GO FISH!!!

Best fishes!

I originally bought a really cute fish stamp to match this saying...but then I found a Cuttlebug fish die that would work perfectly! How cute would this be as a birthday card for a little fish-lover?! And, seriously, if you don't have a Cuttlebug yet - GET ONE!

I thought the bubble embossing folder would work PERFECTLY for this card. I wanted to give the impression of a fish bowl and seriously how cute are the goldfish? Also, to mimic the breathing bubbles I used eyelets filled with stickles for a glittery effect. Unfortunately this doesn't show up well in the picture, but trust me it's sparkly and adorable!

Supplies:

Cardstock - (black) Rooney Printing; (aqua) Diecuts with a View; (orange) Stampin' Up!; (white) Georgia Pacific

Patterned - (stripe) Scrapbook Wizard

Other - (border punch) Martha Stewart; ("best fishes" stamp) Amuse; (ink) Staz On; (orange paper border) Doodlebug; (circle and scallop circle diecuts) Spellbinders Nestabilities; (eyelets) Making Memories; (sparkle) Stickles; (fish diecut, bubble embossing folder) Cuttlebug

Tip: Be sure to keep all your scraps! I made this entire card from my scrap bin! I keep clear 12x12 containers for all my patterned leftovers and a 12x12 file sorter for all my cardstock scraps (cs sorted by color). Since I often only use a strip or a chunk of the paper, I keep the rest for future cards and pages. This particular striped paper is OLD! Like 4-5 years old to be exact. But it's still cute and the colors worked great for the card. And one other tip...don't limit yourself to one particular card style. Like scrapbooking, cardmaking styles vary a ton. I make elegant cards and cute cards...and everything in between. It's fun to mix it up!

An apple a day...

another "Amusing" purchase...

Gotta love the cuteness of Amuse Art Stamps! I passed this stamp up two weeks ago, but just had to buy it on my last trip to Picture This. I'm under the impression it's a good idea to "collect them all"...I'm getting close too! Loved the in-store idea of glittering up the apples, so I brought out my Martha Stewart glitter AGAIN. Super easy, super cute...all you need is a fine-tip glue pen.

A little up-close action...I used a Staz On black ink pad for stamping the apples. This is definately my favorite kind of ink pad since it absolutely won't smear! I used a watercolor pencil for the "core" and a dove blender pen. Add some glue and glitter and voila! Cute little apples! See supplies listing and tips below.

Supplies:

Cardstock - (black) Rooney Printing; (white) Georgia Pacific; (red) Worldwin

Patterned - (red stripe) Doodlebug

Other - (paper border) Doodlebug, (assorted ribbons) craft supply; (red brad) unknown - purchased at Down Memory Lane; (ink) Staz On; (stamp) Amuse

Tools - (circle and scallop border) Spellbinder Nestabilities

Tip: Can't say this tip is all mine 'cause I got the idea from the Amuse card on display, but...what a cute idea to separate the saying on the stamp from the image. This is super easy too. I actually flipped the stamp over and carefully inked the portion I wanted. Another option is masking off the unwanted portion of the stamp with masking tape. Yet another option is using stamping markers to color the selected area. In any event, you can get double-duty from your stamp! Wouldn't the image above be perfect for an apple orchard or fall-themed page? I just love stamps because of their versatility! Thanks for looking!