Hello stampers and happy Good Friday to you. Just a very short blog post for you today. I made these adorable Tea Boutique tea bag holders for my private Prime Time With the Pampered Stamper group. That means that although I will share the projects with you, I will not be sharing the directions and measurements. They are exclusive to this group which you of course are most welcome to join! You can read more about it here.
Tea Boutique Tea Bag Holders
While the idea of these is quite simple, it does take a little time to put together when you add all the cute little details. I made two versions. One is made with the Flowering Fields paper and the other with the brand new Tea Boutique paper.
This is the plain version, what follows is the fancier one. Which one do you like better?
Did you know that you don’t have to wait to get this suite until May 1? If you get the starter kit you can put this suite in it! It is #158670. Here is the link to join my Canadian team. Live in Europe? Awesome, you can join my fledgling team here!
Here is the Flowering Fields version, also totally adorable! These would be perfect for an Easter brunch place setting gift. The detailed dies look very nice tone on tone for an elegant look, don’t you think? The sayings on the projects below come from the Dutch set Thee en Troost which translated means “tea and comfort”. How often don’t we pour a cup of tea to soothe frayed nerves? I like the name of the set much better in Dutch. In English it is simple Cup of Tea.
Time for a Road Trip
Gerard and I are heading out for a weekend away to the historic city of Spa in Belgium. I will be sharing photos and videos on my Pampered Stamper Facebook page! I hope you have a great Easter weekend and thanks so much for joining me today! Click on the product images below to shop in my online store!
Hello stampers and happy Wednesday to you. Today I am going to share with you “romancing” Timeless Tulips. Timeless Tulips is a stamp set and coordinating punch that has been with us for a while. Last year it even had coordinating paper during saleabration that had tulips that could be punched out. Truth be told I was not in love with the images in this set. They were too “geometrical” for me. Not enough romance and softness. What’s a girl to do?
Romancing Timeless Tulips
After having visited the famous Keukenhof gardens for a spectacular display of all flowering spring bulbs, I was inspired to make a tulip card. Since I had not used this stamp set in such a long time, it was time to dust it off. I realized that the sentiments in this set are truly wonderful AND it is also available in Dutch. But what to do about those “severe” tulips?
I decided to stamp them on shimmery white cardstock and then soften them with a water painter. The results were even better than I had hoped for. Not only did it give a lovely, soft look, it also curled the paper just a little for a nice 3D effect. Let’s take a look and then you can tell me what you think too!
Here you can see the tulips closeup. The tulip builder punch makes a tulip and a leaf. The leaves can also be used to make a tulip. How amazing is that? I show you how to do that in my video which you can click on below to watch on YouTube.
Video Tutorial
If you want to see how this card came about, take a look at the video below. If you click “watch on YouTube” that would be the best!!
One More Card
I decided to make one more card showing the tulips and leaves stamped directly on shimmery white cardstock. No fussy cutting, no punched tulips or leaves. My cousin Martin was a lover of nature so this card is a tribute to his memory.
Punched and Stamped Tulips and Leaves
I thought it might be helpful for you to see some of the punched images and the difference between regularly stamped and “romanced” tulips. You will agree that this is a very versatile stamp set for many different occasions! The punch also can be used to create a solid cardstock tulip without stamping. I see that I forgot to add the brushed brass butterflies to the supply list, so you can see them here. (click on the blue text) If you live in Europe and want to shop with me you can click here.
If you want to see some cards made with the non-stamped tulips, check out this blog post here.
Get Them Before They’re Gone
When I decided to use this stamp set and punch for my Cheer Corner card I had no idea that they were retiring. Now I know, so I can remind you to get it while you can. Check the product list below and then you can see all the sentiments that are included in this stamp set. It’s a good one!!
Items that are retiring are only available while supplies last or until April 30, 2022. You can see the list for Europe here and the list in Canada here.
Thanks so much for joining me again today, hope you were inspired! Have a super day and hugs from Holland.
Hello stampers and happy Monday to you. Last week I made another Crane of Fortune card and it has made me want to make more! Crane of Fortune is an Asian-inspired stamp set that is also made with the DistINKtive technique. What does this mean? It means that the stamp is made to look like you have used different colours with it when in reality it is only stamped once. Very clever! Let’s take a look.
Crane of Fortune: Using the Catalog for Inspiration
What do you do when you need inspiration for a stamp set? I would guess that most of us troll the internet. Pinterest, YouTube, Facebook groups or a Google search. These are all great ideas but it can lead you down the rabbit hole of time lapse! Why not do what I did? Just open your catalog and see what our in house artists have done with it. This will usually get your own creative juices flowing and it doesn’t take up a lot of time either. Both of the cards that I am going to share with you today were “cased” from the catalog. C.A.S.E. means copy and share everything.
Here is the inside of this slimline Crane of Fortune card that I made for my Monday Cheer Corner video on YouTube . The colour combination came from the list of colours that were used in the patterned paper in the Symbols of Fortune suite.
Video Tutorial
If you would like to see firsthand how to make this card, you can watch this video. It will have the measurements as well both in metric and imperial.
If you click on the black “watch on YouTube” then you can also subscribe to my channel right away and become a part of that vibrant community as well. Every now and then I offer fantastic prizes to my subscribers just to keep things interesting.
Second Crane of Fortune Card
This second card was made for my exclusive Prime Time group. You can be a part of this group as well if you like! It started as a way to keep my business afloat when COVID first hit. The cost is only $10 a month and you get a weekly exclusive video and a monthly 16 project pdf tutorial. The videos are every Thursday at 10am EST and on Wednesday I post the supply list and measurements so that you can play along. Simply click here if you want to join.
Here is the inside of the card. You can see that I continued with the same colour theme of calypso coral and soft succulent, this time with a touch of crumb cake.
Real Floral Inspiration
I hope you enjoyed these Crane of Fortune cards. Many weeks ago I shared some cards made by an Artisan design team member when this suite first came out. You can see them here.
Yesterday I had the incredible privilege and delight to be able to go to Keukenhof gardens. It did not disappoint! What a gorgeous display of flowers, trees and water. Even the grass is incredible!!
A kind stranger took a photo of us together! We went on a Sunday afternoon so we were still dressed up from church. Bailey came with too and he loved it! Do you agree with me that dogs can smile?
Thanks!
Thank you so much for joining me here today. I love reading your comments and seeing when you share my blog posts on Pinterest or Facebook. You are a very important part of keeping my business vibrant and I appreciate it so much. Comments, shares, orders, participation in either Prime Time or my Training Group, it’s all fantastic!!
I hope you have a super day and a great start to this new week. Sometimes life can be crushingly difficult and then you need to take simple pleasures in the small moments. The song of a bird, the colour of a flower the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Sending hugs and prayers for whatever you may be dealing with today as well. Hugs from Holland!
Hello stampers and happy Wednesday to you. This is the first Wednesday of the month and that means it is the Monthly Global video hop. The theme is Anything but a Card. I chose to do a home decor piece. Aren’t you supposed to do something everyday that scares you? I chose to make a watercolour painting with stamps. Let’s take a look.
Anything but a card
Did you know that Stampin’Up! carries watercolour paper? It comes in 5″ by 7″ pieces but I had to cut it down to 4″ by 6″ to fit the opening in my frame. Don’t throw those extra strips away! They are perfect for practicing different techniques and for trying different amounts of water saturation.
Here you can see it unframed.
My First Attempt
This was the first watercolour I did and then I forgot to take a picture of it in natural light. These photos were taken at night so they’re not the best, but they will have to do. I like this version too. You will notice that I had a little too much water on my reeds.
I’m Curious!
Which watercolour do you prefer? The one with or without words? When you tackle a project like this each one of your attempts will be different. It is so much fun and your pack of watercolour paper comes with ten sheets! What are you waiting for?
Video Tutorial
Here is my video showing you how I did it.
Hugs from Holland
By the time you are reading this I am spending my fourth day in Holland already! I am so excited to share pictures of Holland in the spring. This is the first time that I am in Holland for early April. It is also my shortest stay in quite a while, just a month this time. Thanks for joining me today and happy stamping!
Hello stampers and happy Monday to you! I thought it very fitting to write a blog post today called Many Happenings! Today is my dear mama’s 90th birthday. What a tremendous blessing to still have both of my parents, now 90 and 95 still living in their own home, still in love and still mentally sharp. Praise God!
Many Happenings
Many Happenings is a one piece stamp set that has many, many sayings on it. You stamp once and then you cut them all out using the coordinating Messages Dies. There is a second stamp set called Many Messages that also coordinates with this die. The dies are retiring AND on sale! The stamp sets are both retiring but they are not on sale. Get them before they disappear as retiring products are only available while supplies last.
I used this set to make my Prime Time cards last Thursday. These videos and instructions are exclusive for this private group, but YOU can join too for only $10 a month. Why so cheap? I wanted to make it accessible to all especially when COVID happened and we couldn’t do in person classes and I needed a way to keep my business afloat. Here is the link to join. As a thank you for your loyal support, you get a free pdf tutorial each month that is worth $20.
Clean and Simple Card
As much as I love the sailboat, I think the card is even nicer without it. Am I the only one craving a clean and simple look? Which is your preference?
Can you guess which stamp set I used for th background? I know, it looks just like patterned paper! Tip: you can find it in the product list at the bottom of this blog post.
There are no words
It’s true. Sometimes there are no words. Only feelings. Empathic silence. A hug. This card conveys just that. Perhaps it could have used a few birds stamped simply in the sky. You can find a great bird stamp in the On The Horizon stamp set.
Prime Time Cards
Here is a photo of all the cards I made for my Prime Time Group. It’s nice seeing them side by side so you can see the subtle differences.
Thanks!
Thanks so much for joining me today. Tomorrow I fly to be with my love again. I’m over the moon excited! Each time we are apart it gets harder. Looking forward to sharing my travels with you again. Let me know if I can meet any of your stamping needs. Have a super day!
