Up, Up and Away!

Here in Boise, Idaho, we have an annual festival called the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic. For one week in late August, the skies are filled with the brilliant colors and extraordinary shapes of hot air balloons. (Photo credit: www.spiritofboise.com) 

This festival inspired my latest card creation. I just love the gorgeous "Follow Your Dreams" 3D hot air balloon stickers that you can get for free with a qualifying order from FSJ. They are retiring June 30 and only available while supplies last. 

The stickers are two and three layers deep, and add so much texture and color to your card. When used in combination with the FSJ Cloud Dreams dies and some leftover bits of Mirror Gold paper, they make a really beautiful, sunny card to brighten anyone's day. And about that Mirror Gold paper - it's on the expensive side because it is very high quality, so don't waste a single scrap. The ultra thin strips at the top and bottom of this card were leftovers from a previous project. 

The "thinking of you" message from the brilliant, versatile Inside & Out stamp set is perfect for this card. The front sentiment is heat set with Journey Gold Embossing Powder on Journey Vellum, which is thick enough to withstand the heat of the Journey Heat Tool without warping. Inside the card is a sweet message about spreading sunshine, which this card will certainly do. Consider using these balloons for a birthday card, or even a graduation note!

Supplies List

• Stamps: Inside & Out
• Dies: Cloud Dreams Bundle
• Inks: Clear Pigment Ink
• Cardstock: Whip Cream, Mirror Gold, Journey Vellum
• Coloring Tools: Journey Gold Embossing Powder
• Embellishments: Follow Your Dreams adhesive stickers
• Adhesives: Journey Craft Glue, Journey Foam Squares, Mini Glue Dots

To purchase these supplies and so much more, visit my FSJ store front. 

Coffee Gift Set

Some days you just can't function without a good cuppa Joe. "First coffee, then do all the things," am I right? Coffee gifts, cards, and images are all the rage these days, for good reason. Fun Stampers Journey has an adorable set of coffee stamps and dies to meet all your caffeinated needs.

This gift set uses both the Coffee Helps stamp and die bundle, and the Coffee First die set which can make both hot coffees and cold, blended coffee drinks. You could also make smoothies with this adorable die set!

I used both of these versatile sets to create a coffee themed gift set in cozy colors that would be perfect for a Christmas gift, or winter birthday. I know it's only June, but it's never too late to get started on your Christmas list!

I've used the Journey Squares and Journey Rectangle dies to create a faux Polaroid frame to highlight the sentiment, and I've decorated the card with various images from the stamp set. I made the tag using the ever-useful Bread Tag die, and decorated it with die cuts from the Coffee First set. 

On yesterday's post, I taught you how to make your own custom faux Washi tape, using the Tape It stamp set. I attached a couple pieces to my card using Journey Craft glue, which won't show behind the Journey Vellum. The straw on the tag is also made using the same technique. 

Finally, the Ink Splat ATS really looks like spilled coffee when stamped in Hazelnut Blend ink. I stamped it on the envelope to tie it all together. 

Supplies List

• Stamps: Coffee Helps, Tape It, Ink Splat ATS
• Dies: Coffee Helps, Coffee First, Bread Tag, Journey Rectangles, Journey Squares
• Inks: Oatmeal Cookie, Hazelnut Blend, Dark Roast, Cranberry Crisp
• Cardstock: Whip Cream, Cool Pool, Oatmeal Cookie, Dark Roast, Corrugated Stock, Journey Vellum
• Coloring Tools: Journey Color Burst Pencils
• Adhesives: Journey Craft Glue, Journey Foam Squares, Mini Glue Dots

To purchase these supplies and so much more, visit my FSJ store front. 

Technique: DIY Custom Washi Tape

How many rolls of Washi Tape do you own? I'll bet I've collected at least 30 different colors, patterns, and widths. It's such a fun, inexpensive way to dress up a card. But all those rolls can really add up and sometimes you just run out of space to store them all. So here's a fun tip! You can create your own Washi tape to match your project. The Tape It stamp set by Fun Stampers Journey allows you to create your own Washi tape in a number of different patterns, and any color you want. 

You can stamp it onto plain white paper and it looks great. But if you want that true Washi tape transparent look, try stamping it on Journey Vellum and then cutting each end with a pair of pinking shears or other deckle edged scissors (or just tear it!) 

FSJ's True Color Fusion Inks can be stamped on just about any surface. It takes a while to dry on vellum and I'm impatient, so I used my Journey Heat Tool to set it in just a few seconds. Did you know that you can heat emboss on Journey Vellum? Our high-quality vellum is thicker than the typical vellum you can find at your local craft store, so it doesn't warp under the heat. Try embossing your Washi designs in any color of embossing powder you like. It looks spectacular in gold!

Check my blog tomorrow to see a card using my custom Washi tape. Here's a sneak peek:

Mirror, Mirror

I love quick, simple cards for those days when you need to send handmade kindness but you have just a few minutes available to create something spectacular. It can be done! I promise. Here, I've backed a sheet of Whip Cream cardstock with a White Liner (sticky paper) sheet, and then die cut it with the Layered Leaves die. This makes the back of the die cut piece all sticky on the back, so you can attach it right to the Mirror Gold paper without using any additional adhesive.

Next, I layered a strip of vellum, and then a butterfly from the Small Things stamp set, heat embossed in Black Licorice and then colored quickly with PanPastels. (Tip: Our Journey Craft Glue dries clear underneath vellum!) Finally, I layered black cardstock onto a White Liner sheet, and die cut 3 of the "congrats" sentiment from the Designer Frames die set. I peeled off the sticker backing paper and layered the 3 sentiments on top of each other. Then I coated the sentiment with Journey Glaze to make it thick and shiny.

In less than 30 minutes (minus drying time) this card is finished!

Supplies List

• Stamps: Small Things
• Dies: Small Things, Designer Frames, Layered Leaves
• Inks: Clear Pigment Ink
• Cardstock: Whip Cream, Black Licorice, Mirror Gold, Journey Vellum
• Coloring Tools: PanPastels, Black Licorice Embossing Powder
• Adhesives: Journey Craft Glue, Journey Foam Squares, Mini Glue Dots, Journey Glaze, White Liner Sheets

To purchase these supplies and so much more, visit my FSJ store front.