In Which I Am Full Of Handy Hints!

Hatches, Matches and Dispatches is the theme for this month's cards. Having a baby card, wedding card and sympathy card in your stash can come in very handy.

My "Hatches" card uses the gorgeous Two by Two single stamp and I chose pool party as a gender-neutral colour for the background. Some faux stitching on the mat piece and lacy embossing with satin ribbon enhance the baby feel.

 Materials used:

• stamps - Two by Two
• card - pool party, whisper white, watercolour, in colour patterns dsp
• other - windows framelits, Big Shot, pool party ribbon (SAB), delicate designs E/F, large scallop edgelits, aquapainter, sponge dauber, dimensionals, white brads (non SU), pool party embossing powder, heat tool, square punch, piercing mat, piercing tool, white gel pen, festive paper piercing pack

Hint: you can make your own colour matching brads. Here's how: using a pair of craft pliers, hold the feet of the brad securely and press the head firmly onto a Versamark ink pad. Now dip the head into the coloured embossing powder, shake off the excess and heat in the usual way. Repeat this process so you have two coats of embossing powder, then allow to cool. 

For the "Matches" card I went with classic black and white, always elegant for a wedding. My sentiment panel is made completely on MDS using three different stamp brush sets. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Meant To Be, All Holidays, Delightful Dozen - all MDS
• card - whisper white, basic black, garden green
• other - itty bitty punches, embossing stylus, pearls, liquid glue, Big Shot, lacy brocade E/F (retired)
• non SU - Spellbinders flower dies, Nellie Snellen leaf punch and E/F, shaping mat, Nestabilities die, white linen card

Our "Dispatches" card has been kept simple and classy. The Stippled Blossoms set is a new addition to my craft room - I've been resisting it for some time but have seen so many gorgeous cards using it that I finally gave in. I'm so glad I did, it is just divine; here it is in pink pirouette and regal rose.

The chocolate chip layer on the leaves was stamped off beforehand to tone down the intensity of colour a little. After stamping the second step of the flowers (regal rose) I went back and re-stamped it using Versamark ink, then clear embossed it. It gives a subtle, shiny finish to the flower.

Materials used:

• stamps - Love and Sympathy, Stippled Blossoms
• card - Sahara sand, chocolate chip, whisper white
• inks - pink pirouette, regal rose, Sahara sand, chocolate chip, Versamark
• other - dimensionals, stamp-a-ma-jig, clear embossing powder, heat tool

Hint: buy two-step stamp sets in wood mount and that way you can create a permanent placement sheet on acetate to use with your stamp-a-ma-jig, without the hassle of making a new one each time if using acrylic blocks.

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kez