it doesn’t make you say WOW!  That’s when you take the card back to your craft table and rethink it.  Add some little touches with the tools that you have in your stash.  Here is a card I made during the hurricane.  It turns out, you do need electricity to stamp.  You need light!  I made three cards just playing with my Big Shot and I liked them.  They just weren’t WOW! cards.  Understandably, they were made by candle light, so perfection was not what I was expecting!  Let me share the cards with you.

Window frames and Friendship Preserves

This is the first one made with the Window Frames Framelit set and the Friendship Preserves stamp set in the Holiday Mini Catalog.  I like the card and the technique I used using the framelits to create a card that opens.  I have created a video to demonstrate this technique.  Last night, I decided to see what I could do to this same card to just add the WOW! touch.  Here is what I came up with!

Step it up!

For this card, which is made with the same colors of card stock, I used markers to color the image and I used my paper piercing materials (wisely not used during the hurricane by candle light!).  Now I love this card.  It’s a great little thank you card.  Just two different little touches and the card pops so much more.

I also made two other versions when I made the original.  I made a tiny note card size and a large one that holds a set of post it notes.  Here they are:

Post it Holder

 

Small Thank You

 

Hello

Again, these last two need some Wow! touches added.

Tips for stepping up you cards:

  • Look at your tool stash.  What haven’t you used in a while that would work on your card?  It’s fun to play with new techniques or even old ones you haven’ t used in a while.  Plus, I’ve said it before…you bought those tools, use them!  You’ll love them even more and you won’t regret purchasing something you use all the time.
  • Add some bling!  A little taffeta or sparkle can make anything look better!
  • Just change or add two things to start with.  A couple of little changes can make a big difference.
  • Have fun!  Stamping is supposed to be relaxing.  Let go of the perfection!  My prettiest cards sometimes come from experimenting with techniques and trying new twists until I get something I really like!
  • Once you get a card that you like, write down the “recipe”.  I keep index cards and little dollar notebooks on my craft table to write down everything.  Even though I’m sure I’ll remember what I did, who am I kidding?  I know I won’t remember it if I don’t write it down.

Stamp set:  Friendship Preserves   Ink: Raspberry Ripple  Card stock:  Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petal, Very Vanilla  AccessoriesStamping Pierce mat, paper piercing tool, Essentials paper piercing set, Window Frames Framelit set, stamping dimensionals.

Thanks for visiting today.  Don’t forget to check out my Perfectly Simple Virtual Stamp Club for an easy way to get your stamping materials on a budget.  You will also get a free stamping video tutorial made exclusively for club members, along with a hand made thank you card from me!

Happy stamping!

Kim

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