Exciting News: A Fresh Look and a New Storefront!

Hello, friends!

I’m thrilled to share some exciting updates: after a long hiatus, this blog is getting a makeover—and it’s bringing some big changes with it. Soon, you’ll be able to browse a brand-new storefront where you can explore my full catalog of handmade cards and even request custom designs with ease!

While the finishing touches are being added to this new feature, I’m still here to help with your orders. If you see something you love or have a unique idea in mind, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’ll gladly work with you to create the perfect card or set for any occasion.

Thank you for your patience and support as I bring this vision to life. I can’t wait to share this next chapter with you!

Stay tuned for more updates, and as always, happy crafting!

Warm wishes,
Lael

Technique: Painting with PanPastels and Sparkle Silk

It's #TechniqueTuesday, friends! In today's card, I'll be teaching you how to paint on dark cardstock with a mix of PanPastels and Sparkle Silk. It is difficult to photograph the beauty of this shimmery technique, so you'll just need to try it for yourself!

To begin, I embossed the huge butterfly from the Bold Wings stamp set with Black Licorice Embossing Powder on Black Licorice cardstock. Then I used FSJ Sparkle Silk and mixed a little Bubblegum Pink PanPastel dust into the Silk, which created a shimmery pink silk. Gently use the side of a Sofft Tool wand on the surface of the powder to create a tiny amount of dust --- you only need a little. Scrape it onto an acrylic block or Clear View Sheet, then drop in a few drops of Sparkle Silk at a time and smoosh it around until you get the color of shimmery paint that you desire. 

Next, I painted it onto the butterfly with a small Blender Pen. I carefully painted adjacent cells of the butterfly's wing with varying layers of paint so that it really looked realistic. As you move the card around in the light, the shimmer is just spectacular.

A few splashes of the pure Sparkle Silk, a bow of Journey Black Licorice Gingham Ribbon, and you have a striking card to share with a friend and brighten their day!

The Bold Wings stamp set retires June 30, so contact me if you'd like to get it before it flies away!


Supplies List

Stamps: Bold Wings
Dies: Designer Frames
Inks: Clear Pigment Ink
Cardstock: Black Licorice, Bubble Gum
Coloring Tools: PanPastels, Sparkle Silk, Black Licorice Embossing Powder, Whip Cream Embossing Powder
Embellishments: Black Licorice gingham ribbon
Adhesives: Journey Craft Glue, Mini Glue Dots
Tools: Acrylic Block or Clear View Sheet

To purchase these supplies and so much more, visit my FSJ store front.

A Square Affair

I just love a square card. They cost a few cents more to mail, but I think it's worth it because the square shape is an easy way to create a little extra drama in your designs. Did you know the US Postal Service sells stamps specifically for square cards, and also special stamps that include the surcharge for hand-canceling, in case you have "chubby" embellishments that prevent your card from being machined.

This quick, simple card uses the Dandelion Wishes stamp set and PanPastels to create a sunny, summery greeting. It's so quick and easy, you'll want to try it too!

Simply mask off the area you want to color in, using low-tack tape such as Post-It Tape, or painter's tape. (TIP: stick the tape to your arm first to remove some of the tackiness. When removing the tape, pull slowly, straight back from your paper, at a steep angle. This will help to prevent your paper from tearing.) 

Next, gently rub orange and yellow pastels into the paper until you get the desired color, leaving some lighter spots for interest. Stamp a few dandelions in Sweet Berry ink, then emboss a few with white embossing powder.

Line a sheet of Sweet Berry cardstock with White Liner sheet, and die-cut four of the same sentiment using the Designer Frames die set. Layer these four pieces together and you'll have a thick sentiment that resembles chipboard without all the work of covering, cutting and sanding it. Next, coat the sentiment and the outside edge of the card with Sparkle Silk. 

Finally, mix a little Journey Glaze with colored re-inker and Sparkle Dust (fine glitter) and drop a few drops at the bottom. This is a very inexpensive way to add embellishments for that WOW factor.

Supplies List

• Stamps: Dandelion Wishes
• Dies: Designer Frames Die Set
• Inks: Clear Pigment Ink, Sweet Berry True Fusion Ink, Summer Days Re-Inker
• Cardstock: Whip Cream, Sweet Berry
• Coloring Tools: PanPastels, Sparkle Silk, Whip Cream Embossing Powder
• Embellishments: Sparkle Dust glitter
• Adhesives: Journey Glaze, Journey Craft Glue, White Liner Sheets, Scotch Blue Painter's Tape for Delicate Surfaces
  
  To purchase these supplies and so much more, visit my FSJ store front. 

Up, Up and Away!

Here in Boise, Idaho, we have an annual festival called the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic. For one week in late August, the skies are filled with the brilliant colors and extraordinary shapes of hot air balloons. (Photo credit: www.spiritofboise.com) 

This festival inspired my latest card creation. I just love the gorgeous "Follow Your Dreams" 3D hot air balloon stickers that you can get for free with a qualifying order from FSJ. They are retiring June 30 and only available while supplies last. 

The stickers are two and three layers deep, and add so much texture and color to your card. When used in combination with the FSJ Cloud Dreams dies and some leftover bits of Mirror Gold paper, they make a really beautiful, sunny card to brighten anyone's day. And about that Mirror Gold paper - it's on the expensive side because it is very high quality, so don't waste a single scrap. The ultra thin strips at the top and bottom of this card were leftovers from a previous project. 

The "thinking of you" message from the brilliant, versatile Inside & Out stamp set is perfect for this card. The front sentiment is heat set with Journey Gold Embossing Powder on Journey Vellum, which is thick enough to withstand the heat of the Journey Heat Tool without warping. Inside the card is a sweet message about spreading sunshine, which this card will certainly do. Consider using these balloons for a birthday card, or even a graduation note!

Supplies List

• Stamps: Inside & Out
• Dies: Cloud Dreams Bundle
• Inks: Clear Pigment Ink
• Cardstock: Whip Cream, Mirror Gold, Journey Vellum
• Coloring Tools: Journey Gold Embossing Powder
• Embellishments: Follow Your Dreams adhesive stickers
• Adhesives: Journey Craft Glue, Journey Foam Squares, Mini Glue Dots

To purchase these supplies and so much more, visit my FSJ store front. 

Coffee Gift Set

Some days you just can't function without a good cuppa Joe. "First coffee, then do all the things," am I right? Coffee gifts, cards, and images are all the rage these days, for good reason. Fun Stampers Journey has an adorable set of coffee stamps and dies to meet all your caffeinated needs.

This gift set uses both the Coffee Helps stamp and die bundle, and the Coffee First die set which can make both hot coffees and cold, blended coffee drinks. You could also make smoothies with this adorable die set!

I used both of these versatile sets to create a coffee themed gift set in cozy colors that would be perfect for a Christmas gift, or winter birthday. I know it's only June, but it's never too late to get started on your Christmas list!

I've used the Journey Squares and Journey Rectangle dies to create a faux Polaroid frame to highlight the sentiment, and I've decorated the card with various images from the stamp set. I made the tag using the ever-useful Bread Tag die, and decorated it with die cuts from the Coffee First set. 

On yesterday's post, I taught you how to make your own custom faux Washi tape, using the Tape It stamp set. I attached a couple pieces to my card using Journey Craft glue, which won't show behind the Journey Vellum. The straw on the tag is also made using the same technique. 

Finally, the Ink Splat ATS really looks like spilled coffee when stamped in Hazelnut Blend ink. I stamped it on the envelope to tie it all together. 

Supplies List

• Stamps: Coffee Helps, Tape It, Ink Splat ATS
• Dies: Coffee Helps, Coffee First, Bread Tag, Journey Rectangles, Journey Squares
• Inks: Oatmeal Cookie, Hazelnut Blend, Dark Roast, Cranberry Crisp
• Cardstock: Whip Cream, Cool Pool, Oatmeal Cookie, Dark Roast, Corrugated Stock, Journey Vellum
• Coloring Tools: Journey Color Burst Pencils
• Adhesives: Journey Craft Glue, Journey Foam Squares, Mini Glue Dots

To purchase these supplies and so much more, visit my FSJ store front. 

Technique: DIY Custom Washi Tape

How many rolls of Washi Tape do you own? I'll bet I've collected at least 30 different colors, patterns, and widths. It's such a fun, inexpensive way to dress up a card. But all those rolls can really add up and sometimes you just run out of space to store them all. So here's a fun tip! You can create your own Washi tape to match your project. The Tape It stamp set by Fun Stampers Journey allows you to create your own Washi tape in a number of different patterns, and any color you want. 

You can stamp it onto plain white paper and it looks great. But if you want that true Washi tape transparent look, try stamping it on Journey Vellum and then cutting each end with a pair of pinking shears or other deckle edged scissors (or just tear it!) 

FSJ's True Color Fusion Inks can be stamped on just about any surface. It takes a while to dry on vellum and I'm impatient, so I used my Journey Heat Tool to set it in just a few seconds. Did you know that you can heat emboss on Journey Vellum? Our high-quality vellum is thicker than the typical vellum you can find at your local craft store, so it doesn't warp under the heat. Try embossing your Washi designs in any color of embossing powder you like. It looks spectacular in gold!

Check my blog tomorrow to see a card using my custom Washi tape. Here's a sneak peek:

Technique: Sunset Skies

I've had a crazy week and I needed to whip out a bunch of quick Father's Day cards for all the wonderful dads in my life. Here's a quick card that you can make with just a few supplies.

Using Glossy White cardstock and a few colors of Fun Stampers Journey True Color Fusion Ink Pads, you can make a quick and colorful sunset background. Simply swipe each color of ink pad across the cardstock, starting with the lightest color first (this is important so you don't contaminate your light ink pads with a dark color.) Overlap the colors so that they are well blended. The heavy pigment in FSJ pads makes them stay wet for a few minutes on glossy surfaces, so you can also use your finger to gently blend the colors once you've applied them all. No need to heat set it, it will dry completely in ten to fifteen minutes.

Next, use Black Licorice Ink to stamp your images. Here, I've used two inexpensive stamp sets, the treeline silhouette from Stay Wild ATS, and the airplane from Begin Adventure ATS.

Finally, heat emboss your choice of sentiment on a strip of black cardstock and viola!

Supplies List

• Stamps: Stay Wild ATS, Begin Adventure ATS
• Inks: Black Licorice True Fusion Ink, Clear Pigment Ink, Cosmic Grape, Candy Apple, Tangerine Tango, Pineapple Smoothie
• Cardstock: Black Licorice, Glossy White
• Coloring Tools: Whip Cream Embossing Powder
• Adhesives: Journey Craft Glue
• 
  To purchase these supplies and so much more, visit my FSJ store front.