C O L O R S T Y L E...add color with CLEARSNAP

Late Bloomers

Orange and yellow set the scene for late summer flowers on a fresh green card.  The graceful background vine, from the Fancy Edges Design Adhesives, is used with the new Designer Foils in bright Irish Eyes green. It was so easy to foil the vine that I foiled the greeting too.  "Seek Joy." is from the Sentiments Design Adhesives.

ColorBox Fluid Chalk Inkpads were used to add Tangerine and Yellow Citrus to the chipboard flowers from Blue Hills Studio.  The flowers' centers are another Design Adhesive pattern - Flurries, from the Memory Box Collection by Dave Brethauer.  They're glittered with Sweet Orange and Honey Glow.  

Create several of these cards in different color combinations and have them ready to send a quick greeting or words of encouragement to someone special.

Here are the instructions for this project:

Clearsnap Products

• Fancy Edges Design Adhesives
• Sentiments Design Adhesives
• Flurries Design Adhesives
• Irish Eyes Designer Foils
• Sweet Orange Glitter
• Honey Glow Glitter
• ColorBox Fluid Chalk Tangerine Inkpad
• ColorBox Fluid Chalk Yellow Citrus Inkpad
• Memory Essentials Stylus and 2 White Leaf Tips

Other Products

• Bazzill Parakeet Cardstock (3-3/4" x 8-1/2" card)
• Bazzill Carrot Cardstock
• Bazzill Sundance Cardstock
• Paper Accents Sour Apple Cardstock
• Blue Hills Studio Irene's Garden Chipboard Flowers
• Soft Round Paintbrush
• 1/2" Circle Punch
• Foam Dot

Directions

• Ink the chipboard flowers with Tangerine and Yellow Citrus using the Stylus and Tips
• Cut the background vine,  greeting and two flurries from the various Design Adhesives  
• Place them on a hard flat surface, with the opaque liners on the bottom, and gently burnish them with your fingers
• Carefully remove the opaque liners and gently burnish the patterns onto the smoother side of the Sundance and Carrot Cardstock,  and the Sour Apple Cardstock.  
• Carefully remove the clear liner from the vine,  place a strip of foil on the pattern, and burnish it with your finger
• Carefully remove the foil strip and cut the cardstock to 2" x 7-1/4"
• Repeat the process with the greeting on Sour Apple Cardstock and cut it into a strip
• Repeat the process using a paintbrush to apply Honey Glow Glitter to the flurry on  the Carrot Cardstock and Sweet Orange Glitter to the flurry on the Sundance Cardstock 
• Punch the flurries into 1/2" circles and glue them to the flowers
• Cut a 2-1/2" x 6-5/8" strip of Carrot Cardstock
• Assemble the card, using a foam dot near the right edge of the greeting

Have fun experimenting with Design Adhesives, Designer Foils and Glitters from the growing collection of Clearsnap accents and embellishments.    Visit Tami Sander's stamp out loud blog for an elegant foiled thank you card and other great projects.  Or, for something a little scarier - check out the flocked Design Adhesive birds on this Halloween card.

Spooky

Switching from sweet babies over to the dark side...here's an idea for a Halloween card using two new items.  

The background is highlighted with Carrot Cake Smooch Spritz - then topped with the Spooky Collage. Burnish the  Design Adhesives onto the background, then top it with the new Plum Crazy Designer Foils for rich highlights and a dash of color.

I've been testing, designing with and loving Clearsnap's innovative products for many years.  I've always expected  - and had - good results with them.  Designer Foils are an exception.  They're not just good...they're all-out GREAT!   They come in 6 beautiful colors - and produce a rich, metallic finish, unlike the plastic-y look of many foils.    It's the best of both worlds - the rich look of leafing, without the mess - and the convenience of foils. 

    

 
 
Here are the instructions for this project:

Clearsnap Products

• Carrot Cake Smooch Spritz
• Color Catcher Spray Booth
• Memory Box Collection Brocade Design Adhesives
• Plum Crazy Designer Foils
• Peridot Glitter
• ColorBox Fluid Chalk Blackbird Inkpad
• Memory Essentials Stylus and White Leaf Tip

Stamp

• Memory Box Spooky Collage

Other Products

• Black Cardstock (5.5" square card)
• Paper Accents Brown Bag Cardstock
• Memory Box Mango Cardstock
• Memory Box Soiree Juicy Shimmer Cardstock
• Heat-tool
• Foam Dots

Directions

• Place the Mango Cardstock in the Color Catcher tabletop spray booth and spritz it with Carrot Cake
• Air-dry it for a few minutes, then briefly heat-set it to dry it completely
• Stamp Spooky Collage over the background with Blackbird and dry the ink
• Trim it to 2-3/4" x 4-14" and ink the corners and edges with the Stylus, Tip and Blackbird
• Cut the 5-flourish section from the Design Adhesives strip 
• Place it (opaque side down) on a smooth hard surface and gently burnish it with your finger
• Fold one of the blank corners back to help release the opaque liner
• Carefully remove the opaque liner and burnish the pattern onto the background
• Carefully remove the clear liner
• Place the foil strip over the adhesive pattern and burnish it with your finger
• Carefully peel the foil away from the background
• Cut a 5" x 2-1/2" strip of Brown Bag Cardstock and smudge the top, bottom and right sides with Blackbird
• Cut a 2-1/2" x 4-1/8" piece of Juicy Cardstock
• Assemble the card
• Attach three foam dots and press Peridot Glitter into the adhesive

See Tami Sanders' blog stamp out loud for more great projects - and a fabulous introduction to the latest Clearsnap products.

Baby Girl Ensemble

Tangerine, pink and teal team up with Design Adhesives, glitter and flocking on a set of cards to celebrate the arrival of a new baby girl.  The shower invitation, announcement and thank you card welcome the new princess in soft, bright chic-baby colors.

There are so many ways to use the Rollagraph Design Wheels and Design Adhesives - and an array of products to use with them.  I've glittered the new "Thanks so much" pattern here...and added pink flocking to the French Swirl to create a stylish stroller for the new baby.

Here are the instructions for these cards:

 

SHOWER INVITATION

Clearsnap Products

• My First Alphabet Rollagraph Design Wheel
• Memory Essentials Jumbo Inking Handle
• Floral Flourish Rollagraph Design Wheel
• Ancient Page Aegean Blue Jumbo Cartridge
• ColorBox Fluid Chalk Tangerine Inkpad
• Vivid! Aqua Inkpad
• ColorBox Stylus
• ColorBox White Leaf Tip
• Cotton Candy Glitter 

Other Products

• Bazzill Lagoon Cardstock (4-1/4" x 5-1/2" card)
• Bazzill Carrot Cardstock
• Paper Accents Muslin Cherub Cardstock
• Paper Accents ColorMates Light Glorious Green Cardstock
• 1-1/2" Circle Punch
• 2-1/2" Scalloped Circle Punch or Diecut System and Die
• 1/2" Circle Punch
• 1/4" Circle Punch
• 1/8" Foam Dots

Directions

• Place the Aegean Blue Cartridge and My First Alphabet Wheel into the Handle
• Remove the cartridge lid and engage the wheel
• Stamp the alphabet onto Light Glorious Green Cardstock
• Trim the cardstock to 2-1/8" x 4-1/2"
• Ink the edges using the Stylus, Tip and Aqua
• Mat it with Carrot Cardstock
• Replace the alphabet wheel and cartridge with the Floral Flourish Wheel
• Ink the wheel with Tangerine and stamp the pattern onto Carrot Cardstock
• Punch a 1-1/2" circle of the pattern, cut it in half and ink the edges with Tangerine
• Glue the pieces together to resemble a stroller
• Fold and attach a 1/8" wide strip of Carrot to form a handlebar
• Punch two 1/2" circles of Carrot Cardstock
• Punch two 1/4" circles of Light Glorious Green Cardstock
• Punch a scalloped circle and ink the edges with Tangerine
• Assemble the card
• Attach foam dots and press Cotton Candy Glitter into the adhesive

 

ANNOUNCEMENT

Clearsnap Products

• It's a Girl Rollagraph Design Wheel
• It's a Girl Design Adhesives
• Memory Essentials Jumbo Inking Handle
• ColorBox Fluid Chalk Orchid Pastel Inkpad
• Cotton Candy Glitter
• Sweet Orange Glitter

Other Products

• Paper Accents Muslin Cherub Cardstock (8-1/2" x 3-3/4" card and for stamping)
• Paper Accents Paper Accents Light Pretty Pink Cardstock
• Bazzill Lagoon Cardstock
• Bazzill Carrot Cardstock
• Soft Round Paintbrush
• Decorative Scissors or Rotary Cutter and Wavy Blade 
• 1/8" Foam Dots

Directions

• Place the wheel into the handle and ink it with Orchid Pastel
• Stamp the pattern onto the smoother side of Cherub Cardstock
• Trim the cardstock to 2" x 6-1/4" and ink the edges with Orchid Pastel
• Cut a slightly larger mat of Lagoon and trim the right edge with the wavy decorative scissors or rotary cutter
• Cut the "It's a Girl" section from the Design Adhesives strip
• Place it (with the opaque liner on the bottom) on a hard flat surface and gently burnish it with your finger
• Crease one of the blank corners and carefully remove the opaque liner
• Gently burnish the pattern onto Light Pretty Pink Cardstock and remove the clear liner
• Use a paintbrush to apply Cotton Candy Glitter
• Trim the cardstock to 2-1/2" x 2-1/8" and mat it with a slightly larger piece of Carrot Cardstock
• Trim the right edge with the decorative scissors or rotary cutter
• Assemble the card
• Attach foam dots and press Sweet Orange Glitter onto the adhesive

THANK YOU CARD

Clearsnap Products

• French  Swirl Design Adhesives
• ManyThanks Design Adhesives
• Ocean Spray Glitter
• Sweet Orange Glitter

Other Supplies

• Bazzill Carrot Cardstock (4-7/8" x 3-1/2" card and for circles)
• Paper Accents ColorMates Light Glorious Green Cardstock
• Paper Accents ColorMates Light Pretty Pink Cardstock
• Paper Accents Muslin Peppermint Cardstock
• Pink Flocking 
• Soft Round Paintbrush
• 1-1/2" Circle Punch
• 1/2" Circle Punch
• 1/4" Circle Punch
• Wavy Decorative Scissors or Rotary Cutter and Blade
• 1/8" Foam Dots

Directions

• Cut a swirl from the Design Adhesives
• Place it, opaque side down, on a hard flat surface and gently burnish it with your finger
• Carefully remove the opaque liner and burnish the pattern onto Light Pretty Pink Cardstock
• Carefully remove the clear liner and brush flocking onto the pattern
• Punch it into a 1-1/2" Circle, cut the circle in half and layer it to resemble a stroller
• Fold and attach a 1/8" wide strip of Light Pretty Pink Cardstock to create a handlebar 
• Punch two 1/2" circles of Light Glorious Green Cardstock and two 1/4" circles of Carrot Cardstock for the wheels
• Repeat the Design Adhesives process with "Thanks so much," Light Glorious Green Cardstock and Ocean Spray Glitter
• Cut a 3-1/4" x 2-1/2" strip of Bubblegum Cardstock and cut 1/2" from one long edge with the wavy scissors or rotary cutter
• Assemble the card, using foam dots to attach the greeting
• Attach foam dots below the greeting and press Sweet Orange Glitter into the adhesive

Have fun making these cards - and visit Tami Sanders' blog stamp out loud for more great projects.

  

Baby Boy Ensemble

If you think you're seeing a lot of ads for baby products right now - you are!  August and September are popular months for new arrivals, so I thought it would be fun to share some ideas for baby cards.  Boys first this time... 

Three cards - a shower invitation, birth announcement  and a thank-you - are done in bright blues,chartreuse and turquoises.  Clearsnap's Rollagraphs, Design Adhesives, glitter, Ancient Page, Vivid! and Fluid Chalk inkpads are mixed and matched in fun combinations to welcome the new boy in town.

Here are the directions for these cards:

 

SHOWER INVITATION

Clearsnap Products

• Ancient Page Turquoise Jumbo Cartridge
• Memory Essentials Jumbo Inking Handle
• My First Alphabet Design Wheel
• Ancient Page Cobalt Standard Cartridge
• Memory Essentials Standard Inking Handle
• Chinese Noodles Design Wheel
• ColorBox Stylus and White Leaf Tip
• Sapphire Glitter

Other Products

• Bazzill Sour Apple Cardstock (4-1/4" x 5-1/2" card)
• Memory Box Kraft Cardstock
• Paper Accents Muslin Aloha Cardstock
• Paper Accents Muslin Blue Ribbon Cardstock
• 1-1/2" Circle Punch
• 1/4" Circle Punch
• 1/2" Circle Punch
• 2-1/2" Scalloped Circle Punch or Diecut System and Die
• 1/8" Foam Dots

Directions

• Place the Turquoise Cartridge and My First Alphabet Design Wheel into the Jumbo Handle
• Remove the lid and engage the cartridge
• Stamp the alphabet on Kraft Cardstock
• Cut it to 4-1/2" x 2-1/8" and mat it with Blue Ribbon Cardstock
• Place the Cobalt Cartridge and Chinese Noodles Design Wheel into the Standard Handle
• Remove the lid and engage the cartridge
• Stamp the design onto Sour Apple Cardstock and punch it into two 1-1/2" semi-circles
• Ink the semi-circles' edges using the Stylus Handle, Tip and Cobalt
• Punch two 1/4" circles of Sour Apple Cardstock and two 1/2" circles of Blue Ribbon Cardstock for the wheels
• Cut a narrow strip of Sour Apple and fold it in half, at an angle, for the handle 
• Punch a scalloped circle of Aloha Cardstock and ink the edges with Cobalt
• Assemble the card
• Attach three foam dots and press Sapphire Glitter into the adhesive

ANNOUNCEMENT 

Clearsnap Products

• It's A Boy! Design Adhesives
• My First Alphabet Design Wheel
• Memory Essentials Jumbo Inking Handle
• ColorBox Fluid Chalk Ocean Inkpad    
• ColorBox Stylus Handle and White Leaf Tip
• Emerald City Glitter

Other Products

• Paper Accents Muslin Aloha Cardstock (4-1/4" x 5-1/2" card)
• Paper Accents Muslin Mahalo Cardstock
• Paper Accents Muslin Clematis Cardstock
• Paper Accents Brown Bag Cardstock
• Bazzill Sour Apple Cardstock
• Blue, Turquoise and Aqua Flocking Powder    
• 7/8" Square Punch
• 1" Square Punch
• Round Paintbrush
• Wave Decorative Scissors or Rotary Trimmer
• 1/8" Foam Dots

Directions

• If the Design Wheel was used for the previous project, remove and clean the wheel and remove the ink cartridge
• Snap the Design Wheel into the handle and ink it with Ocean
• Stamp the letters on Brown Bag Cardstock
• Punch the letters with a 7/8" square punch and ink the edges using the Stylus, Tip and Ocean
• Punch 1" square mats from Sour Apple, Aloha and Clematis Cardstock
• Attach the letters to the mats
• Cut "It's a Boy!" from the Design Adhesives
• Place it (with the opaque side on the bottom) on a smooth hard surface
• Gently burnish it with your finger and carefully remove the opaque liner 
• Gently burnish the pattern onto Sour Apple Cardstock and carefully remove the clear liner
• Use a paintbrush to apply flocking powders to the adhesive pattern
• Trim the cardstock to 2-7/8" x 2-1/8" and ink the edges with Ocean
• Mat it with Clematis Cardstock, leaving extra cardstock to trim on the right edge
• Trim the right edge with decorative scissors or a rotary cutter
• Assemble the card
• Attach three foam dots and press Emerald City Glitter into the adhesive 

THANK YOU CARD 

Clearsnap Products

• It's A Boy! Design Wheel
• Memory Essentials Jumbo Inking Handle
• Vivid! Ultramarine Inkpad
• Vivid! Turquoise Inkpad
• ColorBox Stylus and 2 White Leaf Tips
• Peridot Glitter

Stamp

• Memory Box Distressed Thank You

Other Products

• Paper Accents Muslin Blue Ribbon Cardstock (3-1/2" x 4-7/8" card)
• Paper Accents Muslin Mahalo Cardstock
• Paper Accents Citron Cardstock
• Bazzill Sour Apple Cardstock
• 1-1/2" Circle Punch    
• 2-1/2" Scalloped Circle Punch or Diecut System and Die
• 1/4" Circle Punch
• 1/2" Circle Punch
• 1/8" Foam Dots

Directions

• Place the Design Wheel into the handle and ink the wheel with Ultramarine
• Stamp the design onto the smoother side of Mahalo Cardstock
• Cut the cardstock to 1-7/8" x 4-1/4"
• Ink the edges using the Stylus, Tip and Ultramarine
• Stamp Distressed Thank You on Citron Cardstock with Turquoise
• Punch it into a 1-1/2" circle
• Cut the circle in half and ink the edges using the Stylus, Tip and Turquoise
• Punch two 1/4" circles of Blue Ribbon Cardstock
• Punch two 1/2" circles of Mahalo Cardstock
• Punch or diecut a 2-1/2" scalloped circle and ink the edges with Turquoise
• Cut a narrow strip of Blue Ribbon Cardstock for the handle
• Fold the strip in half at a angle to form a handle
• Assemble the card
• Attach foam dots and press Peridot Glitter into the adhesive

Have fun with these ideas - sets of the announcements and thank yous would be a great gift for the new mother.  I'll post a group of baby girl cards next time.

Be sure to see Tami Sanders' blog stamp out loud for some great Smooched fish cards!