Friends Like You

Hi there!
Samantha here again on the Create a Smile Stamps blog! And today I'm sharing a card inspired by St. Patrick's Day!

     

Since I knew I would be posting on St. Patrick's Day, I wanted to create a card using greens and things, but NOT make an actual St. Patrick's Day themed card! So I used the day as inspiration and made this! Love it! 

I seriously love how this came out, so let's make it together!
- on a piece of watercolor paper, stamp your images with a permanent ink
- using Distress Stains in Twisted Citron, Cracked Pistachio and Peacock Feathers, I randomly added the colors onto the leaf images!
- I let the colors dry on their own, and then added more colors on top - love the layers of color!

- once dry, I fussy cut out the leaves
- on a piece of white cardstock, I stamped part of the background stamp image in a light grey
- next, I arranged the leaves on the card and popped up my sentiment with some foam tape!

I colored this image with copics, but you could easily paper piece this image if coloring isn't your thing! It's so easy to cut out and that koala is just plain cute, no matter what! Ha! 

I just HAD to use my favorite set EVER - Time to Say Thanks! It's my MOST used stamp set! Ha! I used that Color Your Polka Cling Stamp for a little bit of interest on the background!  And that BEAUTIFUL scripty and text-y sentiment is from the Friends Like You stamp set! LOVE this combination of sets! 

    

Do you like to use stencils on your projects? I LOOOOOVE stencils! Create a Smile stamps has SO MANY amazing, and unique stencils! Be sure to check them out! 

~Samantha

    

Just Wanted to Say Hello!

Hi there!
Samantha here sharing my first Create a Smile Stamps post of the new year! Hooray! 

     

I had to start this year off with a rainbow, that's all there is to it! Ha!

This card was pure FUN! So let's make it together:
- grab your stencil and use your Distress Stains to dab color directly onto the stencil
- spritz with water and place your white piece of cardstock directly on top of the stencil and lightly pat it. Then pick it up and set it aside to dry



- while your cardstock is drying, heat emboss your sentiment (I heat embossed part of it directly onto the card front in black, and then the rest of the sentiment was heat embossed in white onto a thin strip of black cardstock
- trim your cardstock into your desired shape and adhere.
- lastly, I flicked some black India Ink in the top left corner of the card! 

You can easily make multiples of this card by 'stamping' with the stencil onto more than 1 card front! Just like with traditional stamping, there can be 2nd and 3rd generations of stencil stamping! So fun!  

I used the one of kind, and very versatile Just Saying Hello stamp set along with the Big Hearts Polka Stencil! 

    

Did you know that you can get WAY more than just stamps and dies at the Create a Smile Stamps store? Oh yeah! There's paper, washi, flair, sequins and more!!!! 

~Samantha

    

Sending Merry (and Warm!) Wishes!

Hello!!
Samantha here, and today I have a fun twist on a Christmas card! :) 

Well, this card came about, because I live in South Carolina...and you may have heard me rant complain obsess wail fuss talk about how warm it always is here! Don't get me wrong, we have some cool, and even cold days. They are just VERY rare! Lol! So I thought it would be sweet to send some tropical and warm wishes to my friends in colder climates this christmas! 

First, I used the Tumbled Glass distress stain and the incredible Swirly Stencil to create my wavy, beachy, tropical-ly background! :) Then a strip of gold glitter tape made the sand! I stamped the trees from Comfy and the Snowman from Cool Buddies, then colored them in with copics! I created the sentiment by combining phrases from Cool Buddies and Smiling Snowflakes onto colored vellum, punched circles! :)

 

When I color vellum, I typically use a blending tool and some Distress Inks! It gives a very soft and unstreaky effect. I also usually color the vellum on the back side of the piece...otherwise inky fingerprints magically appear on my project...face...desk. Ha!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

~Samantha