The Wacky Watercooler Blog Hop Steps It Up for August

I don't know about you but I simply can't believe how quickly this summer is zooming by.  Not only is it rolling by quickly, but its time for the Wacky Watercooler Blog Hop once again.   Didn't we just celebrate?

I want  to welcome the awesome Fiona Whitehead to our group of Wacky Watercooler designers. Fiona's participated in many of our challenges and is a very talented stamper whom I know you're going to enjoy!  

The Wacky Watercooler Blog Hops has been pretty consistent over the years with design artists generally featuring three different projects for the hop. but we've thrown that concept out the window for today.  Yes, that's right, our August hop has a twist that we hope you'll enjoy!  Each design artist is starting out with an ordinary "I'm in a hurry I need to get this done" type of card".  Their second project will take that very same card and "step it up" a notch, and then our final projects will be a totally stepped up version that shows how fancy we really can get with this card. Don't be fooled, this is not as easy as it sounds!

Before we begin, our hops work on a circle basis so if you've started with me, just keep following the links until you wind up back here again.  If you've arrived from Heidi Weaver's blog I'm sure you're still reeling from her amazing projects.  At the end of my post just click on the Watercooler that says "next" and you'll go to Marsha Reed's amazing Coffeepot Stamping Cafe, where she has some fabulous projects.  What fun!

Project One: 
Okay, so this is the starting point of my "plain jane", "simple", "I'm in a hurry" type of card.  The focal point, the hydrangea, comes from a set I hadn't had an opportunity to use yet called Thoughtful Branches and it's matching Beautiful Branches Framelits.  This bundle is available only during the month of August or as long as supplies last.  So, what better time than this hop to show case it, and boy am I glad I did, not only for the end results but because it was an exceptionally fun bundle to use. 
 

Supplies:  (Note:  This supply list is for the three projects)
Stamp Sets:  Gorgeous Grunge, Thoughtful Branches (Limited Edition Only Available in August 2016),and Butterfly Basics. 
Ink:  Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum, Rich Razzleberry) So Saffron, Sweet Sugarplum, Wisteria Wonder
Card Stock:  Sahara Sand, Rich Razzleberry, Pear Pizazz, Sweet Sugarplum, Whisper White.
Accessories:  Big Shot, Trimmer, Beautiful Branches Framelits (Limited Edition Only Available through August 2016 or while supplies last), Itty Bitty Accents Flower Image Punch(R), Small Butterfly Punch, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Basic Rhinestones, Fluttering Embossing Folder 

How It's Made:  
1.  I cut an 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" piece of Sahara Sand card stock for the base and scored it at 4 1/4". 
2.  I looked very carefully at the fading hydrangeas in my garden to get the colour perspective and then created a palette on a piece of Whisper White card stock, using the Gorgeous Grunge splatter and spot stamps and the hydrangea image from the Thoughtful Branches set.  The colour mix was made up of:  Perfect Plum, So Saffron, Elegant Eggplant, Sweet Sugarplum and Wisteria Wonder.  

Note: I took this picture before I stamped the hydrangea image across it, so it was a lot fuller when I finished.

 3.  I cut out the hydrangea flower head with the Beautiful Branches Framelits.  It cut like butter and I must say I was so impressed, because I don't have a precision plate.

4.  I cut a second hydrangea out of Sweet Sugarplum card stock and adhered the two flower pieces together with foam tape. Glue the combined flower head in the top left hand corner using Tom Bow glue.  Tip One:  Before adding the adhesive shift the flowers just slightly so it the flower head looks fuller. Tip Two: There isn't a lot of room between the floors to fit in dimensionals so instead I cut a very small strip across the top of my adhesive foam strip and these eensy weensy pieces fit perfectly to separate the two layers and give some fullness.  

5.  Cut the stem from Pear Pizzazz card stock and adhere with Tom Bow glue.  I just did tiny little dots of glue on the back side of the leaf image and I used tweezers to lay it down on the card stock and secure.  

6.  The beautiful "Thank You" sentiment from Thoughtful Branches was stamped in Elegant Eggplant Ink just below the leaf on the left hand side of the card bottom.  

7.  The inside of the card has a 5 1/4" x 4" panel of Whisper White card stock with the simple "Your Kindness Makes a Difference" sentiment stamped in Elegant Eggplant ink.  

Project Two:

For the second project the following changes were added:
1.  I added a 5 3/8" x 4 1/8" layer of Rich Razzleberry card stock.

2.  The next layer is a 5 1/4" x 4" layer of Sahara Sand card stock.

3.  I stamped and assembled a hydrangea the same as in project one.

4.  I added a small Rich Razzleberry butterfly to the leaf.  It was punched out with the Bitty Butterfly punch. and three basic rhinestones were added to its center. 

5.  I used a retired punch called the Itty Bitty Accent punch (flower image) to punch out a number of small flower images which I shaped with a stylus ball so they had some shape. The flowers were attached with Mini Glue Dots.  I also added small basic rhinestones to their centers.

6.  The stem and sentiment placement was the same. 

7.  Nothing changed on the inside of the card.  

Project Three:

For my third project the following changes were added:

1. I added the Rich Razzleberry layer as in project two.

2. The Sahara Sand layer was embossed with the Fluttering Embossing folder.

3. I stamped the Thank you sentiment  as in projects one and two.  I then stamped the honeycomb stamp from Butterfly Basics , randomly over the Sahara Sand layer.  I used Sweet Sugarplum ink, but I stamped off before applying each image.
  
4.  I added the hydrangea as in Project Two but added more flowers and fluffed out the base so it was fuller. Instead of adding Basic Rhinestones I added small Basic Pearls.  I added Wink of Stella to all of the flowers.

5.  The stem placement was the same but I coloured the leaves and stem with Wink of Stella.

6.  I added two more butterflies in Rich Razzleberry and one in Sweet Sugarplum to the stem and added pearls to their centers instead of rhinestones.

7.  For the inside of the card I added a 4" x 5 1/4" layer of Rich Razzleberry card stock followed by a 3 3/4" x 5" layer of Whisper White.  The sentiment remained the same, however I randomly stamped the honeycomb image and added three butterflies.

Well that's it for my three "STEP IT UP" cards.  I hope you enjoyed this presentation, and the way I've used this stamp set to create them. I'd like to hear your comments, and which card you liked the most.
 

Marsha Reed

Heidi Weaver

Wacky Watercooler Blog Hop 

Happy Stamping!
Penny Tokens Stampin Spot
August Hostess Code:  EZGKEM73

Wacky Watercooler August Blog Hop

Wow it's August already and time for another Wacky Watercooler Blog Hop. This hop is called "Let's Sprinkle August With Life" and runs from today through Saturday August 22nd, 2015.  We're showcasing the Sprinkles of Life Stamp Set from the new 2015/2016 Annual Catalogue!

If you've been following the hop, you should have arrived here from the very talented and creative Debbie Spano's site. She has such awesome projects! 

We hope you'll enjoy our virtual hop, learn some great techniques for your paper crafting projects or simply enjoy visiting our 12 participants sites and seeing all their great creations! Be sure to click on the "next button" at the end of the post to continue your journey on this blog hop or return to the start point.

Projects One & Two - Sprinkles of Life: 

I'm so happy to be showcasing the Sprinkles of Life Stamp Set along with my fellow Wacky Watercooler designers for the first two projects today.  What fun! 

This set includes 22 Photopolymer versatile stamps 

The Sprinkles of Life Stamp set is notably one of Stampin' Ups! most popular stamp sets this year, and there are a couple of very important reasons for that:  

• The first reason is that Stampin' Up! donates time and money to support Ronald McDonald House Charities. To date they've contributed over $1,000,000 to RHMC and their network of local RMHC Chapters. When you buy the Sprinkles of Life Stamp Set, Stampin' Up! donates a portion ($3.00) of the proceeds to RMHC. 

• The second reason is that it's down right fun to use this set!  You can unleash your creative genius and stamp your heart out with these very versatile stamps.  You can make cards for any occasion using a myriad of combinations of the 22 photopolymer images and sentiments. Your projects can be adorned with cupcakes, clouds, rain, ice cream cones, baskets of flowers, apples, trees and much, much more.  And, as if that's not enough, there's even a co-ordinating Tree Builder punch, to make cutting out the tops of the cupcakes, trees, clouds etc. that much faster.

All Occasion 3 x 3 Note Cards & Gift Box: 
I love having small note cards on hand to tuck into hostess gifts or as a small thank you for good deeds.  You can never have enough of them.  So, for my first project I designed a set of 4 note cards with matching envelopes and a gift box holder using the Sprinkles of Life Set .

The Gift Box:

 

Love this cute little gift box.  It holds 4 gift cards and matching envelopes and is simply tied shut with a ribbon.

The 16" piece of ribbon simply slides under the Whisper White mat that is mounted to the box front with dimensionals and ties at the top of the box. 

Here's what the back of the box looks like when it's closed and done up with the ribbon. 

  3 x 3 Note Cards:
The four note cards that I made match the front of the gift box.  
 

This cute little scene began by stamping the tree trunk from the Sprinkles of Life stamp set onto a 2" x 2" piece of Whisper White card stock.  Next I added two bunches of flower stems around the base of the tree in Cucumber Crush ink.  The flower heads were stamped in Hello Honey and Watermelon Wonder inks. The clouds were sponged in Soft Sky ink around a 1 3/4" scalloped circle.  The top and sides of the square were sponged with Soft Sky ink to blend in the clouds and the bottom of the square was sponged with Cucumber Crush ink.  To finish off the little scene I added small basic rhinestones for a touch of glimmer.  The foliage on the tree was stamped on a piece of Cucumber Crush card stock and then punched out with the Tree Builder punch.  I used dimensionals to adhere it above the tree trunk.

That might sound like a lot of work, but trust me you can complete this card front in just a few minutes.  It will put a smile on your face when you're done!

The Envelopes:

 

I am hooked on using the Envelope Punch Board.  It's one of the best tools I have and I use it for every project that requires an envelope.  Here I made four cute little 31/4 x 31/4" envelopes from Whisper White card Stock.  I've lined then with paper from the Cherry On Top Designer Paper Pack (DSP).  I stamped the flower image on the front left corner of each of the cards, repeating the colouration and design from the front and inside of the gift cards.

How cute is this? 

See below for link to measurements and how to make the liner.  It's super easy!

 

Supplies:
Stamp sets: Sprinkles of Life
Card Stock:  Bermuda Bay and Whisper White 
DSP:  Cherry on Top Designer Series Paper Pack
Ink:  Cucumber Crush, Hello Honey, Tip Top Taupe, Watermelon Wonder, and Soft Sky
Accessories:  1 3/4" Scalloped Circle Punch, Basic Rhinestones, 16" White Cotton Ribbon, Envelope Punch Board, Paper Trimmer, Adhesive, Dimensionals

Cutting Dimensions for Four Cards:
1.  Cut 4 pieces Bermuda Bay to measure 3 x 6" and score at 3" (card base).
2.  DSP layer cut 4 pieces 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" adhere to card base.
3.  2nd layer - cut 4 pieces of Bermuda Bay measuring 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" adhere to DSP layer.
4.  3rd layer - cut 4 pieces of Whisper White card stock, adhere to Bermuda Bay layer once stamping has been completed.   

Card Box and Envelopes: 
For full details on making the card box, envelopes and cards click here for my original tutorial.


Project Two - Sprinkles of Life Positivity Card
One of the wonderful things about the Sprinkles of Life set is that it is definitely full of "positives".  That became the theme for my next card which could be used as a birthday card, an incentive card or a "just because card".  

The positive affirmation on this card reads:  Hope Your Day Stacks Up to Be One Good Thing On Top of Another!

This is the inside of the card.  I simply repeated the ice cream cone from the front of the card but omitted the glitter. 

Love these cones.  I stamped the cones onto Tip Top Taupe card stock and then fussy cut them with my detail scissors and adhered them over the 1 3/4" x 4 1/4" DSP layer.  I stamped and punched out the ice cream scoops from Hello Honey and Watermelon Wonder card stocks.  The scoops were added above the cone with dimensionals. I highlighted the design on the scoops and cherries with Dazzling Details glitter (luv that stuff).  The cute little window and frame was made using my brand new Lots of Labels Framelits.  I'm delighted with how it turned out and I know I'll be using these framelits a lot.

Supplies:
Stamp Set:  Sprinkles of Life 
Card Stock:  Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Watermelon Wonder, Hello Honey and Tip Top Taupe
DSP:  Cherry on Top Designer Series Paper Pack 
Inks:  Bermuda Bay, Watermelon Wonder, Tip Top Taupe, Hello Honey
Accessories:  Large Polka Dot TIEF, Lots of Labels Framelits (new), Tree Builder punch, Big Shot, Magnetic Platform, Paper Trimmer, Detail Scissors,and Dazzling Details Glitter.

Project Three - Case The Catalogue: 
We had such a blast and received such excellent feedback from our July Blog Hop "CASE THE PROJECT", that we decided to do it again.  If you haven't checked it out, the Annual Catalogue is an absolute treasure trove of design ideas.  No need to buy a stamping magazine or search Pinterest, it's all there and you simply can't go wrong CASEing projects from it.

Here's the card I'm CASEing.  It's from page 114 of the Annual Catalogue and features the stamp set "Blended Bloom".  

I loved using the original design of this card but changed it up a bit to meet my own needs.  CASEing this card was a great opportunity to use another of my favourite tools the Mini Treat Bag Thinlets and my new Brick Wall Embossing Folder.   Here's my card:

I wanted a sophisticated looking card for my upscale friend who has a passion for white, yellow and black.  I switched up the flower from Watermelon Wonder to Daffodil Delight.  I loved the bold stripes on the original banner but decided to go more subtle with a smaller striped pattern from the Go Wild Designer Series paper pack and the Triple Banner Punch.  The Blended Bloom image was stamped onto Daffodil Delight card stock with Momento Tuxedo Black Ink.  I love the depth you get with that ink and it dries so quickly.  The flower has three layers and I used a Zentangle technique to add dimension to the petals. 

Here's the back side of the treat bag.  I joined two 2" x 6" pieces of DSP together and punched out the banner with the Triple Banner punch.  Sorry this is such a lousy picture........ it's pouring rain out and there's no natural light.  Grrrrrrrr.

 

You can see the detail on the flower a bit more in this shot. I stamped the flower image on Daffodil Delight card stock three times to create the flower layers.  Each layer was fussy cut and the edges were sponged with black ink. Black was coloured into the edges on the flowers to give them a rolled look and adding Crystal Effects to these coloured areas gives them more depth. The basic rhinestones in the flower's center were coloured with a Black Sharpie Alcohol Marker.  I didn't like the bow in the flower center on the original card, so this was the "just right" finish for mine.

A gift card tucks nicely into the DSP pocket.

I cut a 2" x 3 1/2"  piece of the designer series paper and put a thin line of adhesive around the outer edges and bottom to adhere it to the Daffodil Delight card stock.  I stamped a partial image of the flower in black ink.

I like to write my own personal message on my cards so I added a 3 x 4 1/4" piece of Whisper White card stock to the back of the Gift Card insert.

Supplies:
Stamp Sets:  Blended Bloom and Wetlands
DSP:  Go Wild Designer Series Paper Pack
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black 
Cardstock:  Whisper White, Daffodil Delight
Accessories:  Big Shot Machine, Brick Wall Embossing Folder, Crystal Effects, Banner Triple Punch, Basic Rhinestones, Black Sharpie Marker Alcohol based, Detail Scissors, Tom Bow glue, Adhesive Strips, Paper Trimmer. 

Well that's it for this month's projects.  I hope you liked them and will leave me a comment or two on your favourites, and come back again.  Thanks for visiting!

Heidi Weaver our fabulous blog host and super talented Wacky Watercooler Designer is next on this blog hop so make sure you click on the "next" button below to move to her blog.   You won't want to miss her wonderful and exciting projects!

Heidi Weaver

Debbie Spano

Wacky Watercooler August Blog Hop - Start

Happy Stamping!
Penny Tokens