What’s Your Least Used Colour?

least used colour autumn card

What’s YOUR least used colour? We all have colours that we prefer to work in…and those we can’t always find inspiration to use…. For me, my least used colour is Stampin’ Up’s Cajun Craze. At least until this season! It is a perfect colour for autumn leaves and changing shades of nature.

For this autumn themed card, the strip is stamped with the large and small leaves from the Colo(u)rful Seasons set. (If you are reading this today, October 10th, it’s the last day of the World Cardmaking Day Sale and this set is discounted!) Colours used are Pumpkin Pie Cajun Craze and Always Artichoke. After randomly stamping the strip, it’s spritzed with water (Stampin’ Spritzers are perfect for this), and allowed to dry….or hurried along with the Heat Tool. This blurs the colours and gives it a soft effect – almost looking like velvet or some other type of material. It’s a forgiving and easy technique! It’s backed with that least used colour of mine, Cajun Craze, and then the finishing touch is a die cut leaf from the Seasonal Layers framelits in Gold Foil. The Gold Foil sheet was backed with an Adhesive Sheet prior to running it through the Big Shot to make it easier to adhere neatly to the card. (Hint: Make sure you use a brand new sheet….not one that you might have already used some of the adhesive from….so that the leaf sticks entirely….ask me how I learned this tip…..!!)

I did have to make a conscious effort to use this colour for this card, but I think I need to challenge myself like this a little more often! What’s YOUR least used colour? Leave me a comment and let me know, and then maybe even challenge yourself to pull it out and make something with it.

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Happy World Cardmaking Day!

Happy World Cardmaking Day!

Today is World Cardmaking Day! Stampin’ Up! is already celebrating by offering selected stamp sets at a discounted price until October 10th, and selected Designer Series Papers are Buy 3 Get 1 Free During the entire month! You can shop online in the YamStamps Stampin’ Up! Canada Store here – however, I have one more special offer for you – TODAY ONLY!

I’d like to jump in on the celebrations as well – so for Saturday, October 7th 2017, use this link to purchase the Clever Cards Online Class for just $10 – that’s half price!

If you’d like to hear more about the class, you can go here but if you want the special pricing, you’ll need to use the above link. The special will be in effect Saturday, October 7th ONLY.

I think that the Clever Cards Class is a great way to celebrate World Cardmaking Day. This class features a number of interesting and clever folds that you can use for your cards when you want an extra special card! It’s an online class, so you can learn from the comfort of your own home, and like all the YamStampsMore Online Classes, you’ll have lifetime access to the videos and instructions.

I hope that you are able to spend a bit of time today being creative. World Cardmaking Day is a fun way to celebrate the art and craft of a handmade card – and of course, part of the joy of making a card is sharing it with someone – so I hope that you take the time to send a handmade card as well. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!

 

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My Least Favourite Card to Make

my least favourite card to make - a sympathy card

My least favourite card to make is a sympathy card, but it’s often the most appropriate and appreciated. Unfortunately, I’ve had to create a few of these for friends lately. I never feel that creative when I’m sad, so often when I “need” a sympathy card, I don’t feel like making any cards at all. My grandmother recently passed away just before her 99th birthday, and we received some lovely sympathy cards, including some beautiful handmade ones (I shared a few on the YamStamps Facebook page). A card can be like getting a hug from a friend in the mail, and it’s truly appreciated at a sad time, but this occasion also reminded me that I should send cards for happy occasions, and “just because”.

Simple, clean cards (also sometimes referred to as CAS – clean and simple – cards) are a great “go to” design in general, but especially when you don’t feel like fussing a lot. The featured sympathy card uses the Colo(u)r Theory Designer Series Paper Stack, the Seasonal Layers Thinlits Dies, and the Better Together stamp set, which is available in wood mount or clear mount. I love how the ombré paper makes this very simple design more interesting and eye catching but not too busy. This particular Designer Series Paper Stack has this design in a number of different colours so you can change up the colours as you feel inclined.

I love the detailed leaf die cut from the Seasonal Layers Thinlits, though it can be a bit “fussy” to adhere them to projects. The return of the Adhesive Sheets to the Stampin’ Up! catalogue has made attaching fussy cuts so easy! The sheets are 6″ x 12″. I cut my Gold Foil sheet to 6″ x 12″ and adhered the adhesive to the back, leaving the second liner sheet in place. It’s ready for die cutting after that – I cut my foil into 2″ strips, then die cut the leaf. Peel off the remaining liner sheet, and it exposes the sticky adhesive, already in place on the back of the die cut! The other option is to place a the die cut piece onto an adhesive sheet to tranfer the adhesive onto the back of the die cut. This is great for those moments when you don’t have a pre-lined piece of cardstock prepped, or for the more solid cut outs, but I do find it can be a bit messy for me with the more detailed cuts.

I often find it helpful to make a few sympathy cards to have on hand in my stash, so that I’m prepared if I need one. Often, in my classes I will have a card that doesn’t have a sentiment on it, so that it can be an all purpose card, or so that you can stamp the sentiment when you know what kind of card you need. My Monthly Card Classes are always the first Wednesday of each month here in Burlington, ON, but I also take them on the road for private card classes too. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, want to register for a class, or want to book a private class with your friends and family.

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