Rubber Stamping & Card Making with Yapha

After I made this card, with the typewriter and the hearts, I had an idea of making one with balloons coming out of it for a birthday. Unfotunately, this is one of those examples where it looked better in my head than on paper. I’m going to share it with you anyway.

Stamps: You’re My Type, Crazy for Cupcakes (balloon)
Ink: StazOn Jet Black, Cherry Cobbler
Paper: Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, First Edition Specialty Designer Series Paper
Other: Cherry Cobbler Baker’s Twine, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I’m thinking that maybe the Cherry Cobbler background needs to be embossed. Maybe with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder? I might try it again.

Eve has a double birthday party this weekend for two girls in her grade, both of whom are named Kate! I used today’s Stamping 411 sketch for the card.

I really like the colors Pool Party and Blushing Bride together. I used them on the card for the other Kate, also. I can’t show you that one yet, though, since I made it for a Stampin’ Addicts birthday card swap.

Stamps: Party This Way
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Paper: Pool Party, Blushing Bride, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Sweet Shop Specialty Designer Series Paper, In Color 2010-12 Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack
Other: Cupcake Punch, Blushing Bride Poly Ribbon, Modern Label Punch, Movers & Shapers Punch Windows, Silver Mini Brads

Don’t you love how cute that “happy birthday” sentiment is? It is part of the Party This Way stamp set, which is one of your FREE choices during Sale-a-Bration!

My brother’s birthday was early this week, and since I was giving him a gift card, I thought it would a great time to learn how to make the Top Note Gift Card Holder. I used the great tutorial over on Dannie Grave’s blog. It was super easy and came out really cute. I used a tiny dab of Dotto repositional adhesive in the lower right hand corner to keep it closed until he opened it.

Here’s what it looks like when you open it up to reveal the gift card:

Stamps: Delightful Dozen
Ink: Baja Breeze, Wild Wasabi, Peach Parfait, So Saffron
Paper: Baja Breeze, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White, Just Add Cake Designer Series Paper
Other: Top Note Bigz Die, Word Window Punch

I am definitely going to use this gift card holder idea again. I love how it came out!

Great sketch from Freshly Made Sketches this week — I love the clean lines and the three elements in the middle.

I loved this sketch as soon as I saw it, but I have to admit that when I sat down to make my card, I forgot that it was square. I might have try it again with a square card. I decided to turn those three circles into three lollipops, especially since the Sweets for the Sweet stamp set in the big Idea Book & Catalog coordinates so perfectly with the new Sweet Shop Specialty Designer Series Paper in the Occasions Mini.

Stamps: Sweets for the Sweet
Ink: Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo, Pool Party, VersaMark
Paper: Pool Party, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White, Sweet Shop Specialty Designer Series Paper
Other: Calypso Coral Ruffled Ribbon, 1″ Circle Punch, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder

I wanted to give the lollipops a little more “pop,” so I covered each in VersaMark ink and then embossed them with Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder. They look almost good enough to eat!

I am fortunate to work with a lot of amazing people and incredible teachers. One of them truly must be part leprechaun, and because of her we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at school like nothing I have ever seen. We start with bagpipes in the morning, move on to dancing jigs on the tables, and all of the kindergarten teachers’ feet turn green. Her birthday is tomorrow, so I wanted to make her a leprechaun birthday card. I pulled out my Gift Givers set from the Holiday Mini Catalog and used the great little leprechaun stamp.

Stamps: Gift Givers, Perfectly Penned
Ink: Stazon Jet Black, Garden Green, Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Blush Blossom, Chocolate Chip, Basic Grey, VersaMark
Paper: Certainly Celery, Garden Green, Brushed Gold, Whisper White, Regals Patterns Designer Series Paper Pack
Other: Champagne Glitter Glass, Gold Embossing Powder, 1 3/4″ Circle Punch, 2 3/8″ Scallop Circle Punch, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch

Today is the last day to order from the Holiday Mini Catalog, which means it is also the last day to order this adorable Gift Givers stamp set among others. Be sure to get the items you want before it is too late! Notice how they all match punches? I love that!

My father-in-law’s 75th birthday was yesterday. He and my mother-in-law are in vacation in New Zealand this week. They left us their itinerary, so I thought it would be really fun to send a card and have it waiting for my father-in-law when he got to the hotel on his birthday. Luckily, I thought of this two weeks in advance, so I was actually able to get the card there in time! From the email I got, he was pretty surprised to receive a birthday card in New Zealand!

This card is based on Cindy’s fabulous card from the Stampin’ Addicts New Catalog Blog Hop. I needed to make it completely flat though, so it would go through the mail over seas with no problems.

Stamps: Pennant Parade, Upsy Daisy
Ink: Basic Black, Basic Grey
Paper: Pool Party, Garden Green, Basic Black, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Marina Mist, Just Add Cake Designer Series Paper
Other: Petite Pennants Builder Punch, 1/2″ Circle Punch, 1 1/4″ Circle Punch, Wide Oval Punch, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

That cute little 9 on the flag is punched out from the page of numbers in the Just add Cake Designer Series Paper.

Eve’s good friend Simone just turned 9, and I knew I wanted to make her a special birthday card. Her favorite color is blue, so I chose Pacific Point as the main color for her card. I also wanted to use the new Silver Glimmer paper.  I tied it all together with a little Melon Mambo and I came up with a card as bright and happy as she is!

Stamps: Create a Caupcake
Ink: Pacific Point
Paper: Melon Mambo, Pacific Point, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer, Daffodil Delight
Other: Cupcake Punch, 1 3/4″ Circle Punch, 2 3/8″ Scallop Circle Punch, 2 1/2″ Circle Punch, Word Window Punch, Designer Label Punch, Melon Mambo Dotted Scallop Ribbon, Snowburst Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Do you see the ribbon? That is Melon Mambo Dotted Scallop Ribbon, but I reversed it, so the polka dots don’t show. It’s like two ribbons in one!

One of my favorite things to do with the Matchbox Die is to fill it with chocolate! And now that we have these fabulous wrapper stamps, it’s even easier! I made this little box of chocolates for Steve, a fun addition to his birthday cards.

Stamps: Word Play, It’s a Wrap Occasions
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Real Red
Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Whisper White, Big Top Birthday Designer Series Paper
Other: Matchbox Bigz XL Die, Big Shot, 1 3/4″ Circle Punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals, mailing labels

There are two versions of the label stamps available – It’s a Wrap Occasions and It’s a Wrap Holidays. They are so much fun!

Today is my husband’s birthday, and as you may remember from past cards that I have made for him, woodworking is his passion. I was super excited to see the new Tool Shed background stamp in the big Idea Book & Catalog, with its images of retro tools. I bought it to make cards for Steve, and was super excited to use it for the first time on this birthday card. I really wanted to use my new Simply Scored scoring board, so I made a gate-fold card.

Stamps: Tool Shed, Wood Grain, Upsy Daisy
Ink: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Island Indigo
Paper: Island Indigo, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla
Other: Simply Scored, Decorative Label Punch, Square Lattice Textured Impression Embossing Folder, Big Shot

Wondering how I got the layers on the Decorative Label Punch? I punched out two extras of each color to make the mats. I cut one lengthwise, and one width-wise, and then glued them to the back so a bit of the edge showed.

I loved this card by Laurie so much that I had to make my own! It is so fun to use the pennant set for both the actual pennants and the party hat! Isn’t this a great color combo? I just love Lucky Limeade!

Stamps: Pennant Parade, Delightful Dozen
Ink: Melon Mambo, Elegant Eggplant, Lucky Limeade
Paper: Elegant Eggplant, Melon Mambo, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White
Other: Pennant Punch, Bitty Punch Pack (circle), Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, 3″ Circle Bigz Die, Scallop Circle #2 Bigz Die, Big Shot

I am just amazed at the versatility of this Pennant stamp set and the matching punch! Have you seen the Christmas trees they can make? I’ll show you those a little later in the month.