Thursday, October 31, 2024
Dia de Los Muertos
Saturday, July 20, 2024
BPM/IBFS - A Sequined Background!
Hi, friends!
I hope that everyone is having a great summer! Mine has been great so far. I've been able to enjoy some time off while also keeping up with my crafting time. Speaking of summer, today's card is a celebration of it featuring another one of the Rick St. Dennis bear stamps. Who doesn't love spending some time at the beach? A little fun in the sun is good for the soul - even if you're a bear! My inspiration for the card was a picture of the bear on the beach being given to say hello to a friend. What sets this card apart from others is that the card panel background is completely made up of sequins. It was the first time that I've tried this and I am really happy with the results. What do you think?
Here's what I used to create it:
- Beach Costume Bear by Rick St Dennis Line Art Rubber Stamp
- Special Day CLEAR Sentiments Flowers Stamp Set designed by Pam Bray
- A2 Kraft card base
- 3.25" x 5" Light Turquoise card panel
- 2.5" x 4" White card panel
- Sequins . . . lots and lots of sequins!
Here's how I made it:
- Adhered turquoise card panel to card base with double sided tape and stamped the sentiment at the top.
- Stamped the bear onto the smaller white card panel and colored it with alcohol markers, pastel gel pens, and glitter gels pens.
- Starting at the bottom of the card, glued sequins down to the card base and worked my way up to the top: used cream, brown, and gold sequins for the sand and rocks; turquoise sequins for the ocean; light blue sequins for the sky; silver sequins for a couple of clouds; and yellow sequins for the sun.
- Adhered the smaller panel to the card; angled the smaller panel to give it a more relaxed, whimsical feel.
I love how the sequined backgrounds almost mimics a mosaic type of look! It's also nice that some of them are a little more flat and others are a little more shiny to break it up. I am definitely going to try this technique again!
That's it for this post. I hope that you continue to enjoy your summer.
Until next time . . . be well!
Wednesday, July 10, 2024
BPM/IBFS - A Bearable Birthday!
Hello, friends!
Welcome back to Paper Play. Do you ever find yourself needing a quick birthday card and not having the right one in your stash? It's nice to be able to fall back on something to help save you time when that happens - and that's the focus of today's post. Blank Page Muse has a great digital download kit, It's Your Party, that will all will you to create a really nice handmade card. It has a variety of papers, ephemera, greetings, and more. I chose a paper that I really liked and paired it with one of Rick St. Dennis' adorable bear stamps. The result is a card that is certain to make someone smile!
Here's what I used to create it:
- It's Your Party Birthday Printable Papers, Bookmarks Ephemera for Junk Journals Cardmaking and more designed by Pam Bray Designs
- Birthday Bear with Cupcake Hat Line Art Rubber Stamp by Rick St Dennis
- Special Day CLEAR Sentiments Flowers Stamp Set designed by Pam Bray
- A2 sized Light Purple Card Base
- Rainbow Colored Gems
- Glossy Accents Clear Dimensional Medium
- Hampton Art Wobbler Action Spring
Here's how I made it:
- Used the printer app for my printer to reduce the size of the digital background paper for the card (3.75" x 5") and printed it.
- Adhered printed panel to card base with double sided tape, stamped the sentiment, and applied Glossy Accents to the balloons on the panel to give them texture and make them shine. TIP: use a heat tool on low or a hair dryer to speed up the drying time of the glossy accents!
- Stamped the bear onto white card stock; colored the image with a mix of alcohol markers, pastel gel pens, and glitter gel pens; fussy cut the image.
- Adhered the bear to the card with a Wobbler Action Spring, which gives the bear some motion when tapped.
- Placed two rows of rainbow gems under the sentiment.
Such a quick way to make a colorful and fun birthday card!
I hope you enjoyed this post and my tips for making a beautiful card in no time at all. Let me know what you think! I'll be sharing another card featuring a Rick St. Dennis bear in my next post. Stay tuned!
Until then . . . be well!
Thursday, June 20, 2024
BPM/IBFS - Dream, Inspire, Grow
Hello, friends!
Thanks for stopping by Paper Play today. My first card for June was all about self love and doing what is good for your soul. Today's project is along the same thought and features the words: DREAM, INSPIRE, and GROW. An important reminder for everyone that we are never too old to dream, incapable of inspiring, or without the ability to grow. I love that Blank Page Muse used these words in a stamp set for an art doll. Art dolls have an interesting history in that they were made as a piece of art rather than as a toy for a child, and their purpose was to communicate or express a message. Sometimes they may have lacked arms, legs, or both; sometimes they were made with different mediums/materials. The one included in this stamp set is a great visual representation of the words included with it. I share it with you today to hopefully inspire you, my dear crafting friends.
Here's what I used to make it:
- Whatever is Good DREAMER Art Doll 1
- Steampunk Romance: Digital Printable Papers for Journals, Cards, ATCs
- Blocks Pattern Stencil
- Distress Oxide Inks: Salty Ocean, Spun Sugar, Lost Shadow
- A2 black card base
- White card panel - 4" X 5.25"
Here's how I made it:
- Blended blocks from the stencil onto the card panel in an alternating pattern with the oxide inks; stamped circular patterns down the left & right hand sides with black ink.
- Stamped the art doll and sentiments onto a scrap piece of paper from the Steampunk Romance kit.
- Colored the art doll with alcohol markers, glitter gel pens, and metallic gel pens.
- Adhered doll and sentiments to card with double sided foam tape.
- Spritzed the card panel with some tea stain spray to add some grunge.
- Adhered the panel to the card base and glued on three rhinestone gems.
A very easy card to make! It has a very pop art look and feel to it, and is fun & whimsical.
I hope that you enjoyed learning a bit more art dolls and how I created this card!
Until next time . . . be well!
Monday, June 10, 2024
BPM/IBFS Rainbow Soul
Hi, friends!
It's June . . . which also means that it is LGBTQIA+ Pride Month. As a gay person, it's important for me to celebrate Pride in remembrance of all of those who came before me in addition to those of us who make up this wonderfully diverse community today. While I make a lot of vintage and traditional style cards, it's also fun for me to push the boundaries and create in styles that I don't always work with. That's exactly what I did for today's share. I wanted to make a pop art style card that has a message for everyone - whether gay or straight, male or female, liberal or conservative - and that message is to do what makes your soul feel good. Embrace your uniqueness; love every ounce of yourself. I titled it Rainbow Souls since the yes are the window to the soul.
Here's what I used to make it:
- Large Eye Macro
- Whatever is Good DREAMER Art Doll 1
- Brutus Monroe Aqua Pigments - Creamy (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Violet)
- Distress Oxide Ink - Lost Shadow
- Glitter Gel Pens - Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Violet
- A2 white card base
- Black card panel - 4" X 5.25"
- White card panel - 3.75" X 5"
Here's how I made it:
- Stamped the eye onto the white card panel with black ink; also stamped it onto making paper to create a mask.
- Applied mask to eye; splattered Brutus Monroe Creamy Aqua Pigments around the eye and dried with a heat tool.
- Removed the mask and colored the pupil with the glitter gel pens in a rainbow pattern; lightly blended Lost Shadow oxide ink over the image to soften the colors.
- Stamped the sentiment with embossing ink, applied black embossing powder, and heat set it.
- Adhered card panel to center of black card panel.
- Adhered combined card panel to card base.
- Applied three rhinestone gems with craft glue.
It's a simple but fun card with a really beautiful message. Let's celebrate it every day!
Thanks for spending some time with me on Paper Play today.
Until next time . . . be well!
Monday, May 20, 2024
BPM/IBFS Wild Berry Thanks
Hey there, crafty friends!
I hope the month of May is going well for you! I had alluded in my prior post that the project for this post would be using a scrap from that card as the focal point. I hate to see beautiful pieces of paper go to waste, especially if they are in good condition, and knew that I'd either: use the circular scrap from the berries background or end up keeping it in a bin of scraps. So . . . let's put it to use!
The design that I had in mind was to use the circular scrap in the middle of a stamped version of the same image and align it so that it naturally fits in. I'd frame it to add further dimension and end up with a really nice card.
Here's what I used to make it:
- Wild Berries Background Coloring Art Rubber Stamp
- Vellum
- Acetate
- Black card stock
- White A2 card base
Here's how I made it:
- Stamped the Wild Berries background stamp onto a piece of vellum with black ink and colored in the berries with a blue alcohol marker.
- Adhered the stamped & colored vellum to a piece of white card stock.
- Added double sided foam tape to the Wild Berries circular scrap, aligned it with the stamped & colored image, and adhered it to the panel.
- Adhered the panel to the A2 card base.
- Cut an A2 sized frame from black card stock, colored over it with a metallic silver glitter marker, put double sided foam tape on the back of it, and adhered it to the card.
- Colored a scrap piece of white paper with the metallic silver glitter marker, glued a sentiment onto it, and glued it down to my card.
I loved that I was able to create a really pretty card and use so many scraps at the same time! It was very easy to align the scrap with the stamped image, and the frame & use of foam tape really helps it stand out.
Thanks for spending some time with me here on the blog today. I have some really fun projects planned for June and I look forward to sharing them with you!
Until next time . . . be well!
Friday, May 10, 2024
BPM/IBFS - Stained Glass Flowers
Hi there, friends!
Welcome back to Paper Play. You know the old adage "April showers bring May flowers"? Well, it's certainly true in regards to this card design. It's May and flowers are blooming, trees are growing new green leaves, and my allergies are at a peak! I do, despite my allergies, like the Spring and all of the beauty that it brings. I wanted to capture that in my first project for the month and my thoughts immediately turned to the gorgeous Stained Glass rubber stamps from I Brake for Stamps. I decided on using stamp #4 as the focal point and the Wild Berries rubber stamp from Blank Page Muse as the background. I really like the way that they look together!
Here's what I used to create it:
- Stained Glass Flowers #4
- Wild Berries Background Coloring Art Rubber Stamp
- Special Day CLEAR Sentiments Flowers Stamp Set (sentiment)
- Vellum
- Acetate
- Black card stock
- Gray A2 card base
Here's how I made it:
- Embossed Stained Glass Flowers onto vellum with black embossing powder; colored the image with alcohol markers; adhered a piece of acetate over it.
- Embossed the Wild Berries background stamp onto black card stock with silver embossing powder; colored in the berries with Brutus Monroe Creamy Blue Aqua Pigment.
- Used a circle nesting die to cut a whole in the center of the embossed berry panel; adhered the stained glass panel behind the berry panel with double sided foam tape.
- Adhered the panel to the card base with double sided foam tape.
- Stamped sentiment onto piece of scrap gray card stock, glued it down to a slightly larger scrap of black card stock, and adhered it to the card base with double sided foam tape.
The black embossed lines, combined with the effect of the alcohol ink on the vellum and the shine of the acetate, truly mimics the look of a stained glass window. I love it! And it's a lot of fun to create.
I hope that you enjoyed learning more about my creative process today. For my next project, I'll be using the circle that I cut out of the embossed berry card panel used in this one. Stay tuned!
Until next time . . . be well!
Saturday, April 20, 2024
BPM/IBFS - Life's Precious Things
Welcome back to Paper Play, crafting friends!
I'm really excited about this card that I'm sharing with you today. It's another vintage themed card using the Silhouettes #1 stamp set from I Brake for Stamps. I knew that I wanted to capture a nice town/village scene as soon as I saw the stamp of the photographer with the old camera. I thought of him as being a photographer hired to capture the magic of a small town for a postcard. There he stands, high up on the hill, focused down on the town below on a beautiful day.
Here's what I used to make it:
- Silhouettes #1
- Village #1
- Postage Stamp Nesting Die Set
Here's how I made it:
- Die cut the postage stamp card panel using the largest postage stamp die in the set; blended some white pigment ink around the edges.
- Stamped the village at the bottom of the panel using Walnut Stain Distress Ink.
- Created a mask for the village using masking paper and adhered it to the village.
- Ink blended the sky with Salty Ocean Distress Oxide Ink; added some clouds using white pigment ink.
- Colored the village with alcohol markers and a white gel pen.
- Spritzed the panel with Antique Linen Distress Spray Stain to add some age and grunge.
- Adhered the sentiment ephemera to top center of panel.
- Stamped the photographer with black ink, fussy cut it out, and adhered to the panel with double sided foam tape.
- Adhered the card panel to an A2 Kraft card base that had grunge added to the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.
I thought that the postage stamp shape would make a fun way to add a little something extra to the card. This card looks like a quintessential New England town in the early 1900's. Is it Massachusetts? Vermont? Perhaps New Hampshire? It could be any of them!
Thanks for spending some time on the blog with me today. What do you think of the card? Do you like the vintage style? I'd really enjoy hearing what you think!
Until next time . . . stay well!
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
BPM/IBFS - Make a Wish
Welcome back to Paper Play!
You can probably tell from my creations that I'm a fan of the vintage style. I'm an old soul - I remember my mother telling me that as a kid. I love photos, postcards, and newspapers from bygone years. I love the smell, the feel, and to think about what life must have been like for them. That's what drew me to the Silhouettes #1 stamp set from I Brake for Stamps. There are so many nostalgic images to stamp and tell a story with . . . so many possibilities.
The first stamp that I wanted to create with is the one featured on today's card. It's the silhouette of a family standing by each other and looking forward. There's a lot of love to be felt from them. I envisioned them looking out at the stars in the night sky and making a wish. Perhaps they're enjoying a warm summer night or waiting for some July 4th fireworks? Either way, I feel a sense of closeness and happiness when I see them.
Here's what I used to make it:
- Silhouettes #1
- Steampunk Romance: Digital Printable Papers for Journals, Cards, ATCs - paper for frame
- Scrap Divas A2 Front Shadow Frame
Here's how I made it:
- Started by blending the sky backdrop on a white card panel; began at bottom with pink, worked up to purple, and then blended the blue.
- Stamped the image with black ink; stamped twirly leaf element in black on each side.
- Used the vintage handwriting digital paper from Steampunk Romance to make the shadowbox frame; added some grunge to it with Vintage Photo Distress Ink
- Attached the card panel to the back of the shadowbox frame with craft glue.
- Distressed an A2 Kraft card panel with Vintage Photo Distress Ink; attached shadow box to front.
- Used a fine tip gold metallic marker to add some stars into the sky.
- Added the Make a Wish sentiment strip to the shadowbox frame.
It's such a simple, yet beautiful, card that is perfect for a birthday, an anniversary, or just to say I love you.
I hope that you enjoyed this post and learning more about why I chose to create with this stamp.
Until next time . . . be well!
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
BPM/IBFS: A Vintage Dream
Welcome back to Paper Play, friends!
Do you enjoy Steampunk designs? I find them fascinating and fun. They combine my love for the vintage theme with elements of the fantasy and industrial themes. I find it to be a fun way to tell a story using unconventional and, sometimes, abstract, items. Blank Page Muse recently released a downloadable digital Steampunk kit designed by artist Pam Bray, and it includes lots of beautiful images, ephemera, and paper. I used two of the papers from this kit to create this really fun encouragement card.
Here’s what I used to make it:
- Steampunk Romance: Digital Printable Papers for Journals, Cards, ATCs Pam Bray Designs
- Woman’s Head
- DREAM grunge distressed style word Art Rubber Stamp
- Cut a vintage paper sheet from the kit down to an A2 size panel and adjered it to the front of an A2 card base.
- Cut a written text paper sheet and a patterned paper sheet crom the kit down to 3.75”X5”.
- Used a deckle edge ruler to tear the patterned paper sheet in half on a diagonal.
- Adhered the written text sheet to the card base with double sided tape, and then adhered the patterned paper to it with double sided tape.
- Stamped the woman’s head onto a piece of white card stock several times; alternated the stamping between black ink and Vintage Photo Distress ink to achieve a more vintage look.
- Fussy cut the woman’s head, applied double sided foam tape to the back of it, and adhered it to the card base.
- Spread some gold mixed media paste across the top of the card and let it dry.
- Stamped the word dream in black ink on the dried gold paste.
- Adhered three pearl gems to the card.
Sunday, March 10, 2024
BPM/IBFS: St. Paddy’s Day Step Card
Hi, friends!
Welcome back to Paper Play. St. Paddy’s Day is only a week away, and today’s card is in honor of the one day when we’re all Irish! Blank Page Muse recently released some fun mini calendar digitial papers, and I used the March set to create this fun step card. Just download, print, and design!
Here’s what I used to make it:
- Printed out the kit pages on 65lb white card stock.
- Used a step card die from Amazon to cut the card base from kraft card stock.
- Used the die set pieces to cut coordinating decorative papers from the kit and adhered them to the front of the card base.
- Fussy cut each of the ephemera items that I wanted to use on the card.
- Adhered ephemera to the card base with double sided tape and craft glue.
- Colored two tooth picks with a dark brown alcohol marker, adhered a piece of ephemera to each, and adhered them to the card base.
- Adhered a white card panel to the back of the card to allow for space to personalize the card.
- Sprayed the front of the card with Antique Linen Distress Spray to add some age and grunge to the card.
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
BPM/IBFS: Stamping on Wood with Romance Classic Stamps
Hey, friends!
Welcome back to Paper Play. The theme of this post is vintage romance given that the month of February celebrates all aspects of love. Today's creation may be used as a card, a mini-junk journal, or simply as a gift book. The design is rather unique - but rather fun to make. It was inspired by the Romance Classic stamps from Blank Page Muse. I saw the images and immediately thought of the being displayed on thin wooden panels with a look similar to wood burning and coloring. They're then bound together with waxed thread and faux leather front & back covers.
Here's what I used to make it:
- Romance Classic Couples Line Art Rubber Stamp Sheet Set SC92
- Birds & Clocks Rubber Stamp Set for the embossed clock on the cover
- LOVE word art rubber stamp SC88-08
- Timeless with Floral Spray Word Art Rubber Stamp
- Everlasting Fancy E Art Word Rubber Stamp
- World Map Global View with Compass Art Rubber Stamp
- Brutus Monroe Gilded Embossing Powder
- Various Tim Holtz Distress Ink Sprays
- Tim Holtz Walnut Staun and Tea zdue Distress Inks
- Wooden rectangle plates
- Stamped each of the couple stamps onto the wood plates using the walnut stain ink.
- Using a paintbrush, brushed various spray stains onto each of the wooden plates.
- Stamped words onto wooden plates with walnut stain ink.
- Colored each of the images with colored pencils.
- Added some grunge to the wooden plates with tea dye ink.
- Created front and back covers with brown card stock, chipboard, and spray inks.
- Once dry, used Gilded embossing powder and heat set images onto front and back covers.
- Stamped sentiment onto inside of front cover using walnut stain ink.
- Using a Dremel tool, drilled holes onto left hand side of plates.
- Aligned front and back covers with wooden plates and punched binding holes into each.
- Sewed the wooden plates and covers together with waxed thread to bind them together.
Saturday, February 10, 2024
BPM/IBFS: You Belong to Me
Hey there, crafty friends!
Thanks for coming back to Paper Play. Today’s post is all about L-O-V-E. I am what you might call a hopeless romantic. I always have been. I’m also not ashamed to say that music, movies, the news, and even commercials can make me tear up - especially music. It speaks to me on a personal level. I truly believe that there is a song for every occasion or moment. With this in mind, I heard a song in my mind as soon as I saw these photo booth stamps on the Blank Page Muse website. Do you know, “You Belong to Me”? No . . . not the Taylor Swift song! Or even the great Carly Simon pop song. I heard the original You Belong to Me, made popular by Jo Stafford in the 1950’s:
See the pyramids along the Nile
Watch the sun rise on a tropic isle
Just remember, darling, all the while
You belong to me
I used this song as the inspiration for my design: photo booth photos of two couples, a classic car, some vintage grunge showing the age of the card, and words in colors that remind me of that decade. I framed the card panel with the black card stock of the card base.
I used the following Blank Page Muse products to create it:
- Vintage Image Photobooth Collage Rubber Stamp KIT KITPhb Slimline Card
- Classic Car Front end view Black Art Rubber Stamp
- Romance Classic Couples Line Art Rubber Stamp Sheet Set SC92
Here’s how I created it:
- Stamped classic car in black ink at the bottom center of card panel
- Filled in metallic accents on car with a silver gel pen
- Stamped the photo frames (from Deep Red Stamps) with three shades of Distess Ink (Tea Dye, Antique Linen, and Lost Shadow) to get the color I was looking for
- Stamped the couples with vintage photo and colored them in cool gray shades
- Added some aging with Antique Linen Distress Ink
- Adhered the photos to thr frames with double sided tape
- Decided where I wanted to place the photos so that I knew where to stamp the romantic words
- Stamped the words in various colors
- Affixed photos with double sided foam tape
- Added light grunge to the card panel with Antique Linen Distress Ink
- Affixed card panel to card base with double sided tape
Overall, a very simple card to create! But it tells a deep story of two couples, from years gone by, the special times they shared together, and their love that grew stronger. What better way to tell your special someone that you love them?
I hope that you enjoyed your time with me on Paper Play today. I look forward to the next time. Until then . . . be well!
Saturday, January 20, 2024
BPM/IBFS: Winter Fun
Hi friends!
Welcome back to Paper Play. Today’s share continues with the theme of my last Blank Page Muse post of celebrating through the eyes of childhood wonder. The thrill of skating in the winter; gliding along as the snow gently falls. The quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson is the perfect accompaniment for it.
Here’s what I used to make it:
Blank Page Muse Winter Wonderland Art Rubber Stamp Sheet Set https://blankpagemuse.com/products/winter-wonderland-art-rubber-stamp-sheet-set.html
Blank Page Muse Announced By All Sentiment Art Rubber Stamp https://blankpagemuse.com/products/announced-by-all-sentiment-art-rubber-stamp-tts124-04.html
Trees stamp from Tim Holtz
Blue foil card stock
Black card stock
Here’s I made it:
Cut a 1.5” strip of blue foil card stock and adhere to card panel with doible sided tape. This becomes the ice.
Stanped the trees just above the ice on card panel with Indigo blue ink.
Splattered white ink to make snow.
Stamped the ice skaters onto gray card stock with blank ink; colored over the skaters with a metallic black market; fussy cut the image and adhered it to the card panel with double sided tape.
Adhered card panel to card base with double sides tape.
The vintage images are so beautiful and make me happy. This is the perfect card to send as a hello to a winter weather lover!
Thank you for spending some time here with me today. Until next time . . . be well!
Gecko Galz 15th Annual Blog Hop
Hello Everyone! We want to welcome everyone to the Gecko Galz 15th Annual Blog Hop This is our Tricks and Treats Blog Hop! We have 14 A...
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Hello Everyone! We want to welcome everyone to the Gecko Galz 14th Annual Blog Hop. This is our Tricks and Treats Blog Hop! We ha...
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Hello Everyone! We want to welcome everyone to the Gecko Galz 15th Annual Blog Hop This is our Tricks and Treats Blog Hop! We have 14 A...







































