Every Day Is the Best Day of the Year

I never make New Year's resolutions, but this year I've decided to make an "attitude resolution". Ralph Waldo Emerson sums it up perfectly: "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year." Good words to live by, I think. After an especially tough year (um, make that 2 years), I think a more positive attitude certainly can't hurt.

For this small card (2-3/4" x 4-1/2"), I heat-embossed the text with Versamark ink and silver detail embossing powder, and layered it on plum then silver metallic cardstock. Next is a patterned cardstock layered over mauve. Finally, I finished the card with a beige ribbon.

Happy New Year!

How To Add A One-Hole Bow To Your Greeting Card

The one-hole bow has been around for a while, but just in case you've never made one, I've provided some directions below. What I like about this bow-making method is that the bow is always straight when it's finished. I typically end up with bows that are slanted to one side, but not with this technique.

First, punch a hole where you want the bow to be. I used a 1/4" hole-punch for my 1/4" grosgrain ribbon.

Next, place your ribbon on top of the cardstock. Be sure you cut a longer piece of ribbon than usual, because it will be wrapping completely around your cardstock before being tied into a bow.

Wrap the ribbon around to the back of the cardstock, then thread both ends through the hole from back to front. Pull one end out below the ribbon, and one end out above it.

Now tie a bow and you're done. I've attached this small element to a card, but this technique is also very effective when used directly on a full-size card, especially if you use a dramatic or fancy ribbon.

Recycling: Using Paint Chips On Your Cards

I've repainted a lot of rooms over the years, and I always end up with a stack of these paint chips when the project is over. If it's a color I actually used, I'll file it away in case I need to buy more for touchups, but I really don't need to hang on to the others. Instead of throwing them in the trash, I've been using them on cards and other projects. They come in handy when you don't have cardstock in the colors you need. I especially like the ones with the little window openings, because they make nice frames for small designs.

Here are some quick instructions on one way I recycle paint chips into greeting card components.

1. Trim the paint chip to the size you need.
2. Glue on a ribbon to cover the text at the bottom. You can cut the text off if you don't want to use ribbon.
3. Hmm, that red ribbon is a bit plain, so I'll add a gold ribbon on top of that.
4. Heat emboss a small design onto a scrap of cardstock, and glue that to the back of the paint chip so that it shows through the window. I embossed a snowflake with Versamark ink and gold embossing powder.
5. Dry emboss a background on the Cuttlebug, or use plain or printed paper.
6. Attach to a folded card, and you're done.

For more stamped projects with snowflakes, go over to Wednesday Stamper this week, where the current challenge is Snowflake Kisses.

Wildflowers and Butterflies

I've been trying to change up my cardmaking style just a little bit, and have been experimenting with color combinations I wouldn't ordinarily try. I saw a similar red, green, and teal combo on the Stampin' Up! website, and was surprised at how much it appealed to me. Although the bottom of this card appears to be a different color, it's actually the same cardstock as on the top. The bottom is heat embossed with winter white, and the top is SU!'s Old Olive ink on Mellow Moss cardstock. The letters were embossed as well, then punched out with a 1/2" circle punch.

Heat Embossed Card

Heat embossing continues to be a favorite technique of mine, and my heat gun, embossing powders, and Versamark pad are always on my work table, ready to go. I prefer Versamark over traditional embossing inks, because it seems thicker and stickier, and stays wet long enough to cover a large area before adding the powder. On this card, I like the subtle design of the background, as well as that little bit of texture created by the embossing. And since our family has lots of special occasions in June, someone will be getting this in the mail shortly!

Inchies

A while back I won this beautiful inchies box in a blog giveaway, and have finally made my first inchies, so maybe now I can begin to fill up my little box. If you're not familiar with inchies, they are simply 1 inch x 1 inch pieces of art, using whatever technique you like. For mine, I brayered orange ink onto glossy white cardstock, stamped some images with black ink, then followed that with some heat embossed images using Versamark ink and detail gold embossing powder. Unfortunately, the embossing doesn't appear to be metallic in this photo.

Baby Card

I've been on a heat embossing kick lately, and as part of my "really simple card" series, I used that technique on this baby card. The flowers and the word "baby" were stamped with Versamark and embossed with winter white powder. I then attached eyelets to the greeting and threaded them with a pale yellow ribbon. I don't know anyone who is expecting a baby, but I guess it doesn't hurt to have an appropriate card handy!

Stripes - Wednesday Stamper

The current theme at Wednesday Stamper is stripes. For this card, I used a forgotten but recently rediscovered sheet of blue and white striped scrapbooking paper, and heat embossed the flowers with Versamark ink and Winter White embossing powder. I've been challenging myself to limit my color choices, so this may be the first in a series of very simple cards.