Christian Cottingham 10/14/25 Christian Cottingham 10/14/25

Sarcastic Teens: Kindred Stamps Oct. Release

Sarcastic Teens from Kindred Stamps does not lack any self-esteem, this teen knows it’s not her! Check out my blog to see the cards that define a generation.

Sarcasm? Low Self-Esteem? To smart for your britches? If the answer is yes to any of these questions then the Sarcastic Teens are right up your alley. These two friends set the tone for a generation. This 4 inch by 4 inch stamp set is a perfect reflection of its day.

This blog utilizes affiliate links. If you choose to click on the links provided to purchase, you are supporting me as I receive compensation for your purchase. If purchasing is not in your books, no worries, I hope you find inspiration for projects you design. By clicking on the links, you are letting Kindred Stamps know that you like my content and to keep bringing me back. Thanks for your time and let’s dive into these Sarcastic Teens!

Project 1: Hallway Teens

The Sarcastic Teens are in their element in their school hallway. No low-self esteem allowed….

On a panel of 80lb Neenah Classic Crest Solar White cardstock, the 2 sarcastic teens were stamped in alcohol safe ink. Masks were stamped, cut out on the line, and positioned over the respective teens. Pulling out the trusty T-Ruler, the lockers and flooring were sketched in pencil lightly. Once I was satisfied with the location and the hallway wall, the lines were lined with a fine liner pen. The lockers were ink blended first after the hall wall and floors were masked with some sticky notes in Sweet Mango (Gina K Designs). The lockers were then masked with sticky notes and the wall was ink blended with Light Lilac (Gina K Designs). Finally the floor and trim were ink blended with Soft Stone (Gina K Designs) after the wall and lockers were protected.

All masks were removed and it was time to pull out the Olo Markers. The trim that had the gray undertone was colored with OR4.4 to provide separation from the floor. The Sarcastic Teens were then colored. (See Color Guide). With the panel colored, the panel was trimmed down to 3.75 inches by 5.5 inches.

A card base was covered with black card stock. The colored scene was adhered to the center of the card base. To frame the scene, a couple strips of holographic cardstock were trimmed to 0.25 inch by 5.5 inches and adhered.

Pulling out the Card Basic Die set, the ticket was cut from both black and white card stock. On the piece of white card stock, the stitched line was fussy cut off of the ticket. The sentiment was stamped in black ink. The sentiment was glued to the black ticket and hung on the wall in the hallway.

I couldn’t agree more with that life would suck without you and the Sarcastic Teens are the perfect vessel to send that message on.

Card Size: 4.25 inches by 5.5 inches

Project 2: Sarcasm Forever

IYKYK… This circle says it all and showcases the Long Haired Teen and draws the recipient into the card to see what’s next. Let’s break it down.

First up, the front card panel. A 4.25 inch by 5.5 inch piece of blue card stock was selected and the inner circle from the Card Basic Die was cut from the center of the upper third of the panel. This panel will work as a positioning jig on the card base. A top folding card base was cut and scored. With the score line in place, the blue card stock panel was lined up on the base. The same inner circle was cut from the front panel of the card base. The card base was then folded at the score line and set aside.

The blue panel then was die cut with the large rectangle in the Card Basic Die. Using the same die, a panel of yellow card stock was cut down for the inside panel of the card base. The blue panel was glued to the front of the card base, lining up the circle. The yellow panel was glued to the inside panel opposite of the circle die to be the backing to the see through window.

Taking a piece of black card stock, the 2 circles from the Card Basic Die were lined up with the smaller circle inside the larger circle and die cut. This provided a framed circle. The word “sarcasm” was die cut with the Adaline Alpha dies. With the die cutting complete it was time to line up the letters. Using the grid on the Kindred Glass Craft Mat, the letters were aligned. Using a piece of low tack tape, the letters were picked up for ease of gluing. On a 0.25 inch strip of acetate the letters were glued with glue only going on the sections of the letters that were attached to the acetate. This was left to dry with the low tack tape still in place.

While the glue was drying, the Long Haired Teen was colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide). She was then fussy cut out and inked on the edges with a black brush marker to hide any imperfections from cutting.

The sentiment in the stamp set is a stacked sentiment “Sarcasm is my superpower” and I only needed the “is my superpower”. With the stamp on a block, the word “sarcasm” and “my superpower” were masked so ink would only be on the word “is.” This was stamped on a scrap piece of white card stock. The stamp was cleaned and then “Sarcasm is” was masked off and rest of the sentiment was inked with black card stock. Masks removed and the remainder of the sentiment was stamped in alignment with “is.” The new sentiment was trimmed to be a strip that the teen will be standing on inside the card.

With the glue dry, the acetate piece was adhered to the circle frame with strong double-sided tape. A foam strip was placed on the circle frame (extra security for the acetate letters). This was centered and secured to the front of the card panel. With the frame in place, the Long Haired Teen was positioned in the inside of the card. She was adhered flat to the card base. The sentiment strip was then centered below her.

Just like this teen, sarcasm is my superpower and my love language! I could love this more!

Card Size: 4.25 inches by 5.5 inches

Project 3: Good Taste

Not everyone has good taste and these teens have no problem letting you know! This card frames the girls and provides the sass in the inside. Let’s break down this card.

Pulling our the Waves stencil, a piece of Hammermill 100lb card stock cut in a 6.5 inch square, Decofoil Duo Transfer Gel, a piece of shiny black piece of Decofoil and my Fuse laminator it was time to have some fun. The stencil was positioned on the larger square paper and taped to the Kindred Stamps Glass Craft Mat with a thicker piece of low tack tape. The Decofoil Duo Transfer Gel was applied in a thin smooth layer over the white card stock. The stencil was removed and cleaned immediately. The gelled panel was set aside to dry while I prepped the remaining components of the card.

A top folding card base was scored at 2.75 inches and at 5.5 inches. A 4.25 by 5.5 inch black card stock panel was scored at 2.75 inches. The score lines were reinforced and the black panel was adhered to the card base.

The Sarcastic Teens were colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide) and fussy cut out on the line. The teens were edged with a black brush pen to hide any imperfections from cutting. Foam tape was applied and the teens were set aside.

On a piece of 80lb Neenah Classic Crest Solar White card stock, Christmas Pine ink (Gina K Designs) was blended to provide the 90’s green that my college dorm bedding and decor exploded with. The inked section was then die cut with the square shape from the Card Basic Die Set. A scrap of black card stock was also cut with the square shape to provide the flooring that the Sarcastic Teens will be standing on. This black flooring was adhered to the green square. The teens were stuck into place with the previously applied foam tape.

The Decofoil Duo Gel was finally clear and tacky and ready to be foiled. I turned on the laminator and dusted off the piece of black foil. The foil was placed on top of the gel with the shiny side up and placed into the carrier sleeve. When the laminator was ready, the panel was feed through. Even though I wanted to rip off that foil to see the awesomeness that was underneath I used restraint and let it cool first. The foil was removed and I was so pleased with the design.

The foil panel was cut to 4.25 inches by 2.5 inches. This was adhered to the card front lining up the top edge with the scored lined. This provided a black strip along the bottom of the card front. The square was then adhered only on the bottom of the square to the lower portion of the panel. This will allow the easel to move freely.

The inside of the card was then assembled. A piece of the foiled panel was cut to 4.24 inches by 0.25 inches. This was framed by a piece of black card stock that was cut 4.24 inches and 0.5 inches. This was glued to the lower portion of the card panel to act as a ridge for the front easel to rest upon. The sentiment was stamped on a scrap of card stock and then cut down and layered with a scrap of black card stock. This was centered on the base.

I can’t deny their snark! Some people just don’t have good taste *wink*

Card Base: 4.25 inches by 5.5 inches

The entire Kindred Stamps release will be available this Friday at 8am PST/11am EST. Be sure to subscribe to the Kindred Stamps blog to see a daily line up of sneak peeks from our amazing Design Team! Come join the Fan Club and release event to be part of the release fun, and you may just win some Kindred Stamps credit!!

Color Guide:

Long Haired Teen:

Flesh> OR2.0/ OR7.1/ OR7.2

Lips> OR7.2

Shirt> OR2.3

Skirt/ Boots> CG9/ CG7/ CG5

Jacket> CG9/ CG7/ CG5/ G1.5/ G1.7

Hair> OR4.7/ 4.8

Short Haired Teen:

Flesh> OR2.0/ OR7.1/ OR7.2

Lips> R1.7/ R0.5

Jacket> B4.6/ B4.3

Shirt> R0.6/ R0.5

Boots> O7.7/ O7.8

Pants/ Tights> CG9/ CG7/CG5

Hair> CG9/ CG7

Earrings> gold pen

Christian Cottingham 9/16/25 Christian Cottingham 9/16/25

Pocket Witches: Kindred Stamps Sept Release

Tiny potions, tiny spells, big pocket surprises! The Pocket Witches, September Kindred Stamps release, are here to bring you birthday wishes and to stir up some trouble!

Come we cast spells and fly tiny… right into your cart! The Pocket Witches from Kindred Stamps bring these witches into our pockets so they can go anywhere. This stamp set is the star of the show, large enough to cover an A2 card front and versatile enough to be used in different ways. Grab your eye of newt and let’s stir up some cards.

Project One: Table Top Pocket Witches

The Pocket Witches are stirring up trouble on this single layer card. By using simple masking techniques, the witches are in the scene with no fussy cutting and the background can be inked up any way you’d like!

The pocket scene and the three witches were stamped on masking paper and fussy cut out on the line. (These masks will be used on all 3 of the card projects so the prep time was worth it. I store the masks on the back of the stamp acetate to use as many times as I can.). Now with the masks at the ready, it was time to stamp the panel.

To ensure that my images were centered, I did place the pocket scene mask on the card panel (with the backing still attached). The three witches were placed over the masked pocket cutout in their designated areas, one on each side outside of the pocket and then one in the center of the pocket base. The stamps were picked up with the stamping platform and the pocket scene mask was removed. The witches were stamped in alcohol safe ink and their respective masks were applied. The pocket scene stamp was then placed on the panel over the masked witches and stamped with alcohol safe ink. The mask for the pocket scene was then applied over the the scene (with the witches underneath). The panel was removed from the stamping platform and with a piece of low tack tape the table top line was determined. Utilizing Tangerine Twist (Gina K Designs) the top of the card was blended from the top down so there was more intensity of color at the top of the card. The low tack tape was then repositioned for the blending of the base. Black Onyx ink (Gina K Designs) was blended smoothly on the bottom portion of the card. All masks were removed and it was finally time to get some coloring done.

The Pocket Witches images were colored with Olo Markers (Pocket Design II; See Color Guide). White gel pen accents were placed to give a little pop to the images and to mimic the plastic sheen. The sentiment was stamped in a black pigment ink and embossed with Clear Embossing Powder.

These tiny witches stir up trouble where ever they go. Now they are portable so who knows where they will show up!

Card Size: A2 (5.5 inches by 4.25 inches)

Project Two: Shaking Witches

The Pocket Witches are shaking things up with this fun card! Even though the stamp is one solid image you can still modify your approach to shake it up… Let’s drive in.

On an A2 panel (4.25 by 5.5 inches) of Neenah Classic Crest Solar White (80 pound) the main image of the Pocket Witches was centered and stamped in alcohol safe ink. Keeping the stamp in my stamping platform, the image was stamped in the exact spot on another A2 panel. This will provide the window image and the background image for the shaker itself. Pulling out the trusty craft knife and mat, the second star line from the outside edge of the upper pocket was cut out of one of the panels. At this point I realized that I should have done the background coloring before I cut out the star… don’t be me, make it easier on yourself… I didn’t stamp the bottom of the scene on the second panel and had already removed the stamp from the platform… So be cool and don’t cut out your panel until after the mask was applied to the panel. Utilizing Stargazer ink (Pinkfresh Studio) color was brought from the outside to the inside of the panel. This application allowed me to have a one color blend with the intensity on the outside edges and halo around the design. The mask was removed and it was time to color! The pocket was colored with Olo Markers (See Pocket Design I in the Color Guide) on both the top shaker window panel and the inside shaker scene. Make sure to add color outside the lines on the inside shaker panel. This will give you grace if you don’t like it up exactly when adhering the 2 panels.

A piece of stamp packaging was cut down and adhered to the backside of the window panel with a strong double sided adhesive Foam tape was applied with no gaps around the colored inside panel. Shaker bits were placed in the center well. Slowly and carefully remove the backing from the foam tape and align the top panel over the star image. Because the paper was exact, you can utilize your score board/ Misti/ or other right angle to align the image.

With the shaker complete, it was time to play with the Pocket Witches. The witches were stamped in alcohol safe ink and colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide). They were then fussy cut out on the line so they look like they were part of the scene. Taking a brush tipped fine liner, the images were edged to hide any white line or bad cutting. The witches were adhered down with some liquid glue. Pulling out a CG3 Olo Marker, shading was placed below the witches and the base of the pocket.

Finally, the sentiment was stamped on a scrap piece of white card stock and fussy cut out. The brightness of the sentiment didn’t jive with the scene, so out came the Stargazer ink (Pinkfresh Studio) and the sentiment was blended in the same fashion as the background to provide the halo in the center of the sentiment. The sentiment was popped up with a thin foam tape on the center hinge. To complete the card, the front panel was adhered to an A2 top folding card base.

These Pocket Witches shake up everything they come in contact with and this card proves it!

Card Size> A2 (5.5 inches by 4.25 inches

Project Three: Pop-up Witches

Tiny things come in tiny packages, and this card holds proves it. The front of the card gives a hint to what lies inside and the big surprise pops when they open the card! Let’s break down how the Pocket Witches are truly a big wow.

The card base was prepped first. A piece of Neenah Classic Crest Solar White (110 lb) card base was cut down (5.5 inches by 8.5 inches) and scored at the 4.25 inch line to make a book fold card. Prior to folding, the pocket image from the Pocket Witches was stamped in alcohol safe ink with the design centered at the hinge on the score line. The pocket image was colored with Olo markers (Pocket Design III in the Color Guide). Masking paper was applied over the image and Tangerine Twist ink (Gina K Designs) was lightly blended from the center out. The card base was creased. To add a little sparkle, Wink of Stella was applied over the top house scene.

The 3 witches were stamped with alcohol safe ink and colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide). After cutting out the witches on the line the were edged the with a black brush fine liner to finish the edges of the images. The pop-up mechanism was up next. A 4 inch by 2 inch piece of paper was placed onto the score board horizontally. The paper was scored at 0.5 inch marks 4 times. The score lines were reinforced and the top flap was glued to the base flap. This shaped a square tube. The square tube was cut into 0.25 inch piece. Three squares were prepped to be placed behind the witches and to the inside panels of the card base. With liquid glue the squares were glued to the back of the witches. Once dry, the witches were then glued into the crease of the card base.

With the inside complete, the card front needed some attention. A piece of black glitter card stock was trimmed to 5.5 by 4.25 inches. With the rectangle from the Card Basics Die, a piece of Cast A Spell pattern paper was cut out. Taking a piece of coordinating paper from the Cast A Spell paper pack, a strip was cut down and then run through the same rectangle die from the Card Basics Die. These papers were glued flat to the front of the card front. To make the appearance of the front of the pocket to mimic the look of the pocket opening, the top portion of the Pocket Witches was stamped on a piece of Neenah Classic Crest Solar White (80 lb) card stock. The star was cut out on the line and then flipped upside down. With the same pink Olo Markers, the blank star was colored. Thin foam tape was applied to the back of the star and centered on the card front. Finally, the sentiment was stamped in pigment ink and Clear Embossing powder was heat set. The sentiment was fussy cut out, thin foam tape was applied and the centered onto the card front.

The tiny surprises pop to life when the card is opened. Now, who won’t want to open this card!

Card Size: 5.5 inches by 4.25 inches

Color Guide (Olo Markers):

Red Witch:

Flesh> OR3.2/ OR7.1/ OR2.0

Hair> OR2.6/ OR2.3

Undercoat> BV1.7/ BV1.4

Gown> G1.5/ G1.4

Apron> CG7/ CG5

Robe> CG5/ Cg7

Base> CG5/ CG7

Shoes> CG9

Brown Witch:

Flesh> OR3.2/ OR7.1/ OR2.0

Hair> OR2.6/ OR2.3

Undercoat> BV1.7/ BV1.4

Gown> G1.5/ G1.4

Apron> BV4.7/ BV4.5

Skit> Y2.0/ OR2.6/ R0.5

Shirt> OR2.6/ OR2.5

Blonde Witch:

Flesh> OR3.2/ OR7.1/ OR2.0

Hair> YO2.3/ YO2.2

Base> CG3/ CG5

Undercoat> R1.7/ R1.5

Shirt> R0.4/ R0.3

Shoes> CG9

Base Coat> V2.8/ V2.6

Pocket Designs:

Moon> Y1.1/ Y2.0

Trees> G1.8/ G1.7

Grass> YG1.6/ YG1.4

Pumpkins> O2.4/ O1.3; Y2.3; OR3.7

Bats> CG7

Roof> CG9/ CG7/ CG5

House> O7.8/ O7.7/ O7.3/ O4.0

Tombstone> CG5/ CG3

Clouds> CG3/ CG1

Pocket Design I

Star> Y2.3/ Y1.2

Sky> BV1.7/ BV1.4/ RV0.2

Pocket Design II

Star> BV4.5/ BV4.4

Sky> B0.7/ B0.5/ B2.4

Pocket Design III

Star> RV1.5/ RV1.3

Sky> V2.8/ V2.7/ V2.6/ V2.4

Christian Cottingham 8/26/25 Christian Cottingham 8/26/25

Ghoul Girls: Kindred Stamps August Release

Ghoul Schools back in session! The Ghoul Girls from Kindred Stamps August Release will cause you to scream…

It’s back to school, I mean ghoul school season and the Ghoul Girls are rocking this fear year! This Kindred Stamps take on back to school is screaming not just cards, but other school related projects! A nod to Fear Books, bookmarks, and a composition notebook that can be used for so many thing. You’ll have a scream playing with this set in you craft space.

Project One: Fear Book

Nothing screams back-to-school season like a year book showcasing each of the students in your class. This card is a page from their Fear Book that these lovely ghouls attend!

The background was first up! A card panel (5 inches by 7 inches) was cut down and stenciling was to proceed. The panel was masked with the bottom 1/3 protected. The Harlequin stencil was inked with Blue Lagoon ink from Gina K Designs. The mask was then adjusted to cover the top 2/3 of the now stenciled card stock. With the Booya Box stencil (retired) I stenciled dripping slime in Passionate Pink ink from Gina K Designs.

To make the photos, a nesting square die was cut once with a larger and smaller die out of black card stock to create the frame, and a second panel with from the larger square from white card stock to be the photo background. Using a line stamp, I stamped alternating pink and black stripes with Gina K Designs Passionate Pink and Black Onyx ink on the white squares.

Pulling out the Adaline Alpha Dies, Fear Book was cut out of white card stock. The letters were ink blended in a gradient fashion utilizing Blue Lagoon ink from Gina K Designs. After some clean up it was time to color the ghouls.

The Ghoul Girls were stamped in alcohol safe ink and colored with Olo Markers, Prisma colored pencils, and the Altenew Fine Liner pen. (See Color Guide) The ghouls were fussy cut out and set aside.

To assemble the card, a A7 card base was prepped. To allow the background to pop, an 1/4 inch was cut off the edges. A 5 inch by 7 inch piece of black paper was attached to the card base. The stenciled panel was centered and adhered. The frames were up next! The Ghoul Girls were adhered flat within the frame parameters. The black frame was applied and any excess overhang was cut down.

The sentiment Fear Book was lined up and adhered to lower right corner. Sparkle was placed with a Wink of Stella brush pen and Glossy Accents applied. The Fear Book was finally complete!!

Card Size: A7 (5 inches by 7 inches)

Project Two: Composition Ghouls

Ghoul school will be in session soon and of course you need a composition notebook to keep all the notes! The Ghoul Girls are the perfect accessory for this notebook.

The Ghoul Girls were stamped in alcohol safe ink and colored with Olo Marker/ Prisma Colored Pencils, and the Altenew Fine Liner Pen. (See Color Guide). The ghouls were fussy cut out and set aside.

For the shield, I utilized the Nesting Shields Die (previous limited edition box). You could also draw and cut out a shield if you do not have the dies. If you have the dies from the limited edition set, you can make a frame by utilizing a larger and smaller die. A piece of shimmery blue card stock was die cut from the largest shield die. This panel was cut in half. The pink and black strips were cut at 1/4 inch and adhered to a piece of copy paper. The panel was die cut with the largest die and cut in half. The blue paper and the striped paper were adhered to the solid shield. A leftover black strip was centered and adhered over the top of the center junction. The top shield frame was glue to the top of the shield.

A piece of purple glitter card stock was centered over the composition label. The completed shield was adhered to the glitter card stock with liquid glue and left to dry while the remainder of the card was completed.

Pulling out Curiouser stamp set, the small heart was stamped multiple times in Passionate Pink (Gina K Designs) ink on a piece of white card stock and fussy cut out. These were set aside for assembly later. Since the ink was out, I stamped the sentiment “Slay All Day” and die cut the sentiment with a Sentiment Strip Die that was equally long on both sides of the sentiment. The sentiment strip was cut on both sides and thin foam tape was applied. The ends of the banners were then aligned and picked up with foam tape that was layered on the sentiment. The strip was set aside after the release paper was reapplied so it wouldn’t be stuck on the bottom of something and lost for all time… ask me how I learned this lesson….

The supportive sentiments were stamped in Blue Lagoon ink (Gina K Designs) and fussy cut out. These sentiments reminded me of things that I scribbled on the front of my notebooks so it felt fitting.

To assemble the cover of the composition notebook, the Ghoul Girls were arranged and glued flat to the cover. Ensuring that every part had adhesive so the images would not lift. With the ghouls in place, I added the hearts and support sentiments throughout the image. Finally, the sentiment banner got a dose of glue on the sections that did not have foam tape and the release paper was removed and positioned.

Ghoul school will be in session soon and this notebook can be used as a planner, to do list catcher, or note taker!

Size: Composition Notebook Half Size (7 1/2 inches by 4-7/8 inches)

Project Three: Coffin Ghouls

What better way to store your school supplies than some coffins at the ghoul school! The Ghoul Girls posed perfectly in front of their lockers to say “You Ghoul Girl”!

This single layer stamped design starts with an A7 panel (5 inches by 7 inches) of Neenah 80 pound card stock. With a pencil I sketched the horizon line for the floor vs. wall. The floor was sketched in to resemble checkered flooring. I didn’t feel like perspective thinking so all the tiles were just straight lines. The coffins were then sketched with simple connect the dots markings (smaller at the bottom wider at the mid top and I connected the dots).

With the base designed, the Ghoul Girls were up next. The ghouls were stamped on masking paper and cut out on the line. Tie Ghoul was stamped in the center. Her mask was applied. The Pigtail Ghoul and Egyptian Ghoul were then stamped and masked respectively. Finally, the Wolfy Ghoul and Aqua Ghoul were stamped and masked. Taking the Altenew Fine Line Pen 005) the sketched pencil lines of the coffin and floor were drawn into place. Pencil markings were erased (except for under the masked ghouls). A mask was placed along the floor line to allow ink blending. Using Gina K Designs Light Lilac, the background was shaded. To color in-between the coffins, sticky notes were utilized to maintain the crisp lines and to not alter the appearance of the pink coffins.

With the walls shaded, all masks were removed. The Ghoul Girls were colored with Olo Markers , Prisma colored pencils, and the Altenew Fine Liner pen. (See Color Guide). The coffins were colored flat with Altenew Artist Markers in C003 and C006. Vent lines on the top of the coffin were drawn in the Fine Line pen. Finally, the checkered floor was colored with Altenew Artist Markers in B201 and B204. The sentiment was stamped in black pigment ink, Clear Embossing Powder, and heat set. Finally, the panel was trimmed down to provide a frame to show case the panel.

To assemble, an A7 (5 inches by 7 inches) panel in deep eggplant colored card stock was adhered to a card base. The colored scene was popped up with foam tape and centered on the card base. These Ghoul Girls are cheering you on!!

Card Size: A7 (5 inches by 7 inches)

Project Four: Ghoul Markers

Ghoul School will be in session and you definitely need a bookmark. Not a traditional bookmark, but an origami bookmark customized for all the ghouls in your life. Making the origami paper with sentiments and then accessorizing with the Ghoul Girls, these bookmarks work great for the teacher planners, student planners, or actual real life printed books (Yes, they do exist…)

First up, let’s make some paper! Pulling out a couple pieces of smooth copy paper (Hammermill Premium Color Copy 32 lb), cut out a total of 5 square panels (5 inches by 5 inches). This can be adjusted to whatever size you would like. There are a couple ways that you can stamp the sentiments onto these square panels. You can pull out your blocks and go free-range stamping or you can make a jig in your stamping platform and stamp the first arranged sentiments on one panel, remove panel and repeat with the remaining 4. Then rearrange the stamps and repeat. Passionate Pink and Blue Lagoon (Gina K Designs) ink was utilized. I am a mass producer and found it easier to use a jig process… less time spend on cleaning (equals more time crafting….). When stamping the sentiments, make sure you are stamping off the side of the paper to give the illusion that this is patterned paper. To fill in some of the white space on the patterned paper, a few bats from the Unusual Ones stamp set were stamped in Black Onyx (Gina K Designs). Set the panels aside to allow complete drying of the ink.

Black card stock was cut to 2 1/4 inch squares. These will be utilized in the inside of the bookmark to provide stability, mask ink bleed from the sentiments, and provide a solid “white space” to showoff the Ghoul Girls. Set these aside.

The Ghoul Girls were stamped in alcohol safe ink and colored with Olo Markers, Prisma Colored Pencils, and Altenew Fine Liner Pen. The ghouls were then fussy cut out and set aside for assembly.

There are many tutorials on YouTube for the folding an origami bookmark. Here is one that I followed for these bookmarks (Easy Origami Bookmark Corner - How to make a Corner Bookmark DIY by Red Ted Art). Its may 2 minutes long. Easier to watch vs. me trying to type it out and you read it…

With my origami bookmarks folded and secured, the black squares were glued into the pocket and centered to allow the boarder to be equal. Finally, the Ghoul Girls were attached with thin foam tape only on the sections of the ghouls that layer on the top folded triangles. This allows the bookmark to be placed on the corner of the page.

With a set of Ghoul Girls bookmarks at the ready for the start of ghoul school my planner will never be the same!

Size> 2.5 inch square

Color Guide (Olo Markers):

Tie Ghoul:

Flesh> G1.4/ G0.1

Eyes> YG2.3/ B0.3

Lips> R0.6/ R0.5

Dress> B2.2/ B2.4/ White Gel pen/ Primsa Color Pencil 923

Hair> BK

Puffs/ Seams/ Shoes> Altenew Fine Liner 005

Egyptian Ghoul:

Flesh> O4.6/ O4.3/ O4.1

Lips> R5.7/ RV0.6

Top> BG0.4/ BG2.3

Wraps> YO2.5/ YO2.3/ YO2.2

Earrings> YO2.3

Eyes> BG2.1

Hair> YO2.2/ OR4.8/ OR7.6

Pigtail Ghoul:

Flesh> OR2.0/ OR1.0

Pen Work> Altenew Fine Liner 005

Vest> RV1.5/ RV0.4

Heart> RV0.4

Boots> RV0.2/ R2.2

Hair> RV1.5/ BK

Skirt/ Ruffels/ Caplet> CG3/ RV0.2

Eyes> BV4.2

Lips RV1.5/ RV0.4

Aqua Ghoul:

Eyes> B2.0

Flesh> BG7.2/ BG7.0

Hair> B2.0/ Y2.0

Leggings> BG7.0/ Prisma Colored Pencil 1027

Lips> V2.6/ V2.4

Flower/ Fish> RV0.2/ RV0.1

Bandana> CG3/ Zero

Shorts> BG2.3/ CG7

Fins> B0.3/ Zero

Water> B2.0

Jacket> CG3/ BG2.3/ CG7

Shirt> RV0.2/ RV0.1

Wolfy Ghoul:

Flesh> O4.3/ O4.0

Lips> R1.7/ R0.5

Eyes> Y1.2

Feathers> BV1.1

Shirt> R2.4

Skirt> BV1.7/ BV1.4

Boots> BV1.4/ Altenew Fine Liner Pen 005

Jacket/ Belt/ Collar> CG9/ CG7

Sock> R2.2

Hair> V2.6/ OR3.8

Christian Cottingham 7/24/25 Christian Cottingham 7/24/25

Kindred Stamps July Release: Unstoppable Hero

You too can be unstoppable! The Unstoppable Hero stamp set from Kindred Stamps June Release will give you the boom and pow to accomplish anything you want.

When you have love for humanity, nothing is unstoppable! The Unstoppable Hero sees the good in everyone and that empathy defines humanity. This stamp set showcase the Unstoppable Hero who will never give up no matter what is thrown at them. Let’s fly right into the making of these cards.

Project One: Unstoppable Pinwheel

When you can’t decide on just one scene, you have to make four!! This pin wheel card features all four of the characters from the Unstoppable Hero stamp set each on their own page. Let’s break down this simple by fun design!

To make the card base pin wheel that the scenes will be on, I pulled out some heavy weight black card stock. The black card stock was cut down to 4 1/4 inches by 3 3/4 inches. The panels were then scored one inch from the left on the 3 3/4 side of the panel leaving two distinct areas (1 inch and then 2 1/4 inches). The one inch section was glued to the next panel by lining up one inch scored section with the the score line and the on another panel. This was repeated until all four pieces were attached and the the final connection was closed to form the box in the center of the pin wheel card. The pin wheel was set aside for some scene building.

Four pieces of white card stock were cut to 4 inch squares. This will be the scenes that will be adhered to the pin wheel. To make life easier, the scene will be made than cut prior to assembly. Because I did not want added weight and bulk to the card, I choose to have my scenes drawn flat. I am not an artist and can barely draw a straight line even with a ruler… So I pulled out the City Scapes Die and die cut it from a piece of heavy weight 5 inch by 7 inch card stock. The die was centered in the middle of the card stock because I will be using this paper as a stencil and a mask.

To make the background, the homemade stencil was placed on the 4x4 inch panel. To ink the sky, the panel was inserted to have the buildings be on the front of the panel. Low tack tape masked the windows and held the panel in place on the back of the stencil. The sky was inked with Gina K Ocean Mist unevenly to give the appearance of soft feathery clouds. When the sky was completed, the stencil was repositioned and now the building were behind the panel and the sky was masked with the top of the building cut outs. The building was then inked with Altenew Limestone. I pulled out my fine liner pen and drew the lines around the stenciled areas. The windows were then colored with an Olo Marker (B2.0). I did not try for perfection on the lines, they are supporting characters in my scene.

Each of the 4 panels were completed alternating where the buildings were placed and which buildings made it to the scene. On three of the four panels, a matching sentiment was stamped in pigment ink. The fourth panel was left blank for writing a personal greeting. With the four panels complete, the scene panels were cut at 1 1/2 inches. These panels were centered onto each of the pin wheel bases.

The Hero Boy, Hero Girl, Villain, and Reporter were stamped in alcohol safe ink and colored with Olo Markers (See Coloring Guide). Each of the images were fussy cut out on the line and edged with a black marker. The Unstoppable Hero images were glued to their designated scenes. Who says you can only pick one image for a card, you to can be Unstoppable!

Card Size: A2 (5.5 inches by 4.25 inches)

Project Two: Comic Pages

Reading the comics when I was younger was one of my favorite things to do. This card features all the characters from the Unstoppable Hero stamp set to create a comic style card. Newsflash…. It worked!

To start the planning the card, I took a 5 inch by 7 inch piece of white card stock and found the center…. This was a feat of its own because, math…. I penciled in the center line and then divided the card into 3rds. This gave me a total of 6 panels for the comic story to occur in. It was now time to start stamping.

The top left panel was up first. I masked off the surrounding boxes with sticky notes and was ready to start stamping… But I needed a monster for out Hero Boy to save us from. Pulling out the Dino-Mite stamp set I stamped the monster coming into the scene. With a pencil I sketched in some buildings in the background and then went over the lines with an alcohol markers safe fine liner pen. This box was then colored with Olo Markers. (Dino> YG2.5/ YG2.3/ CG3; Road> RK; Building 1> CG3/ CG5; Building 2> O7.3/ WG5/ WG3; Sky> B2.0).

The top right panel was up next! The monster needed a villain to be the mastermind behind the plot to kill our superhero and he had to have the secret gems in his possession. The gems from the Mine Workers stamp set were stamped on masking paper and cut out on the line. The gems were stamped with the points up to provide the jagged look that I wanted, masking as I stamped along. The Villain was then stamped over the masked gems so he appear behind the pile. The Villain was also stamped on masking paper and the masking was applied so I could have an ink blended background. The area around the gems were blended with Altenew Parrot fading up towards the top of the panel and then Jet Black ink from Altenew was applied from the top and outer panels into the center in a gradient application. Masks were removed and the gems were colored with Olo Markers (YG2.3/ YG1.2). The Villain was colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide).

The masks around the panels were removed and the middle left panel was designated for our favorite Reporter. The sides of the panel were masked with some new sticky notes and the Reporter was stamped to the left of the panel to allow a space for her to call for help. She was also stamped on some masking paper, cut out, and applied to allow some ink blending on her panel. I also placed a piece of masking paper as the call out. This was traced with a fine liner pen. To ink up her scene, I used Blueberry ink from Concord & 9th. The masks were removed, and “help” was written with the fine liner. The Reporter was colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide).

Our Hero Boy had to come in and kick some butt, and I felt that called for 2 panels. Masking paper was applied to the 3 completed panels and to the bottom right panel. The Boom and Pow from the Unstoppable Hero stamp set were stamped in their respective boxes with Gina K Cherry Red and Marigold ink. They were also stamped on masking paper and cut out. The masking paper was applied and the panel was ready to be stamped with a pin dot background stamp in black ink. All masks were removed and it was now time to finish up the last panel.

Masks were applied on 2 sides of the last panel. The sentiment and Hero Boy were stamped. A piece of masking paper was trimmed down to cover the sentiment and a mask was made for the Hero Boy. Utilizing the same Marigold ink, I applied a solid application to the panel. Prior to removing the sentiments mask, I traced the mask with a fine liner. All masks were removed and the Hero Boy was colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide).

My comic page was trimmed down to 4 3/4 inches by 6 3.4 inches and foam tape was applied to the back. The panel was adhered to a black 5x7 inch panel which was then applied to a A7 card base.

Card Size: A7 (5 inches by 7 inches)

Project Three: Girl Power

The Hero Girl from Unstoppable Hero is the floating focal point on this card. She just kicked some butt with the booms and pows and is flying away as the victor to tell you, you are amazing!

The Hero Girl was colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide) and was fuzzy cut out on the line. A black marker was applied to the edges of the die cut to clean up the edges from my cutting abilities. She was set aside to make the pattern papers.

A piece of 5 inch by 7 inch white card stock (Neenah Classic Crest Solor White 80 lb) was placed in a stamping platform. Using the “Boom” and “Pow” exclamations, I stamped randomly around the boarder of the card panel. These were stamped intentionally off of the panel to give the illusion that the pattern was continuous. These sentiments were stamped in Gina K Design Cherry Red and Marigold inks and Concord & 9th Blueberry ink. Using an A7 die set, the inner portion of the paper was cut out, leaving the colorful paper as an inch frame. This panel was set aside for the preparation of the card base.

An A7 card base (5 inches by 7 inches) was prepped. Utilizing a pin dot stamp and black pigment ink the dots were stamped onto the front of the card base. The base was set aside to allow ink dry time while the sentiment was prepped. On a scrap of white card stock, the sentiment was stamped in the same Cherry Red ink from Gina K. This sentiment was cut down and a black mat was applied.

It was almost time to bring it together, but first I needed 2 strips of thick acetate to act as the bridge between the sides of the frame. These were approximately 0.5 inches by 4.5 inches. Using some double-sided tape, the acetate bridges were adhered to the frame sides. Foam tape was then applied over the edges of the frame. For stability, foam was applied over the entirety of the frame. The frame was attached to the card base. With liquid glue, the Hero Girl and the sentiment were placed on the acetate and allowed to dry. This does take longer than paper to paper, so don’t rush it. Finally a few shiny stars were scattered across the scene and POW we are unstoppable!

Card Size: A7 (5 inches by 7 inches)

Project Four: Flying High

Our Hero Boy appears to be flying above the buildings in this fun box card! Having a card that is multi-dimensional makes the recipient feel so much more special. Let’s breakdown how to make this card featuring the Unstoppable Hero stamp set.

The Hero Boy was stamped in alcohol safe ink and colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide). He was fussy cut out on the line to make his appearance be more eye catching. He was edged with a black marker to conceal the white edge of the paper and to crisp up his edges. He was set aside to work on his scene.

The Box Card die was cut out of heavy weight black card stock for the side, back panel, front panel, and one insert. All score lines were reinforced before assembly. The single insert was cut in half to drop the line of site and emphasize the flying nature of the Hero Boy. Because I have trust issues with sticky tape and tape runners, I used liquid glue to assemble the box card. While this dried, I cut out the front panel, side panels, the main background panel, and a piece of card stock for the back panel of the box card out of white card stock.

The side panels were up first. They were stamped with “Boom” and “Pow” with Gina K Designs Cherry Red and Marigold ink. Without removing them from the stamping platform, I allowed the ink to dry a few minutes. The panels were then prepped with an antistatic tool and the stamps were inked again with embossing ink. Clear Embossing powder was applied and heat set. This provided a little shine and kept the images vibrant. This worked a lot better than my first brilliant idea… I used Glossy Accents over the die ink and lets just say it wasn’t pretty. The colors bled and the Glossy Accents tinted. They were thrown away… it’s just paper. Don’t be me, be patient and use Clear Embossing powder. The side panels were glued to their respective sides.

Next up, the front panel. The sentiment was stamped using masking so there was a two-tone effect on the sentiment. The top portion of the sentiment was stamped in Gina K Cherry Red and the second line of the sentiment was stamped in Blueberry ink by Concord & 9th. It was finally time to create my back panel for the box card.

The City Scape Die was cut from black card stock and then cut again with the panel die from the Box Card Die. This was done so the stitching would be continuous. This was set aside for the coloring of the sky. To achieve this, I utilized the mask from the Pin Wheel card. I place tape over the windows and positioned the building mask at the level that I had die cut the City Scape at. Utilizing the Grass and Clouds Stencil, I placed the negative clouds on my scene. With the buildings and clouds masked off, the sky was ink blended evenly with Gina K Ocean Mist ink. The masks were removed leaving white space where the buildings will be placed. In the window sections, I tinted the paper with Olo B0.2 marker. Finally, the City Scapes die cut was glued to the sky panel. The complete scene was glued to the black card base. The white panel for writing the personal greeting was also applied to the back of the Box Card base.

The Hero Boy was almost ready to take flight! A piece of thick acetate was trimmed down and attached to the back of our hero. When the height was acceptable, the acetate was adhered to the base of the back side of the insert. To complete the card, a few shiny stars were arranged around the sentiment. The Hero Boy was now flying high!

Card Size: A2 (5.5 inches by 4.25 inches) when in envelope.

Project Five: Shaker Up

Everybody has a weakness of some sort and this villain knows that you are mine! This card show case the villain in all his glory from the Unstoppable Hero set! Let’s shake it up and see how this card was made…

The Villain was colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide), fussy cut out on the line, and then edged with a black marker so no white would show on the sides. He was set aside for the making of the shaker panel.

Pulling out the Flames Paper Pack, I picked of the green flames to match my sentiment. The card stock was cut to an A2 panel (4.25 inches by 5.5 inches). I pulled out the Card Basic die set and select the 3 sizes of the star. I placed my villain on the paper to judge where to place my stars. The stars were taped down with low tack tape and die cut out. Using the packaging that the stamp set came in, I cut down a panel of acetate that fit behind the stars. This was adhered with strong double sided tape. Foam tape was then applied around the stars to make each star it’s own shaker pocket. A piece of black glitter card stock was cut to fit behind the stars. Shaker bits were placed in all of the star wells and the cut down piece of glitter card stock was adhered to the foam tape around the stars. This encapsulated the shaker bits and made it easier to apply the card panel to my card base.

With the base attached, the front was finished. The sentiment was stamped with Embossing ink on a prepared piece of black card stock. Snowfall Embossing Powder was applied and heat set. When cooled, the sentiment was die cut with the Sentiment Strip Dies. The sentiment was positioned hanging off the page and the excess was trimmed off. This will act as the grounding for the villain. The colored villain was glued flat to the card panel. Finally, a few sequins from the shaker bits were adhered to add a little funk. I love the simplicity and unexpected shaker elements in all the stars.

Card Size: A2 (4.25 inches by 5.5 inches)

Coloring Guide (Old Markers):

Hero Boy:

Flesh> OR2.0/ OR3.2/ OR4.2
Belt> Y2.3/ Y1.2
Bodysuit> B0.7/ B0.5
Cape/ Boots/ Roos: R0.5/ R1.5
Hair> O7.8/ O7.7

Hero Girl:

Flesh> OR2.0/ OR3.2/ OR4.2
Hair> YO2.5/ YO2.3/ YO2.2
Belt/ Boot Tip> Y2.3
Shirt> B0.7/B0.5

Villian:

Flesh> OR2.0/ OR7.1/ OR7.2
Suit> B4.7/ B4.6/ B4.3
Shoes> OR4.8/ OR4.7

Reporter:

Flesh> OR2.0/ OR7.1/ OR3.2
Teeshirt> WG1
Belt> O2.7/ OR4.4
Pants/ Vest> B4.6/ B4.3
Hair> BK/ OR3.7

Christian Cottingham 6/26/25 Christian Cottingham 6/26/25

Kindred Stamps June Release: Cribmates

Cribmates are full of adventures! This set from the Kindred Stamps June Release screams party!

Adventure? Jokes? Romance? Inventing? Gaming? Anything can happen when you make believe! The Cribmates stamp set can be used in any setting or scene imaginable. You just have to close you eyes… Let’s deep dive into how these cards were made, but first a psa…

Project One: All Aboard

A fun-fold card showcases all the adventures that the Cribmates can go on! This card is a standard A2 card dimensions just folded a little differently. Let’s break it down!

The back was up first. A piece of 110 lb Neenah card stock was cut to 4.25 inches by 11 inches. Pulling out the Grass and Clouds Stencil, I was ready to ink! The grass was first up, this was colored with Gina K Grass Green ink. Relocating the stencil to cover the entire 11 inches as needed. Then the stencil negative was placed over the grass to prepare for the sky inking. The negatives from the clouds were also taped down to ensure their whiteness. Gina K Blue Sky ink was blended over the sky portion. This ink blended piece was set aside.

Time to die cut… the Cribmates will be enjoying their trip on the train with the Train Die. I cut out 3 train cars in red card stock. Then cut the train engine twice from red card stock. With strategic card stock placement, I die cut sections of the engine and the cars from black and mirror silver card stock. The wheels and the couplers were cut from black card stock. The engine was assembled in layers to get the design I was looking for. The cars got their black pin striping added. These items were set aside to dry whilst I did some coloring.

The Cribmates were colored with Olo Markers and fussy cut out (See Color Guide). The sentiment was stamped with masking over the stamp to allow each section of the sentiment to be stamped separately. These were cut down to be sentiment strips with one being applied to section of the train.

It was time to make some folds. The stenciled paper base was scored at the 3.25 inches and then at 8.25 inches. Then the card base was turned upside down so the pretty colors were on my score bored and I could see the 3.25 score line at the 3.25 marking. I then scored the paper at 5.75 inches. By doing this my score lines will bend the appropriate ways without having that weird bump or cracking show. I primed the folds for magic time.

To assemble the card, the Cribmates were paired up to fit within the engine and cars. Each pair was glued together and to the train. The coupler was attached to the engine and to the end of two cars. The sentiment strips were glued down to the respective cars in the arrangement.

The train was now ready to be assembled. The engine was adhered flat to the card base. In the next panel, a small dab of glue was placed onto the top of the coupler and then the car was adhered. This was repeated twice. Each panel had the car, their passengers, and their wheels glued flat to the card base. Oh the adventures these Cribmates go on!

Card Size: Displays as 4.25 inches by 11 inches (Folds to fit an A2 or A6 envelope).

Project Two: Science, Oh Yeah

These science pals are always in the lab no matter what their age is! The Cribmates Scientist and Assistant may be small but they are mighty on this card.

The background was first up! A piece of black card stock was cut down with the large stitched rectangle from the Card Basics Die Set. A piece of matte silver card stock was trimmed down to fit inside the ledge of the large rectangle. With the layers cut, I was ready to get inky! A piece of Hammermill card stock was cut down to an A2 panel. A third of the way up the panel, I placed a strip of masking paper leaving the lower third exposed to stencil. Using the Harlequin Stencil and Silver Stone ink from Altenew, I inked in a solid application. The stencil was removed and the inked section was lightly blended with remaining ink on my blending brush. This removed the harshness of the white paper. Next up was the wall paper. I repositioned the masking paper so the top section of the card panel was exposed. The Bottles Stencil was centered and inked with Altenew Buttercream. The stencil was removed and then the remaining ink on the blending brush was blended over the wall to remove the harshness. This panel was cut down to fit inside the matte silver card stock panel.

The Scientist and Assistant were stamped with alcohol safe ink and colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide). Pulling out my trusty scissors, I fussy cut the pair out leaving a heavier white boarder to provide a visual contrast against the flooring. These were set aside to work on the science table. The Science Labs Die Set provided the pieces. The rack, microscope, and magnifying glass were die cut from a glossy black card stock, whereas the bottles and flask with their fluids were cut from white card stock. Finally the magnifying glass was die cut from mirror silver card stock for the glass section. The glass containers were colored B2.0 Olo Marker. The fluids were colored with Olo Markers (G1.5/ G5.1; O2.4/O1.2; RV1.3/ RV0.1; BV2.3/ B0.2; BG0.4/ BG2.3). Finally, the table was colored with O7.8/ O7.7/ and O7.3 Olo Markers.

To assemble the card, the layers were adhered together with liquid glue. The table and all the science supplies were assembled and glued flat to the inked panel. The magnifying glass was assembled and adhered to the Scientist’s hand. The Scientist and Assistant were popped up with foam tape and placed on the lower third of the card. Finally, the sentiment was stamped with black pigment ink, Clear Embossing Powder was applied and set with heat. This was cut down and popped up in the top third of the card. The card was finished, and these two are always welcome to stay at my crib anytime!

Card Size: A2 (4.25 inches by 5.5 inches)

Project Three: Fly Away

With a little imagination, you can fly away just like the Cribmates too! This single layer card utilizes masking to design the scene. Let’s dive in!

The images from the Cribmates stamp set were arranged on a 3.5 inch by 8.5 inch piece of Hammermill card stock. The images were stamped with alcohol safe ink. Masks were stamped, cut out, and applied over their respective stamped images. Pulling out a circle die, I cut out one circle for each of the images out of masking paper to act as the balloons. The balloons were placed above each of the images allowing some distance between the image and the balloon. Taking out a fine liner, I then traced about the masked circle so the black lines would reflect the black lines of the stamped images. With the same black fine liner, I used a ruler to draw the string between the hand and the balloon.

Now that the stamping was done, I could focus on the back ground. I pulled out a cloud stencil and inked up a happy cloudy sky with Blue Hyacinth by Gina K Designs. With the sky done, I removed all of the masks to reveal my scene. I touched up any of the lines that needed with the fine liner and sat down to color.

Using Olo Markers, each of the images came to life (See Color Guide). The balloons were colored with Olo Markers as well (R0.5/ R0.4; O2.4/ O1.3; Y2.3/ Y1.2; G1.7/G1.5; B0.7/ B0.5; V2.6/ V2.4).

Finally, the sentiment was stamped in black pigment ink. This colored panel was adhered to a Slimline card base. I look at this card and smile. The adventures never end!

Card Size: Slimline (3.5 inches by 8.5 inches)

Project Four: Hey Baby

Sometimes when planning a card, it doesn’t always work out and you have bits that are screaming to be used. That is where this fun card design came from. It features the Pig from Cribmates and is a nod to the romance she is always seeking.

The background was a cast away from another design that just didn’t work but it sure works on this one! An A2 panel was centered on the Bottles Stencil and the ink was applied in a repeating rainbow order. I utilized Altenew Crisp Dye Inks in Puffy Heart/ Lavender Fields/ Buttercream/ Bamboo/ & Caribbean Sky. This panel was set aside.

Pulling out the Heart Layers Stencil, I stenciled the center heart in Puffy Heart ink. The negative mask was applied over the inked heart and then Lavender Fields was stenciled in the next open section on the stencil. This allowed me to have a two-tone heart that would be center on the background. When the ink was dry, the heart was prepped with antistatic tool. The sentiment was stamped in embossing ink and then Snowfall Embossing Powder was applied and heat set.

The Pig was stamped in alcohol safe ink and colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide). The Pig was fussy cut out on the line and set aside. To assemble this simple colorful card, the stenciled paper was adhered to an A2 card base. Foam tape was applied to the back of the heart and was centered on the card base. Foam tape was applied to the overhang sections of the Pig and liquid glue was applied to the sections that overlapped the heart.

I just love how the failure from another design made this adorable card!

Card Size: A2 (4.25 inches by 5.5 inches)

Project Five: Besties Since Diapers

The Science team from Cribmates have been besties since diapers and they always seem to shaking it up a little. So why not make a shaker and use the blackout technique with the Bottles Stencil. Let’s break it down.

A piece of Hammermill 100 lb card stock was cut down to 4 inches by 5 1/4 inches. The panel was ink blended with Altenew Crisp Dye Inks in Puffy Heart/ Lavender Fields/ Buttercream/ Bamboo/ Caribbean Sky. Utilizing my electronic die machine and the embossing mat, I placed the Bottle Stencil on the back side of the inked panel. This will cause the colored bottles to be indented vs. raised. I did have to add a shim to get the depth I wanted. (Tip: practice the embossing on the same weight scrap card stock to get the sandwich needed for your machine.). Now that the panel was ready, I pulled out some black ink and started rubbing the black ink over the panel. Next time I make this, I will try to utilize a brayer because the indentions were not as deep as I utilized a stencil for the embossing folder. This panel was set aside to dry as there was a ton of ink on it.

To have my besties connected, I stamped the Scientist first with alcohol safe ink. Then I stamped the same image on a piece of masking paper. This was cut out on the line and placed over the card stock stamped image. The Assistant was then stamped with overlap on the Scientist. The mask was removed. The two besties were colored with Olo Markers and fussy cut with a thin boarder. This will help them pop off of the card with so much darkness. (See Coloring Guide for the details)

The center panel was up next. A piece of black card stock was cut down to 1 3/8 by 5 1/4 inches and prepped with an antistatic tool. With embossing ink the sentiment was stamped, Snowfall Embossing Powder was applied, and the sentiment was heat set.

To assemble the shaker, the Cribmates packaging was cut down to 5 inches by 6 1/4 inches. Double-sided adhesive was placed onto the back of the embossed panel along the edges. The panel was centered on the acetate and the corners were trimmed to ease the assembly. Working one side at a time for 3 sides, I removed the adhesive backing and folded the acetate over the adhesive. The top side of the panel adhesive remains open to make the pocket for filling of the shaker bits. I pulled out some star shaker pieces and filled the pocket. When I had the amount I desired, I laid the panel flat and removed the double-sided adhesive backing and folded the acetate as prior. I now had a shaker!

To assemble the card, I had a couple more pieces of paper to prep. A black A2 panel was cut down and adhered to a white card base. A piece of holographic card stock was cut down with an A2 frame die set. This was adhered on top of the black panel. With my base ready, I placed extremely sticky double-sided adhesive to the back of the shaker panel and this was centered onto the card base. The black center strip was glued to the front of the acetate. Finally, the Science Besties were centered on the panel and adhered with glue.

Card Size: A2 (4.25 by 5.5 inches)

Color Guide (Olo):

Bear:

Jumper> Y1.2/ Y1.1
Hat> CG3/ Y1.2
Bow> CG3/ RV0.2
Mouth> RV0.2/ R1.5
Body> OR7.6/ OR7.4
Baby Bear> OR3.2

Furry Baby:

Bow/ Ruffle> CG3/ Zero
Teeshirt> Y1.2
Body> O1.3/ O1.2; RV1.5/ RV1.3
Mouth> R1.5/ BK
Shorts> R0.4/ R0.5
Drum> R1.5/ CG2/ CG1

Scientist:

Flesh> YO2.2/ YO2.0
Scarf> O2.4/ O1.3
Bunny> CG3
Beaker> YG2.3
Glass> Black fine liner pen
Shirt> B0.2/ B2.0

Assistant:

Shirt> BG2.3/ BG2.1
Shoes> V2.7/ V2.6
Flesh> OR2.0/ O2.2
Hair> O2.4/ O1.3
Nose> O1.3

Nosey Guy:

Body> B0.2/ B0.3/ B2.0
Bibs> R0.5/ R0.4; Y2.3
Shoes>Y2.3/ Y2.2
Eyes> YG1.4

Dog:

Body> OR4.7/ O2.7
Bib> CG3/ Zero; R0.5
Mouth> R1.5/ RV0.2
Nose> BK

Pig:

Body> R0.1/ R0.2; R2.2
Eye> R0.2
Hair> Y1.1/ Y2.0
Dress> RV0.4/ RV0.2; CG3
Mouth> RV0.2/ R1.5

Frog:

Body> G1.5/ G1.7
Mouth> R1.5/ RV0.2
Shirt> CG3/ Zero/ B4.3
Shorts>B4.3

Twin Boy:

Flesh> YO2.3/ Y2.2
Hair> OR2.5/ OR2.3
Shorts> BV4.5/ BV4.4
Shirt> BV2.2/ BV2.0; R5.5/ R5.3
Glasses> YG8.5
Shoes> R5.5
Mouth> RV0.2/ R1.5

Twin Girl:

Flesh> YO2.3/ Y2.2
Hair> OR2.5/ OR2.3
Glasses> V2.3
Shirt> YG2.3/ YG1.2
Shorts> B2.4/ B2.2
Shoes> RV0.4/ RV0.2
Mouth> RV0.2/ R1.5

Kindred Stamps May Release: Treasure Kids

Pirates? Booby Traps? Adventures? Yes please!! Treasure Kids to the rescue!

Pirates, rubies, diamonds, pearls, boobytraps, pipes, ocean, bullet holes… what you may ask do these things have in common??? Loyal friends and adventures! The Treasure Kids from Kindred Stamps May release reflects the power of friendship and how even kids can be heroes.

This blog utilizes affiliate links to the Kindred Stamps products that I utilized. If you choose to click on the link to purchase your own stamp-sets I receive compensation that I use to purchase even more supplies. Thank you for your support if you choose to, and if you choose not, I respect that as well. Now let’s begin our adventure on search for our Kindred treasure!

Project One: Come On…

Awwwww Come On…. Just do it! This card features four of the gang from the Treasure Kids stamp set. To design the scene, I sketch with pencil the house, steps, fence and tree. The Belly Dancer and the Inventor were stamped with alcohol safe ink. Using masking paper, the sections of the house and fence were masked. The Little Brother was stamped and then masked. Big Brother was then stamped. All masks were removed and the pencil lines were then traced with an alcohol safe fine liner pen. The four friends were colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide).

Utilizing Altenew Artist Markers the remainder of the background was colored. The sky was colored with BG3. The tree was colored with Y762/ Y932/ G425/ G503/ G515. The fence was colored in WG05/ WG03/ WG01. The house was colored in TG03/ TG02/ Y908/ TG07/ TG05. Finally the roof and cable were color with C026/ C017.

The sentiment was centered in the sky section and prepped with an antistatic tool. Utilizing embossing ink, the sentiment was stamped and Snowfall Embossing Powder applied. After being heat set, the card front panel was adhered to a card base.

Card Size: A7 (5 inches by 7 inches)

Project Two: Loyal Friends

Your gang of friends are there for you on all your adventures. This simple card shows the bonds of the friends with a nod to ocean. Clean and simple for the win with the Treasure Kids stamp set.

The friends were stamped in alcohol safe ink, colored with Olo Markers and fussy cut out (See Color Guide). Determining my card size was the difficult part. Originally, I pulled out my A2 template and immediately said nope! Then came out the A6 template, again, I didn’t like the how constrictive the friends were on the panel. So, then the Slimline template came out. I didn’t like the friends all lined up in a row. There was no depth and it looked like a prison picture line up. So in desperation, I pulled out the A7 template. When I arranged the friends by overlapping, and giving some height on the A7 template, I was sold. They felt connected yet had room to breathe.

A 5 inch by 7 inch card base was prepped and set aside. A separate 5 inch by seven inch panel was cut out. The friends were popped up with foam tape and applied to the lower ledge of the card stock panel. Because I didn’t want to get out masking paper to protect the inside of the card base, I choose to pull out a scrap of card stock that was 7 inches long to complete my ink blending on. Using 3 shades of blue a gradient panel was blended to fade to white (Altenew Desert Night/ Dusk/ Ocean Waves).

When the ink blending was dry, the gradient strip was prepped with an antistatic tool and stamped with embossing ink. Snowfall Embossing Powder was applied and heat set. The complete panel was adhered flat to the card base. A thin strip of gold card stock was adhered as a nod to the treasures the friends see on their adventure.

Foam tape was placed on the back side of the friends card panel and attached to the card panel with no concern for the paper overhang on the top of the card. Pulling out my scissors, I trimmed down the overhanging paper. Looking at the final card, I reflected on bonds of friendship that I have with my friends of childhood and today. They are my greatest treasures.

Card Size: A7 (5 inches by 7 inches)

Project Three: Friendship Gift Card

Best friends make us a who we are. Someone who know us better than we know ourselves. This simple gift card holder showcases the girls from the Treasure Kids set.

The Cheer and Prep Girls were stamped in alcohol safe ink and colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide). These ladies were fussy cut out and foam tape applied so they were ready for assembly.

Pulling out the Gift Card Die, it was time to start cutting! With a heavy weight piece of card stock, I die cut two of the base template. The base template was then also cut from a deep red card stock and a piece of yellow striped paper from the Emotional Paper Pack. These will serve as the front and inside layers for the gift card holder. The gift card holder mechanism was die cut from white card stock. The topper to the gift box was cut from glossy white card stock. The outside bow was cut from a yellow glitter card stock, while the inside bow topper was cut from the Emotional Paper Pack.

With all my pieces ready, I could start the assembly. The base of the template was up first. Using my scissors I cut off one of the tabs off of the die cut. Because I wanted my hinge to be hidden, I adhered the tab to the inside of the base die. The yellow striped paper (Emotional) and red die cuts were prepped by removing the tab with a scissors and adhered to the front and inside of the gift card holder respectively.

The inside bow was up next for assembly, but I needed to place the gift card holder mechanism inside the base. I stamped the die cut with a sentiment that would be seen after the gift card is removed. The mechanism was then glued to the panel on the outside edges only to ensure the gift card when placed was able to fit and hold the card. The yellow striped bow was assembled and glued flat to the the inside of the gift card holder.

Time to focus on the front. The box topper was cut from white glossy card stock and glued flat to the front. The ribbon die cut was centered and then glued to the gift. Finally, the bow assembly was started. The ribbon was adhered flat. The ribbon tails were adhered with only glue at the top of the bow to allow the ribbons to have movement. Thin foam squares were placed on the outside edges of the bow topper. Liquid adhesive was placed in the center of the bow topper sections and adhered to the paper. I pulled out my reverse tweezers to pinch the center only so the edges were allowed to remain elevated with the foam squares. This little dimension makes the bow so much more realistic.

Now that my gift card holder was assembled, the besties were placed on either side of the ribbon. When I was designing this gift card holder, I wanted to have my sentiment hidden so when the gift card is removed, a hidden treasure is found.

Card Size: Gift Card Die

Project Four: The Key of Kindred Treasure Kids

I found the key! Now lets frame it up in a shaker panel and all of the gang from Treasure Kids!

Each of the friends were stamped in alcohol safe ink and colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide) and then fussy cut out. The sentiment was stamped in black and fussy cut out raggedly to give the look of an old torn and battered map. The sentiment was inked randomly with Altenew Mocha ink. These components were set aside to make the shaker panel.

On a piece of card stock, a skeleton key was drawn in pencil and then outlined in a black fine liner. The panel was die cut down with a A7 nested dies. Using the same Mocha ink, the panel was inked up unevenly to give it texture. Water spatters add to the distressed look of the panel. Some of the jewels and coins (a.k.a. embellishments) were adhered to the panel so if the treasure settles, there is still some bling on the panel.
The packaging that the Treasure Kids came in will act as my shaker panel. I cut it down to be larger than my panel. Using ultras sticky tape on all side leaving the backing on the tape. Removing 3 sides of the sticky tape were removed and the packaging was attached. The shaker pocket was filled with treasures and then sealed shut.

The card base needed some contrast so a piece of metallic satin brown card stock was cut to 5 inches by 7 inches and glued to the panel to the card base. The shaker pack was centered on the panel. Each of the friends were arranged around the edges and foam tape was placed on the outer edges only to even out the height of the shaker element. The sentiment was popped up onto the shaker element. Now my Treasure Kids have the key in their grasps, there is no stopping the adventures they may go on!

Card Size: A7 (5 inches by 7 inches)

Project Five: Hey Guys!

Who would have thought an A9 card would come out of these little stamps!! I needed the space for a pirate ship. The Treasure Kids get to take a dip in the ocean while the Adopted Brother is ready to walk the plank… Let’s break it down.

The group of friends were stamped in alcohol ink safe ink and colored (See Color Guide). They were then fussy cut out and set aside. The easy part was done. Now I had to become inventive in how to make a pirate ship.

I pulled out a wood panel die and inked it up with Nutmeg ink (Concord & 9th). Randomly leaving areas darker or blotchy gave the wood an aged look. On a piece of copy paper, I lined up and adhered the planks in an alternating pattern. Pulling out my craft knife I cut out a section on the deck where my Adopted Brother could stand and jump. The bow was cut out with scissors. Using portions of the left over planks, I cut down a few pieces to make the mast. The sails were freehand cut from a piece of card stock. The sails were tinted with Sun Dune ink (Altenew) and some detailed shading was sketched in with Prisma PC1080 Beige Sienna colored pencil. The ship was assembled and set aside.

The background was up next. Wanted a dark dingy looking cave without the stenciling or drawing was my priority. On a 8.5 inch by 5.5 inch card stock panel, the top portion was ink blended randomly and without care with Altenew Moon Rock/ Evening Gray/ and Lava Rock inks. The lower portion was then inked with Altenew Ocean Waves ink. This was just applied, and not even nicely. It won’t be seen when looking straight on. I added this for the side views. Since I had the gray inks out, I free hand cut out some boulder shaped rocks that will be at the base of the ship, holding it time.

It was time to get my sentiments ready. I stamped “Hey Guys” on a piece of card stock and free hand cut out a thought bubble. Foam tape was applied and this was set aside. Pulling out the Art Frames Die, I picked a frame that fit the sentiment “Our Friendship Is My Greatest Treasure.” This was stamped in pigment ink and Clear Embossing Powder was heat set. The frame was die cut a second time out of a matte gold card stock to give a nod to the antique richness of treasure. Foam tape was applied and this was set aside.

The water was the last to do before I could assemble the card. Card stock was inked in a gradient fashion with Altenew Desert Night/ Dusk/ and Ocean Waves ink. To make the waves, I pulled out my scissors and cut my normal straight line (*wink*…just kidding… sort of) and layered the waves flat with some glue.

With all my pieces ready, it was time to assemble. The ship and boulders were adhered flat to the ink blended panel. The Adopted Brother also was adhered flat to give the illusion that he was further away. “Hey Guys” was popped up with foam tape. The friends were all lined up in a row leaving a space where the Adopted Brother was jumping into. The wave panel was set onto of the line up and a piece of Post-it Tape was placed on the top to hold the kids and the wave together. This piece was flipped over and foam tape was applied. Having one piece to handle, the waves with bobbing heads was stuck down to the card base. Finally, the framed sentiment was attached.

I can’t get over how cute this scene turned out! AND IT’S HUGE!! It is the perfect tribute to these Treasure Kids!!

Color Guide:

Little Brother:

Flesh> OR7.2/ OR7.1/ OR2.0/ R0.2
Hair> OR3.8/ OR3.7/ OR3.4
T-shirt> CG3
Raincoat> Y2.3/ Y1.2
Jean Jacket> B4.3/ B4.6
Jeans> B4.6/ B4.7
Map> 0.41/ O4.0

Big Brother:

Flesh> OR7.2/OR7.1/ OR2.0/ R0.2
T-shirt> CG5/ CG3
Sweats> CG5/CG3
Shorts> CG9/ CG7
Shoes> CG9/ CG7
Hair> OR3.8/ OR3.7/ OR3.4
Bandana> R0.5/ R0.4

Inventor:

Flesh> OR7.4/ OR7.2/ OR7.1/ R0.2
Hair> BK/ O7.8
Jacket> YG8.7/ YG8.5
Shoes> CG3/ CG1
Shirt> CG5. CG3
Jeans> B4.3/ B0.2
Sash/ Belt> YO2.7/ YO2.5

Sassy One:

Flesh> OR3.2/ OR7.1/ OR2.0/ R0.2
Hair> O7.8/ O7.7/ O7.3
T-shirt> CG9/ CG7
Jacket> CG3/ CG1
Pants> CG7/CG5
Shoes> CG7/ CG5

Belly Dancing:

Flesh> OR3.2/ OR7.1/ OR2.0/ R0.2
Hair> O7.8/ O7.7/ O7.3
T-shirt> CG9/ CG7
Jacket> CG3/ CG1
Pants> CG7/ CG5
Shoes> CG7/ CG5

Adopted Brother:

Flesh> OR3.2/ OR7.1/ OR2.0
Shirt> B0.7/ B0.5
Pants> B4.7/ B4.6
Shoes> CG9/ CG5
Suspenders> R0.6/ R0.5
Hair> YO2.5/ YO2.3/ YO2.2
Mouth> R5.3/ R5.1

Cheer Girl:

Flesh> OR4.2/ OR3.2/ OR2.0/ R0.2
Skirt> WG3/ WG1/ WG5
Shirt> WG3/ WG1
Vest> WG0
Sweater> YO2.2/ Y2.2/ WG9/ WG5
Hair> OR4.7/ OR4.4/ OR4.2

Prep Girl:

Flesh> OR4.2/ OR3.2/ OR2.0/ R0.2
Hair> YO2.5/ YO2.3/ YO2.2
Pants> CG3/ CG1
Undershirt> CG0
Shoes> RV1.5/ R2.4
Sweatshirt> R5.7/ R1.5
Scarf> R1.5
Belt> RV1.5/ R2.4
Lamp> CG5/ CG3/ O7.3/ B0.2/ Y2.0/ Y1.2

Christian Cottingham 5/6/25 Christian Cottingham 5/6/25

Nurses Rock! Happy Nurses Day

Happy Nurses Day to my fellow nurses!!

Nurses are a special breed. We see people in their worst, and in their best. We see life born, and we see life pass. We see all the adventures, the memories, and the anxiety of the unknowns. We are with you through it all. These cards were made for the nurses I have the pleasure of working with every day. They are the unsung heroes ensure your safety and advocating for your rights. I am proud to be a nurse and loving the profession I am in. These cards are dedication to: Rachel, Shannon, Tom, Sammi, Alyssa, Sam, Sandy, Kaitlyn, Phil, Krista, Nicki, Krissy, Nancy, and Leslie.

These cards utilize products from the recent Trinity Stamp release. When I saw them on the sneak peaks, I set my alarm and had them purchased in record time. Let’s breakdown how the card was made.

The sentiment from Nurse Appreciation was stamped with Pink Fresh Studio Detailed Black ink on Bristol Smooth watercolor card stock. Pulling out my Zigs Clean Color Real Brushes, I colored the lettering in an ombre effect with lighter color on the top and darker on the bottom. Utilizing the lighter color I blended the two colors together. These panels were die cut out with the label from the Soup Can die.

The card base was prepped next. Utilizing 110lb card stock, I cut the base for the card. Digging deep into my stash I found a medium terracotta card stock then die cut with the pill bottle die. The colored sentiment was die cut out with the label die. Finally, all the lids were cut out of the same 110lb card stock scraps.

The top of the lids needed some dimension to to give the look that they are further behind the front of the pill bottle. A light blend of Morning Mist Crisp Die Ink by Altenew was applied on the outside corners heavier than the top and bottom sides of the lid. A thin piece of foam tape was applied to the embossed white rims of the pill bottle.

To assemble the cards the bottle and label were glued flat to the card base. The lid was applied flat to the top section of the card. Finally, the embossed rim piece was adhered with some foam tape.

This simple shaped card has so much meaning as the team of nurses that I have the pleasure to work with will be receiving these on Nurses Day. A day to care for them as they care for others every single day. I salute you my friends.

Zig Clean Color Real Brush Color Guide:

025/ 027

023/070

055/050

048/044

030/035

303/302

Christian Cottingham 4/23/25 Christian Cottingham 4/23/25

Kindred Stamps April Release: No Worries

Kindred Stamps April Release leaves you with No Worries!

Time to cast those worries away and venture to a world deep inside the caves for the a throw back to when children shows were not used to sell products and songs were abundant. Let’s travel to a world with No Worries featuring the Kindred Stamps No Worries stamp set in the April 2025 release.

This blog utilizes affiliate links, if you are inspired by the products utilized, you can click that link to visit the World of Kindred Stamps and purchase your own! By doing so, I receive compensation that I then use on purchasing more product to bring further inspiration. I thank you for your support and if you choose not to, I appreciate the consideration. Now, let’s head to the caves of No Worries…

Project One: Radish, Yes Please!

Let’s celebrate the all mighty radish, it’s a delicacy for these carefree creatures of the No Worries stamp set. The earthiness of the radish inspired the color theme of this card. All components were colored on Neenah Dessert Storm card stock to provide the base tone. This was a step outside of my typical color pallet and I AM IN LOVE!! This was so much fun to see how the ink blending and Olo Markers appeared as the card stock dried. Let’s dig into the card!

The background was up first to allow dry time. The background panel was cut down with A7 die. Pulling out the Skinny Plaid Stencil, I used a white pigment ink (Gina K White) applied with a sponge dobbler to work into the delicate lines. This layer of white pigment ink was applied thick to provided the texture I was looking for. The inky panel was set aside to make way for the radish.

Pulling out my trusty mechanical pencil, that I have had since 1995 (I know, longer than some of you who are reading this have been alive… insert blank stare…), I sketched the resemblance of a radish. The radish was cut out and inked with Poppy and Cranberry ink by Concord & 9th. Focusing the deeper color tones and saturation at the bottom of the radish fading towards the top. It looks like radish… but it was missing the greens!

The Fairy Cloche Die provided the perfect greenery for the top of the radish. I cut out a handful of leaves of various styles as I wasn’t sure what I wanted. The leaves were inked with Evergreen ink from Concord & 9th.

I colored the all of the images from the No Worries stamp set with Olo Markers (see Color Guide) and fussy cut out the images. The card was almost ready to be assembled. A card base was prepped. The plaid panel was popped up with thin foam tape onto the front of the card base. I laid out the radish, greenery, and characters to determine where to place my sentiment. With the placement determined, the radish was moved to the stamping platform. After being prepped with an antistatic tool, the sentiment was stamped with embossing ink and heat set with Snowfall Embossing Powder.

The radish, greenery, and characters were arranged and thin foam tape was applied to their backsides. With the solid piece assembled, I was able to center the grouping on the front of the card. The last magical creature was popped up on the left side of the radish. To add just a little sparkle to the earthy radish, I added a scattering of confetti. I believe my little creatures would celebrate my tribute to the all mighty radish!

Card Size: A7 (5 inches by 7 inches).

Project Two: Postcard For You

When I was a kid, I loved sending postcards to my parents from the adventures that we went on with my grandparents. As an adult, I still send postcards to my nieces and nephews from my adventures. Nothing makes you happier than receiving a postcard in the mail that is not a notification for your license plate renewal or your car warranty. This postcard says, No Worries!

On A6 card panel (Hammermill), I sketched out a rectangle in pencil to make the back side of a postcard at an angle. I penciled in a little story about fire hydrant because why not. Next up was the stamping. The characters were arranged onto the card front. The first row of characters were stamped in alcohol safe ink and then masks were placed over the images. Layer two of characters were stamped and masked. Finally, the postage cancelation stamp from the Postal Worker Appreciation stamp set was stamped over the stamp on the postcard. All masks were removed.

Utilizing an alcohol safe fine liner pen, the postcard, and lettering were traced. All pencil lines were erased and the card panel was ready for some color! To add a little color to the background, I ink blended Altenew Seaglass around the edges masking the edges of the postcard. The characters were colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide). The stamp cancelation seal was colored with Olo Markers (O\R0.1/ R0.2; B0.2/ Zero).

Finally, the drop shadows were placed on the left side of the characters and the postcard with Olo CG1 and CG3 markers. With so much happening on the front of the card, and my desire to keep this card flat, I did not place a sentiment on the front. No Worries, I added a sentiment in the inside of the card instead.

Card Size: A6 (4.5 inches by 6.25 inches)

Project Three: Purposeful Builders

As soon as I saw the little builder I knew I had to build some boxes out of my make-believe radish byproducts and design a hanging sign. The questions was how…. So my imagination took control and I re-imagined uses for some different products to make my perfect little cave with perfect little boxes! Let’s deconstruct this card and start building it up again, No Worries, it will all work out!

I needed a cave with lots of texture. The Desert Layering Scene Builder Stencil provided both the stalagmites and stalactites that I was looking for by having the stencil come in from both the top and bottom of the card panel. To accomplish this, I took a piece of white card stock and lined up the stencil along the lower edge of the panel. The stencil was inked up with Altenew Ocean Water/ Dessert Night/ and Dusk inks. Utilizing detailed brushes, I added shading to the rocks to give them depth. The stencil was cleaned and shift up to color another layer in the background with the light ink tones. This process was repeated on the top edge of the inked panel. Finally, a light application of ink was dusted across the center of the panel so there was no white left on the panel. The panel was set aside for some block building!

I wanted the little boxes to all be the size and shape. Digging through my stash I came across the perfect little boxes and boards in an unusual die set…. The School Bus Die!! There are many components to this die, and the window frames and strip for the side of the bus would be the perfect solution!!! Who would have thought, School Bus Die would be perfect building boxes for my builder! I cut out 50 thousand, okay not that many but it felt like it, out of white card stock. They were adhered to the card panel to create a scene of stacking and hanging fixtures just like the little builders would do. The completed panel was then cut down to 4 inches by 5.25 inches and thin foam tape placed on the back. To make my little boxes look translucent and magical, I covered all of the white with a clear shimmer pen for a little sparkle. While this dried, it was time to work on the words.

The sentiment was stamped on a scrap piece of white card stock and heat embossed with Clear Embossing powder. The sentiment was cut down and mounted with thin foam tape in the center of the cave panel. Thin white strips were applied to the card base to provide the hanging supports to the sign.

To assemble the card, a piece of brushed metallic blue card stock was adhered flat to an A2 card base. The inked cave background was centered and adhered foam tape. Finally, the Builder One (See Color guide) was colored, fussy cut out, and popped up with the thin foam tape onto the card.

Card Size: A2 (4.25 inches by 5.5 inches)

Color Guide (Olo Markers)

Wise Robed One:

Body> V4.3/ V4.1
Jacket> YG8.5/ YG8.3
Hair> BG2.3/ B2.2/ BV1.2
Necklace> B2.2
Mouth> R2.4/ R0.6

Hawian Shirt One:

Body/ Tail> YG2.5/ Y2.3
Flesh> YG2.1/YG1.2
Mouth> R2.4/ R0.6
Hair> O1.3/ O1.2
Shirt> CG3/ O1.3

Vested One:

Hair> RV1.3/V0.3
Flesh> OR1.3/ OR4.2
Mouth> R2.4/ R0.6
Vest> OR3.7/ OR3.4

Hat Wearing One:

Body> BG2.3/ BG2.1
Hair> OR2.5/ OR2.3
Hat/Scarf> OR4.7/ O2.7

Pom Pom Hair One:

Pom Pom/ Tail> YO2.2/ Y2.2/ Y2.3
Body> Y2.3/ Y1.2
Mouth> R2.4/ R0.6
Shirt/ Bows> R0.6/ R0.5

Builder One:

Flesh> G1.4/ G0.1
Nose> R0.2/ R0.1
Boots/ Gloves> Y2.0/ Y2.3
Hat> Y2.3/ Y1.2
Belt> O4.3/ CG5/ O7.3

Christian Cottingham 4/11/25 Christian Cottingham 4/11/25

You Make the World Brighter

You Make The World Brighter is the perfect sentiment for a siblings birthday card!

As the oldest sibling, you remember some of the phases that your younger siblings go through. Sometimes they out grow them, and other times, they continue to have an obsession. This card was made for my sister who still makes the world brighter. Happy Birthday!

This blog does utilize affiliate links to some of the products that I love and used during the making of this project. If you are inclined to purchase any of the linked products I utilized I receive a small compensation at no cost to you. I appreciate if you do and respect if you do not. Let’s make the world brighter by breaking down this card.

Pulling out Prism Pals (Kindred Stamps) the Star Girl was stamped with Momento Tuxedo Black alcohol safe ink and colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide at the end of this blog) on a piece of 80 lb. Neenah Classic Crest Solar White card stock. She was then fussy cut out and thin foam tape (scrapbook.com) applied to her back. She was set aside to make the cloud and rainbow that she would be standing on.

To make my background scene, a piece of 80 lb. Neenah Classic Crest Solar White card stock was placed in my stamping platform. I pulled out the Unicorn Love Stamp Set (Simon Says Stamp) for my rainbow and clouds. The rainbow was centered onto the panel and picked up onto the stamping platform lid. Because I wanted my rainbow to be face free, I placed a piece of low tact tape over the centers of the clouds prior to inking. The stamp was inked and the masks removed. The image was then stamped onto the card stock panel. On a piece of Altenew Masking paper, the same rainbow cloud image was stamped and cut out on the line to create a mask.

The cut out mask was then placed over its pair on the card stock panel prior to the rainbow spattering that was to ensue. Pulling out my spatter box and a rainbow assortment of Tim Holtz Mica Sprays the spattering began! One by one the spatters appeared in Cocktail Party, Harvest Moon, Wicked Elixir, Shining Bauble, and Fortune Teller.

Once dry, the masking paper was removed and the card panel was trimmed down with Layered Rectangle Die (Pink & Main) to allow the panel to have a frame. The rainbow and clouds were now ready to be colored. The Rainbow was colored with Olo Markers (R0.5/R0.4; O2.4/ O1.3; Y2.3/ Y2.2; G1.5/ G1.7; B4.7/ B0.6). The clouds were shaded with BV2.0. To give the clouds a little sparkle, Wink of Stella was applied and set aside to dry.

To complete the card components, I prepped a scrap piece of the Neenah 80 lb. card stock with an antistatic powder. The sentiment was then stamped in Versafine embossing ink. Pulling out the Oceans embossing powder (Kindred Stamps), I heat embossed the sentiment “You Make The World Brighter” from the Prism Pals stamp set. The sentiment was trimmed down and small dot detail was applied to the top and the bottom of the sentiment strip with a blue glitter pen.

To assemble the card, a Holographic Rainbows card panel (Simon Says Stamp) was glued to a A2 card base. Thin foam tape (scrapbook.com) was applied to the rainbow cloud spattered rectangle panel and centered on the holographic card front. The Star Girl was centered and adhered on the cloud. Finally, the sentiment strip got a little thin foam tape (scrapbook.com) on the back and popped up below the rainbow scene. White gel pens (JelyRoll) accents were added for a little light reflection on the image.

My little sister makes the world brighter every where she goes and this birthday card is a perfect way to remind her!

Card Size: A2 (4.25 inches by 5.5 inches)

Color Guide:

Star Girl> Olo Markers

Flesh> OR2.0/ OR3.2/ OR4.2/ R0.2
Hair> Y2.3/ Y2.2
Bow> BV4.4/ BV1.1; R0.5/ R0.4; CG1
Dress> B4.3/ B0.3
Shirt/ Boots> G1.4/ B4.3/ BV2.2/ R0.5/ Y2.3/ CG1

Christian Cottingham 3/23/25 Christian Cottingham 3/23/25

Kindred Stamps March Release: Tune In

Tune In for these amazing cards utilizing the Tune In stamp set from Kindred Stamps.

As a kid, you couldn’t wait to watch your cartoons. Be it after school, or Saturday morning. You would tune in onto one of the 5 channels you got on the farmer antenna and just stare at the tv for hours engrossed in the spectacles in front of you. When I saw the Tune In stamp set in the Kindred Release, I knew I needed this set!! Let me take you back to your childhood with these cards that harness the magic of times gone by and the age of innocence… and spy’s…

This blog utilizes affiliate links for the products that I utilized. By clicking on the links, you are supporting me without any cost to you. I thank you for your support if you choose to utilize the links provided. Let’s Tune In…

Project One: Magician Wanna Be

Watch me…. Make some magic with the Tune In set! This wanna be magician and his assistant want to let the recipient know that I’ll always be there.

Let’s start on the back drop. The back curtain was up first. Pulling out a deep blue card stock, some embossing ink, gold Perfect Pearls and the stars from the Pixie Dust stamp set I was ready to make the backdrop. The stars were stamped with embossing ink in a semi-random pattern and dusted with gold Perfect Pearls.

Using the Curtain Die (now retired- sorry), I die cut the components and inked them up with Altenew Persian Blue and Antique Gold inks. These were set aside to dry completely. The table was up next! I took a piece of scrap white paper and cut out a simple arched pattern. The tabletop was inked up with Distress Ink Lumberjack Plaid and set aside to dry. To make the base of the table, I dug in the scrap pile and pulled out a thin black strip to use as the pole. Look at me using up some of the paper scraps that I refuse to throw away… I know, you have them too…. Using some teeny tiny flat backed glass sequins I added the bling to the bottom of the tabletop. So sparkly.

Time to pull out some stamps and get to coloring. The Moose and Squirrel were colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide), fussy cut out, and set aside. The sentiment was stamped in a deep blue color to match the deep blue background and matted with the same deep blue card stock as utilized on the backdrop. Finally, I needed a hat for the Squirrel to be pull out of. Digging my in stash, I pulled out Triple The Trouble stamp set and stamped the head and hat of the uncle. To make the hat, I fussy cut the shape of the hat and colored the hat in Olo Markers (CG9/ CG7/ CG5). To make an opening I pulled out my trusty craft knife and cut an arched slit large enough for the feet of the Squirrel to fit.

With all the piece ready to go, I was ready to assemble. The curtain was assembled with the middle curtain popped up with some foam onto the deep blue backdrop. This was adhered to an A2 card base. To make my life easier, I assembled all the piece of the table first. The Squirrel was tucked into the hat and glued on the toes and where the body overlapped the hat. The hat was then glued to the table. The post of the table was attached to the table top, leaving overhang to cut after I determine the height needed. This entire piece was then covered in foam tape. With all the piece ready, I stuck down the pieces and trimmed the table post length. With the tail end of the post cut off, I converted that into post base. I just love the luster of the gold stars behind the magician and his assistant. Maybe some day they will find the rabbit.

Card Size: A2 (4.25 inches by 5.5 inches)

Project Two: Tune In D’Bomb

Boom! The Tune In set is definitely d’bomb!! This simple grid layout is brought to life by having the respective teams on their own bombs.
The images were stamped in alcohol safe ink and colored with Olo Markers. They were then fussy cut out and a little foam tape was placed on their back. The sentiment was stamped with embossing ink and heat embossed with Snowfall Embossing Powder. The sentiment was matted with a thin boarder on a scrap piece of yellow paper. Knowing that I wanted the characters to sit on bombs, I die cut circles with a circle die. Then digging into the scrap pile, I pulled out some black that I could use as the neck. Finally, I grabbed a scrap of white stock cut thinly as the wicks and colored them with Olo Marker Y2.3. The bombs were assembled and set aside.

For the background, I pulled out the Vigilante Justice paper pack and searched for the gradient black polkadot paper. This was cut down with an A7 nesting die to provide the base for my little bombs to sit on.

To assemble the card, the pattern paper panel was centered onto the card base. The bombs were adhered in a grid layout flat to the card base. Using a sparkly pen, I added a little glitz to the wicks of the bombs. The sentiment was centered in-between the bombs. The foam backed characters placed onto their respective bombs and BOOM! It’s d’bomb!!

Card Size: A7 (5 inches by 7 inches)

Project Three: I Spy

With a trusty magnifying glass you can spy many things, including a great friend! This card showcases the two spy’s in the Tune In stamp set doing what they do best… spying!

The shaker element was the first thing to be constructed. To make the base and frames for the magnifying glass I pulled out the Nested Circles Dies (from a previous kit), or you can utilize any nesting circle die that you can make a base and a frame from. A shaker base was cut out of blue card stock, a piece of acetate was cut with the same die. Then I cut multiple black frames. I choose to cut out multiple frames for my shaker element because I wanted to have the same solid color appearance as you would see on a magnifying glass vs. foam tape that would not match exactly on the edge.

I stamped the sentiment on the blue card stock circle. To mimic the jagged lettering that would be on a secret code I intentional double-stamped the image with a small shift. Funny how you do it on accident all the time, and when you intentionally try to do it, it takes 3 attempts (insert eye roll). After I finally got the shifted text I was desiring, I started building the frame wells by stacking the frames with liquid glue. These stacked frames were allowed to dry completely.

I wanted the shaker element to have some bling when it was propped up for display so I adhered some micro glass flat back rhinestones to the blue card base. This again was allowed to dry completely. To fill the shaker, I pulled out small gold discs. Once I was satisfied with fill, I adhered the acetate circle with glue and then the remaining black frame. The handle was a piece of scrap black paper. I adhered this to the back of the shaker packet leaving a long tail. This will be applied flat and cut down prior to assembly.

The Spy Man and Spy Woman were colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide), fussy cut out, and foam tape applied to their backside. Next up was the card base and background. I pulled out a top folding A2 card base and adhered a A2 black card stock panel to the card base. The Spooky Hotel Paper Pack provided the linear paper look I was going for. The paper was cut down to allow a wider framed appearance.

The magnifying glass shaker was glued to the Spooky Hotel pattern paper and the handle was trimmed down to be flush with the paper edge. The patterned paper was then applied to the prepared card base. The spy’s were placed on either side of the handle. Finally, I added a few more micro rhinestones across the card front to add a little bling and light catching clues.

Card Size: A2 (4.25 inches by 5.5 inches)

Project Four: Most Wanted

The hidden spy lair is the perfect place to plot out how to catch your arch nemisis. In this retro inspired lair, the spy agents and their targets can be seen. You can hear them plotting their next steps. Tune In and let’s breakdown their room.

This liar is one of grandeur, so I knew the card needed to be an A7 (5 inches x 7 inches). A piece of card stock was cut to 5x7 inches. I masked off the bottom portion of the card stock. The top portion of the scene was stenciled with the Waves Stencil in a deep yellow ink. When the stencil was removed, I ink blended over the entire stenciled section from the outside edges to the center allowing the color to be deeper around the edges and lighter in the center. I repeated the same process for the floor (masked the top; stenciled; blended over the top) with an olive toned ink utilizing the Greek Tiles stencil (retired). To separate the floor from the wall, a thin strip of black card stock was glued down.

Now every spy lair needs to have their arch nemesis photo available to stew in front of. Pulling out the Art Frames dies, I die cut the frame twice and background once out of white card stock. The frames were colored with the BK Olo Marker while the background was colored with V2.7 Olo Marker (same color as the deepest color in Spy Woman’s dress). The Moose, Squirrel, Spy Woman and Spy Man were colored with Olo Markers and fussy cut out (See Color Guide).

To assemble the frames, I stacked and glued the frames. The Moose and Squirrel were inserted into the frames and glued at the base and on the edge of the frame if needed to give the illusion that they were popping out of the frame. The extending body parts were trimmed off. A thin foam square was placed behind the heads of each to support them when the frame background was adhered.

With the frames assembled, the most wanted pictures needed to identify the arch nemesis so I just wrote Moose and Squirrel on a piece of white cards and trimmed it down to label the frames. Pulling out the Sentiment Strips Die I cut out a black sentiment strip. The sentiment was stamped with embossing ink and heat embossed with Snowfall Embossing Powder.

Finally, all the pieces were ready to make the lair of grandeur. The frames were positioned in the center of the 5x7 stenciled panel. The Spy’s were popped up with some foam tape so they were in the foreground of the scene. Finally, the sentiment was centered on the baseboard. The scene was glued to an A7 card base. Any spy would love a lair this colorful and moody!

Card Size: A7 (5 inches by 7 inches)

Color Guide: Olo Markers

Moose>

Body> OR3.7/ OR3.4
Gloves> CG1
Tongue> RO.5

Squirrel>

Body> CG5/ CG3
Nose/ Mouth> BK
Helmet> B0.3; B2.0 (glass only)

Spy Man>

Flesh> OR2.0
Jacket> CG9/ CG 7
Mustache> BK
Hair/ Pants> K
Hat> K/ CG9/ CG7

Spy Woman>

Flesh> OR2.0
Eyeshadow> B0.3
Lips> R5.7
Dress> V2.7/ 2.6
Hair> CG9/ CG7
Shoes> CG9

Christian Cottingham 3/18/25 Christian Cottingham 3/18/25

Nuclear Family Limited Edition Kit: Don’t Have a Cow

Don’t Have A Cow! The Nuclear Family Limited Edition Kit is open for pre-orders at Kindred Stamps.

I choo-choo-choose you! The Nuclear Family Limited Edition Kit from Kindred Stamps is now open for pre-order and it’s ginormous! This stamp set contains not only 2 stamp set, but a set of dies that fit perfectly with this family. Along with some shaker elements and a surprise, you will be also saying, I choo-choo-choose you too!

This blog post utilizes affliliate links. By utilizing the links provided, you are supporting me at no cost of your own. With the compensation I purchase more stamps from Kindred to bring even more inspiration your way. If you feel obliged I appreciate your support. Not your jam, no problems, enjoy the inspiration and instructions below,

Nuclear Family Limited Edition, Kindred Stamps

Project One: Chalkboard Lessons

I will not forget your birthday… This belated birthday card showcases the Brother from the Nuclear Family Limited Edition Set. Using simple coloring and bright solid colors, the recipient will forget the card arrived late.

Utilizing solid colored card stock, I divided the card into sections to make the wall and floor. With a thin framed die, I cut the frame out of a solid brown card stock and then again out of solid black cards stock. The frame was layered with the brown card stock on top. While the glue dried, I pulled out my stamping platform and repetitively stamped the sentiment in white pigment ink by moving the paper up a quarter inch. On the last line, I cleaned the stamp and then masked off a portion of the sentiment prior to inking it up.

The Brother was colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide). To assemble the card, the wall and the floor were adhered to a top folding card base. To ensure the frame and the blackboard were paper pieced perfectly, I centered the blackboard into the frame and then I used some low tack tape to hold the frame and blackboard together. This was then glued to the wall. The Brother was placed on the card with foam tape.

Finally, the sentiment was stamped in black ink, layered on black card stock, and popped up in the left lower corner. This belated birthday card will help the recipient to calm down, not have a cow, and enjoy their belated birthday!

Card Size: A2(4.25 by 5.5 inches)

Nuclear Family Limited Edition Kit, Kindred Stamps

Project Two: Framed Art

This living room scene reminds me that families are not perfect but they are perfect for each other. This 8 inch by 10 inch framed piece showcases the die set in the Nuclear Family Limited Edition Kit. A majority of this scene utilizes colored card stock and comes together super fast. Perfect for a wedding gift for the perfect family.

A piece of plain white card stock was cut down to 8x10 inches to act as a platform to build my scene. The wall and the floor were cut down and adhered to the card stock base. Next up was some die cutting. The couch was cut from a rusty red card stock and ink blended with a brown ink to deepen the crevices. The lamp pieces were die cut out of various colors. The lamp shade got a little shadowing with an alcohol marker. Finally, the lamp was assembled and set aside to dry. The end table was die cut and edged with an alcohol marker in a deeper purple and assembled. Finally, the rug was die cut from a set of nesting oval dies and assembled to make an area rug.

The picture frame and scene were drawn on a piece of alcohol safe paper with an alcohol safe multi-liner. Utilizing Olo Markers, I colored the simple line art with the following colors; B2.2/ B0.5/ OR1.6/ and O2.7.

Finally, I die cut “The Endters” out of yellow card stock 3 times for dimension. All of the elements were glued to the 8x10 inch card stock base. To finish the scene, I dug through a box of pearls that have been sitting in my craft room for 20 years. The self-adhesive stickers on the pearl were hardened and had no stick. I used 3 of the pearls, only about 25 more to go! The scene was placed into a black 8x10 frame and hung on the wall in our bar in the basement next to our cartoon proposal image in the same Nuclear Family color scheme.

Project Three: Donut Dreams

The Donut Shaker Pack inspired this giant donut card. The sentiment alone echoes the excitement when I saw this kit and the delectable donuts…. Insert drool sounds…

The Nuclear Family stamp set family was stamped in alcohol safe ink and colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide). They were fussy cut out and foam tape applied to the back. The family was set aside.

The mega donut was next! Using 2 nesting circle dies, I cut out the shape of a donut. With a pencil I sketch the frosting and sprinkles onto the top of the circle die cuts. The donut was colored with Olo Markers (OR3.7/OR3.4; B0.5/ B0.6; RV0.4/RV0.2; R0.5/R0.4; G1.4/G1.5; Y1.1;Y1.2). The sentiment was stamped in embossing ink and heat embossed with Ocean embossing powder. The sentiment was cut out with the Sentiment Strips die.

To assemble the card the mega donut was centered onto a blue card base. The Nuclear Family was adhered to the bottom of the card base. Utilizing the shaker pack, I scattered the small donuts across the top of the card base as well as a few iridescent stars for bling. The panel was finally adhered to a card base. WooHoo!!!

Project Four: Perfect Families Are Overrated

What is family? They annoy you, they tease you, they boss you around…. But yet, you love them. They’re family. No matter how you define it, families are not perfect and this card showcases the many types of families.

The Filmstrip Die allows each of these families to be center of their own scenes. The die was cut out of both black and blue. I glued the frame together with the black on top. On a slimline card the stacked frame was glued down. The blue cared stock inserts from the blue frame were paper pieced into the filmstrip.

The family pairs from the Nuclear Set were colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide) and inserted into each of the frames. The sentiment was stamped with embossing ink and heat embossed with Snowfall embossing powder. I cut the sentiment in half to have so they span the separators in-between the film clips. These families were the stars of this card so I add some holographic stars on each the scenes.

Card Size: Slimline

Project Five: Have A Drink On Me

This dapper fellow is waiting to serve you up a drink. The dingy aged bar with the bright red phone set this flat colored card. The scene was sketched with pencil and the bartender was stamped with alcohol safe ink. The pencil lines were traced with a multi-liner pen.
The background was colored with alcohol markers (Altenew Artist Markers> BG3/ R056/ Y821/ G825/ R9.26 and Olo Markers> OR3.6/ OR3.7/ R0.6/ R0.5). The bartender was colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide below). After prepping the card stock with an antistatic tool (gotta love winter) the sentiment was stamped in embossing ink. Snowfall embossing powder was heat embossed in-between the glass and bottles of booze. Finally, the card was die cut with the rectangle from the Card Basic die set.

On a card base, I adhered a piece of black card stock to act as the frame to the colored panel. Thin foam tape was placed on the colored panel and centered onto the card base. I’d go to this bar and have a drink with this dapper fellow. Maybe when there I would get to laugh at some prank phone calls and enjoy a beer!

Card Size: A2 (4.25 by 5.5 inches)

Project Six: I Will Never Forget

Creepy arch nemeses will never forget birthdays. This simple card features the Arch Nemesis and donut from the Nuclear Family kit. Lots of times you see smaller stamps in the set and try to figure how to utilize them. Why not make your own pattern paper!

The background pattern paper for this card was made with repetitive stamping and rotation of the donut image with an antique gold pigment ink. The first donut was stamped in the middle of an A2 size piece of card stock (4.25 by 5.5 inches). The repetitive pattern continued off the paper to fill the entire piece. Due to the fact that I utilized a pigment metallic ink, I set this panel aside and worked on my Arch Nemesis (See Color Guide).

The sentiment was stamped with embossing ink on a piece of black cared stock and then heat embossed with Snowfall Embossing Powder. The Sentiment Strips dies were utilized to die cut the flag to place under the Arch Nemesis.

A panel of black card stock was cut and adhered to the card base. The pattern paper was cut down with the Card Basic die and thin foam tape was applied to the back of the paper. The panel was then centered on the card base. The same thin foam tape was applied to the Arch Nemeses who was fussy cut out and to the sentiment strip. Both the image and the sentiment were centered. The sudden bling of the metallic antique gold ink gives a soft luster to the pattern paper.

Card Size: A2 (4.25 by 5.5 inches)

Project 7: Skating By

Belated birthday wishes happen… it’s just life so don’t have a cow. This card features 4 characters from the Nuclear Family kit.

The HaHa Boy, Son (with skateboard), Neighbor, and Best Friend were stamped with alcohol safe ink and then colored with Olo Markers (See Color Guide). Each of the characters were fussy cut out and set aside.

The bright solid colors made the background a breeze to make. A thin card stock panel was utilized as the base to add my elements to. On the lower portion of the panel, I drew some sidewalk lines and ink blended that section with Silver Stone ink from Altenew. The sky was cut out of a bright light blue card stock. This was glued to the thin base panel along the sidewalk line. Pulling out the Grass Scene Die and piece of bright green paper. The base of the die cut grass was cut with a flush end and applied in alignment with the sidewalk ledge. The house and roof were cut of plain card stock and adhered to the right hand side of the evolving scene. With a trusty pair of scissors, I cut out some cloud shapes to fill the sky and glued them down.

Finally, the sentiments were stamped on white card stock and cut out to mimic speech bubbles. To assemble the card, the panel was adhered to a A7 card base. Thin foam tape was applied to the back of the Son, Best Friend, and thought bubble and applied to the card base scene. The Haha Boy and Neighbor with their respective thought bubbles were glued flat to the card.
This scene on an A7 card sends those belated birthday wishes with some pizazz!
Card Size: A7 (5 by 7 inches)

Color Guide (Olo Markers):

Flesh on all the peeps> Y2.3

Dad>

Shirt> WG1
Pants> B2.4/ B2.2
Shoes> WG9/ WG5

Mom>

Dress> G0.4/ G0.1
Hair> B4.6/ B4.7
Pearls> WG1
Shoes> R0.5

Brother>

Shorts> B2.6/ B2.4
Shirt> R0.5/ R0.4
Tongue R0.5
Shoes> B2.6/ B2.4
Skateboard> YG1.4/ V2.4

Sister>

Dress/ Shoes> R0.5/ R0.4
Pearls> WG1

Baby>

Dress> B2.4/ B2.2
Nuk> R0.5/ R0.4

Aunt 1>

Pearls> 2.3
Hair> BV2.2
Dress> R1.7/ R1.5

Aunt 2>

Pearls> OR2.6/ OR2.3
Hair> BV2.2
Dress> B4.6/ B4.3
Shoes> B4.6/ B4.3

Neighbor>

Hair> OR3.8/ OR3.7
Pants> WG5
Shirt> V1.1
Sweater> G1.5
Shoes> WG9

Boss>

Shirt> WG1
Hair> B0.2
Tie> B4.7
Suit> G1.7
Shoes> OR3.8

Assistant>

Shirt> WG1
Jacket> YG8.7
Pants> BG7.6
Tie> BV1.7
Shoes> WG9
Hair> O2.7

Clown>

Gloves> WG1
Face> YO2.0
Hair> BG2.5
Nose/ Mouth> R0.5/ R0.4
Pants> G1.4
Shirt> BV2.3
Shoes> O2.7

Arch Nemesis>

Hair/ Shoes> O2.7
Pants> B4.6
Shirt> YG8.7

Cop>

Uniform> B4.6/ B4.7/ WG5/ Y1.2
Hat> B4.6/ B4.7/ Y1.2
Shoes> WG5
Hair> B0.3

Cop Son>

Shirt> B4.6
Belt/ Shoes> WG9/ WG5/ R0.5/ R0.4
Pants> R1.7
Glue> WG1/ OR2.3

Best Friend>

Shorts> R0.5/ R0.4
Hair> BV2.6
Shirt> R2.2

Bartender>

Apron> WG1
Hair> CG5
Shoes> WG9
Pants> WG5
Shirt> B0.3
Bowtie> 4.6

HaHa Boy>

Shirt> OR 2.3
Shorts> B4.3
Vest> B2.2
Hair> OR3.7

Christian Cottingham 3/14/25 Christian Cottingham 3/14/25

Clean & Simple Birthday Wishes

Clean & Simple Birthday Wishes are my favorite go to card. Check out this blog that highlights how to utilize Washi tape to make a stunning card.

My favorite cards are cards that have lots of resting space on the eyes that allow the sentiment or the focus be the show. This card exemplifies the simplicity but also has some pizazz. The crisp white of the base front with the watercolored looked of the Chrysanthemum make my heart happy.

I had purchased the PinkFresh Studios Chrysanthemum Washi Tape, Stencil, and Die Combo eons ago. I love that PinkFresh Studios have coordinating products that you can purchase exactly what is your jam. When I purchased these, I thought, I have never used the washi tape, that would make a fast card, and why not make my own ephemera for a card. So I dug out the Chrysanthemum washi tape, the matching die, and a piece of Hammermill card stock.

The washi tape was applied to a piece of card stock and burnished to ensure adherence. The coordinating die was utilized to die cut the floral washi tape images. I learned that you must tape the die securely if you are not utilizing a magnetic base in the die cutting machine. My first set that went through didn’t turn out so hot… okay at all. My die shifted and cut the floral into random shapes Note to self: use virgin low-tack tape (not something used 5 times prior) and more than 1 piece…. Second time through, was a breeze! The florals were stuck firmly to the card stock and I was in awe! Just like that, no coloring involved, I had floral and greenery pieces to make a beautiful card. These florals were set aside while I prepared the frame that the florals and sentiment would layer on.

I pulled out the Nesting Blanket Stitch Ovals by PinkFresh Studio and die cut 2 layers. One from a matte gold card stock and one from a piece of Hammermill card stock. The sentiment “Best wishes to you” from Gina K Designs Sweet Sentiments stamp set was centered on the smaller oval and stamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink.

The background card panel was cut down to 5.5 by 4.25 inches (Hammermill) and detail cut with Trinity Stamps Argyle Stitch Background Die. This die provides a texture without distracting from the sentiment and florals or adding unwanted color to the neutral zone. This was adhered to a top folding card base. The oval layers were stacked and centered onto the card front. Finally, the washi tape floral die cuts were arranged framing the sentiment.

This card would be so simple to mass produce for a variety of occasions. Birthday, celebration, sympathy, just because, you name it! I definitely will play some more with the washi tape pieces. Adhering and die cutting them out would be a perfect project to work on when the mojo is lack luster or while sitting down by the lake this summer. As I write this today, it’s a cold snow covered view of the lake and I am happy to be inside under a blanket sipping some hot cocoa.

Card Size: A2 (5.5 by 4.25 inches)

Christian Cottingham 2/26/25 Christian Cottingham 2/26/25

Kindred Stamps February Release: Fruit Friends

These tiny Fruit Friends are having a “berry” good time at the Kindred Stamps January Release!

When I was younger, I had a bedroom with pink curtains, pink area rug, a homemade bedspread by my godmother with the bedskirt attached to the top quilt covered in strawberries, and a strawberry toy box. The Fruit Friends stamp set and the Sweet Strawberries Paper Pack took me back to my bedroom as a child.

Project One: Berry Bed

When I saw the papers in the Sweet Strawberries paper pack, I saw my bedroom quilt from childhood. My Aunt Karen (and Godmother) made my quilt out of the patterned fabric full of strawberries and gingham. The attached skirt on the quilt hid all my toys that I shoved under the bed when I was told to “clean” my room. Best invention ever for a 7 year old. This card showcases some of the patterns that were in my quilt.

From the Sweet Strawberries paper pack, I pulled out the green gingham, the framed strawberries on a pink with white polkadot background, and finally the red with white polkadot papers. The red polkadot paper was cut into a quarter inch strip. This quarter inch strip was then centered on the large rectangle for the Card Basics Die set. The Card Basics Dies panel was also utilized to cut both (gingham and strawberry) panels so that the stitched detailing would be consistent between all sections. The panels were sized to divide the main card panel into thirds separated by the red and white polkadot paper. The panels were attached together with liquid glue and set aside to dry.

The Red Girl from the Fruit Friends stamp set was colored with Olo Markers (see Color Guide below). She was fussy cut out and thin foam tape was applied. Utilizing a tag die from my stash, I die cut a simple stitched tag on a pink card stock. Thin foam tape was applied to the back of the tag and the card was assembled. I added the leftover red with white polkadot paper to the top of the tag. To embellish the card I added some pink and white clay hearts that I picked out a some limited edition Kindred Stamps shaker kits. I didn’t want a sentiment on the front of the card. It just didn’t feel right, so I placed the sentiment “Have a berry fun birthday” inside the card.

Card Size: A2 (5.5 by 4.25 inches)

Project Two: Rainbow Berry Best

All I see is rainbows when I look at this Fruit Friends stamp set. So why not make a rainbow of Fruit Friends wishing the recipient the berry best??

Using simple masking techniques, I arranged the friends in rainbow order in an arch on my card panel to mimic a rainbow. The friends were stamped in alcohol safe ink and masking paper applied. The background was then ink blended in a gradient fashion with Concord & 9th Carnation and Ballet Slippers.

The Fruit Friends were colored with Olo Markers (see Color Guide below). White gel accents and black glaze pen were applied to the Fruit Friends as appropriate. The colored panel was cut down to 6.75 by 4.75 inches. The sentiment was stamped in pigment ink and Clear Embossing Powder was applied and heat activated. An A7 card base was prepped and a piece of 5 by 7 inch pink paper was adhered. The rainbow colored panel was centered and glued flat to the pink card base panel.

Card Size: A7 (5 by 7 inches)

Project Three: Strawberry Toy Box

In my childhood bedroom I had a strawberry toy box. The plastic it was made out of had that artificial strawberry smell that I could identify even today. I know that the lid never really fit right on the top and according to my mother, it never actually had toys in it… This card is a tribute to my toy box as a child.

To make this card, I grabbed my pencil and sketched a strawberry and then a couple leaves and flowers on top. To add a little spunk, I used the Grass and Clouds stencil as my template for drawing the grass at the base of the strawberry.

To color the strawberry I utilized a combination of Olo Markers and Altenew Artist Markers. The leaves on the strawberry were colored with Altenew Artist Markers (G554/ G715/ G702). The flower was colored with Olo Markers (WG3; Y2.2). The berry was colored with Olo Markers (R0.6/ R0.5/ R0.4). Finally, the grass bunches were colored with Altenew Artist Markers (G915/ G804/ G825).

The sentiment “So Berry Sweet” was heat embossed with Snowfall Embossing Powder from the Fruit Friends stamp set. The strawberry design was fussy cut out and foam tape was applied. For the background of the card, I pulled out a piece of gingham paper from the Sweet Strawberries paper pack. This design was one of the blocks on my childhood quilt. I cut this panel down with the Card Basics Dies and adhered it to the card base. The strawberry was centered on the card panel. Because every little girl with a pink bedroom loves sparkle, I added some iridescent sequins for some bling bling.

I wonder whatever happened to my strawberry toy box. This card is my tribute to my fake plastic smelling strawberry toy box of years gone by. I salute you my friend, where ever you ended up. May your strawberry fields be of plenty.

Card Size: A2 (5.5 by 4.25 inches)

Project Four: Strawberry Candles & Berry Wishes

Nothing says a birthday like birthday candles! The candles of this card showcase some of the linear pattern paper from the Sweet Strawberries paper pack and a couple Fruit Friends. To make this card a piece of pattern paper full of strawberries was adhered to an A2 card front.

With a piece of pale green card stock and the Skinny Plaid stencil a simple subtle backdrop with white pigment ink was made. When dry, the panel was cut down with the Card Basic die. The candles were cut into strips from the pattern paper and thin foam tape applied. The flames were cut from mirror gold card stock and thin foam tape applied.

The Blue Girl and Blue Boy were colored with Olo Markers and fussy cut out. (See Color Guide below). The sentiment from Fruit Friends, “Have a Berry Fun Birthday” was stamped in Red Hot ink from Gina K Designs, then with embossing ink. Clear Embossing Powder was applied and heat set. Finally the sentiment was framed with the same pale green paper that was used for the backdrop.

To assemble the card, the candles and flames were placed on the stenciled panel. The Blue Girl and Blue Boy were placed flat on top of the candles. Thin foam tape was applied behind the sentiment and centered on the candles. Finally the plaid panel was centered onto the patterned paper card front.

Card Size: A2 (5.5 by 4.25 inches)

Project Five: Berry Artist

One of the Fruit Friends is an artist just like us who are making cards with this fun set! Because these Fruit Friends are so small, the little artist and her model are in between the blades of grass.

To make this card I got out my trusty pencil and started some sketching some long blades of grass that frame the center of the card panel. The horizon line was masked off and the the sky and then the ground were ink blended softly with Altenew inks in Arctic and Frayed Leaf respectively. The blades of grass were colored with Altenew Artist Markers in G554/ G715/ and G702. This panel was die cut with the Card Basic Die.

I pulled out the Art Supplies Die (retired) and die cut the easel 3 times and cut down to add the layers for dimension. The art easel was colored with Olo Markers to mimic wood (OR3 .8/OR 3.7/ OR 3.4). The canvas was partially stamped with the Cat and partially colored with Olo R2.2. The canvas was drawn in and colored with Olo Markers B0.2/ G0.1. The easel was assembled and set aside.

The Orange girl and her cat model were colored with Olo Markers and fussy cut out (see Color Guide below). The sentiment was stamped in Sapphire ink from Altenew and then ink blended with the Arctic ink to match the background sky.

To assemble the card, a deep green card panel was placed onto a card base. The grass panel was popped up with foam tape onto the base. The easel was centered between the blades of grass. The Orange Girl and her Cat model were popped up and placed in front of the easel. Finally the sentiment was popped up and centered on the top of the panel. The artists work is never done… so let’s move on to the last set of cards.

Card Size: A2 (5.5 by 4.25 inches)

Project Six: Berry Gift Set

The Fruit Friends stamp set is perfect for making a card set as a gift for someone “berry” special. Each of the Fruit Friends are represented on their own card with their own saying.

Simple layered watercolor in a faux dip technique was painted at an angle for each of the friends in rainbow order. The sentiments were stamped in watermark ink and heat embossed with Snowfall Embossing Powder. The panels were cut down with the Card Basic Die and foam tape was applied to smooth out any warping that had occurred. The Fruit Friends were colored with Olo Markers (see Color Guide below) and fussy cut out. Thin foam tape was applied behind the Friends. These simple cards were assembled and ready to be given as a set to a “berry” special someone.

Card Size: A2 (5.5 by 4.25 inches)

Color Guide: Olo Markers unless otherwise noted.

Red Girl:

Flesh> OR2.0/ OR3.2/ OR4.2/ R0.3

Hat> R2.2/ R2.4; R0.5/ R0.4

Apron> WG1; YG1.4/ YG1.6

Tights> WG1; YG1.4/ YG1.6

Dress> R0.4/ R0.5

Strawberry> R0.4/ R0.5; YG1.4/ YG1.6

Shoes> O4.3/ O4.6

Hair> R1.5/ R1.7

Pink Girl:

Flesh> OR2.0/ OR3.2/ OR4.2/ R0.3

Leaf> YG1.4/ YG1.6

Flower> Altenew Artist Markers R603/ R614

Hat> Altenew Artist Markers R601/ R603; Old YG1.4

Dress> Altenew Artist Markers R601/ R603

Bloomers> Altenew Artist Markers R603/ R614

Hair> Altenew Artist Markers R603/ R614

Shoes> Altenew Artist Markers R603/ R614

Tights> WG1; YG1.4/ YG1.6

Orange Girl:

Flesh> OR3.2/ OR3.4/ OR3.7/ RV0.3

Tights> WG1; YG1.4/ YG1.6

Leaf> YG1.4/ YG1.6

Flower> O1.2/ O1.3; WG1

Dress> O1.2/ O1.3/ Y2.2

Hat> O2.7/O2.5/ O1.2/ O1.3

Shoes> O2.7/ O2.5

Hair> O7.8/ O7.7

Paint Brush> O4.3/O4.6; WG3

Pallet> WG3; YG1.4; Y2.3; R0.5

Yellow Girl:

Flesh> OR2.0/ OR3.2/ OR4.2/ R0.3

Hat> Y2.0/ Y1.2; YG1.4/ YG1.6

Dress> Y2.0/ Y1.2; WG1

Hair> YO2.3/ YO2.5

Flower> WG1; YO2.5/ YO2.3

Tights> WG1; YG1.4/ YG1.6

Shoes> YO2.5/ YO2.3; Y1.2

Blue Girl:

Flesh> OR2.0/ OR3.2/ OR4.2/ R0.3

Leaf> YG1.4/ YG1.6

Tights> WG1; YG1.4/ YG1.6

Shoes> B0.6/ B0.5

Bucket> B0.6/ B0.5/ B0.7/ B0.3

Dress> B0.3/ B0.5

Apron> B0.5/ B0.3

Flower> B0.5/ B0.3

Hair> B0.6/ B0.5. B0.3

Hat> B0.7/ B0.6/ B0.5/ B0.3

Ribbons> R2.2/ R2.4

Blue Boy:

Flesh> OR2.0/ OR3.2/ OR4.2/ R0.3

Leaf> YG1.4/ YG1.6

Bibs> B4.7/ B4.6

Kerchief and hems> YG1.4

Shirt> Altenew Artist Markers R601/ R603

Shoes> 04.3/ O4.6

Hat> YO2.3/ YO2.5

Flower> B4.7/ B4.6

Pole> O7.8/O7.7

Fish> O2.7/ O2.5

Purple Boy:

Flesh> OR2.0/ OR3.2/ OR4.2/ R0.3

Tights> WG1; YG1.4/ YG1.6

Leaf> YG1.4/ YG1.6

Hair> B0.5/ B0.3

Bow/ Shorts/ Shirt> V2.3/V2.8

Plum> V2.4/ V2.6

Pencil> YO2.3/ YO2.4; YO2.0; WG9; R2.2

Shoes> O4.3/ O4.6

Cat:

R2.4/ R2.2

Christian Cottingham 2/14/25 Christian Cottingham 2/14/25

Sweet Valentine’s

Sweet Valentines features stamps from Kindred Stamps for a special crafty friend!

I always loved making my Valentines box in grade school. Out came the shoebox, the construction paper, safety scissors, and glue stick. We had freedom to decorate that block with all the “love” things we could think of. As you enter middle school the fun fades. Then adulthood comes along and you rethink what is Valentine’s Day and who qualifies to receive your handmade valentines. Now, I make Valentine’s Day cards for those that I love and appreciate. This card is extra-special because it is going to a fellow Kindred Stamps fan as part of the monthly challenge card swap! I hope that this lucky friend has an amazing sweet Valentine’s Day.

This blog does contain affiliate links that you can click on if you feel so inclined to purchase supplies to make your own Valentine’s Day card. There is no cost to you, but you support my crafting addiction to bring more inspiration your way! For those new to Kindred Stamps, there are certain stamps that you may see that are not available to the masses because they were part of an exclusive kit or have been retired. This card does contain said stamps. So those Kindred addicts like me, dig into your stash and make you Valentine!

This Valentine’s card is a single layer card that was then colored with Olo and Altenew Artist Markers. The scene was designed and simple sketching in pencil to provide the ground, greenery, and the sidewalk stand. The characters from The Great Box stamp set (retired) were stamped in Momento Tuxedo ink, with masking to have the girl behind the stand. Utilizing alcohol safe fine liner pens from Altenew, the sketched scene was traced. Because there is always a little fee for any advice or services rendered, the sign needed to be updated. The sign was handwritten in the same alcohol safe fine liner pens.

Just like a coloring book, my scene was ready to be brought to life. The card panel was colored and allowed to dry. The sentiment was a combination of a couple stamp sets to achieve the double layered sentiment that I was looking for. The top line of the sentiment “Have A” from the 2021 Virtual Retreat Pals stamp set (retired) was stamped with Versamark embossing powder and embossed with Snowfall embossing powder (Kindred Stamps) twice to have the thickness I was looking for. The second line “Sweet Valentines Day” was modified from the Galactic Hunter stamp set. I covered the “A” at the beginning of the sentiment and inked with Versamark ink and embossed with Snowfall embossing powder twice.

The eyes of the characters were hit with a black glaze pen to give a little reflectivity and white highlights were added with a white gel pen. My valentines for my Kindred Stamps secret valentines is complete and ready to be sent!

Card Size: A6 (6.25 by 4.5 inches)

Color Guide:

Sky> Altenew Artist Markers

Grass> Altenew Artist Markers

G702

Bushes> Altenew Artist Markers

G702/ G715; R504/ C003

Sign> Altenew Artist Markers

WG01/ WG03

Stand> Altenew Artist Markers

C013/ C014

Girl> Olo Markers

Flesh> OR4.4/ OR 4.2/ OR4.1/ R0.2
Dress> W-G1/ B0.5/ B0.3
Hair> C-G 9/ C-G 7/ BK

Boy> Olo Markers

Flesh> OR4.4/ OR 4.2/ OR4.1/ R0.2/ R0.5/ R0.6
Shirt> Y2.3/ Y2.2/ W-G 9
Shoes> W-G 1
Socks> Y2.2
Shorts> W-G 7/ W-G 9

Christian Cottingham 1/29/25 Christian Cottingham 1/29/25

Kindred Stamps January Release: Trip to the Arcade

Trip to the Arcade was a trip down memory lane. Kindred Stamps January Release Arcade Die and Arcade Stamp Set are featured here. Can you hear the music?

Nothing screams a child of the 80’s as saving up all your quarters and heading to the arcade to test your hand-eye coordination while listening to 80’s pop radio with your friends. The colors, sounds, and smell of Electric Youth and Polo (which were 100% Designers Imposters but no one would admit it). These sites and sounds echo in my brain as I worked on the cards for Kindred Stamps January release.

This blog utilizes affiliate links. These links take you to the products that I utilized while making these retro arcade cards. When you use the affiliate links, you are supporting my creative inspiration at not cost to you. I utilize the proceeds to purchase further product to keep the fun coming!

Arcade Die & Arcade Stampset, Kindred Stamps

Project One: You’ve Got Game

Can you hear the tense music playing? Are you ready to shoot some lasers? This card features the Arcade Die and the Arcade Stamp set to take you back in time to the arcade.

The background was designed to mimic the creatures falling from the sky in geometric pattern. The creatures were inked with Lucky Clover/ Passionate Pink/ and Soft Stone by Gina K. The fighter ships were cut from the same smooth white card stock, colored with Olo Markers (CG7/CG5), and adhered to the center of the creature columns. This was set aside for the coloring of the Arcade Die.

The Arcade Die was cut out of white smooth card stock and select pieces from black card stock. The base was colored with Olo Markers (BG0.4/ BG0.7/ BG0.8) to add depth to the crevices. Once complete, this was set aside.

The front panel was up next. To achieve the landscape that I wanted, I pulled out the Desert Scene Layering Stencil and picked out a section of the rock formation to trace with pencil. With an alcohol safe pen, I re-traced my lines for the formation onto the front panel. Because this formation was based off a stencil, it lacked the definition lines. I added some ledges and layers then colored the rocks with Olo Markers (OR2.5/ OR2.6). The sky was colored from lightest to darkest with Olo Markers (BG0.4/ BG0.7/ BG0.8).

The donation panel (I mean change collector) was paper pieced together after all components were colored with Olo Markers (CG5/CG7; CG3; Y2.3/ Y1.2/ OR2.5). To assemble, the frame was centered on the top center of the landscape front panel and the individual pieces were adhered.

The controller panel was colored to reflect the power of threes. Meaning, there are 3 reoccurrences of the same color to provide a cohesive look. The orange in the landscape, the money collector and then the base of the controller panel (Olo Markers OR2.5/ 2.6) were the first set of 3’s. The knobs and buttons followed with the blues from the sky and the base of the die (BG0.4/BG0.7/ BG0.8) and the yellows from the topper and money collector (Y2.3/ Y1.2). The monitor of the gaming counsel rounded the power of three by coloring the monitor with the same Olo Markers (CG5/CG7) as the money collector panel and fighter ships. That’s a lot of 3’s.

To finish up the Arcade Die, the topper was colored with Olo Markers and allowed to dry completely (Y2.3/ Y1.2). The sentiment “Congrats” was stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne ink and heat embossed with Clear Embossing Powder. The screen was stamped with Versamark and embossed with Snowfall Embossing Powder.

Finally, it was time to assemble the card. The center panel was cut out of black card stock and popped up with foam tape. The Arcade Die was also popped with with thin foam tape. The layered panel was centered on the front of the card base. Holographic card stock strips were adhered to the sides of the card base and the black panel. The fighters needed to at least try to fight back so a gray enamel dot from the Kindred Spirits Enamel Dots was the perfect little laser bullet. Pew pew pew…

Card Size: A2 (4.25 by 5.5 inches)

Arcade Die and Arcade Stamp Set, Kindred Stamps

Project Two: Game On

This hungry yellow guy just can’t get enough, now if those specters would stop chasing him maybe he’d get his fill. This card takes me back to the pizza place that we would go to as kids. The smell of pizza baking, a pitcher of soda (the only time we really got the bubbly goodies), the sound of laughter, and little dots being munched down by this yellow guy.

The frame for this card acts as an all you can eat buffet of dots! The yellow guy (Arcade Stamp Set) was stamped in Wild Dandelion, while the specters were stamped in Blue Lagoon and Passionate Pink from Gina K. Pulling out the trusty exact-o-knife, I cut the eyes and images out. The dots were found deep in my stash from probably about 18 years ago and were adhered. Foam tape was applied and the frame was set aside.

Next up, the Arcade Die! This one is definitely cleaner than the one at the pizza place, but I colored it in the same color theme. The die was cut from smooth white card stock and ink blended with inks from Gina K. I repeated the die cutting with black card stock on a few select areas. The base and front panel of the die set were blended with Blue Raspberry and Blue Denim. The change collector was blended with Wild Dandelion and Stormy Sky. The quarter slot was colored with Altenew Artist Marker TG03.

The control panel was given shadows with Altenew Artist Marker (TG03) as well as a couple buttons and a knob. The remaining knobs and joint stick were ink blended with Wild Dandelion and Cherry Red (Gina K). To complete the topper, Versamark was utilized for an emboss resist technique with Clear Embossing Powder and inked with Wild Dandelion. The ink was removed from the embossing powder with my Kindred Microfiber Towel. The screen was the only thing left! The heart was stamped in Cherry Red from Gina K and allowed to dry. Once dry, Versamark was stamped over the heart and embossed with Clear Embossing Powder to add some shine. To complete the rails, a little shadow was added to the bottom (just like at the pizza place… I imaging it was once white). The die was assembled and foam tape applied.

Prior to assembling the complete card, remainder of the background needed attention. Utilizing a vibrant blue card stock, the Warp Speed hot foil plate was heated up and iridescent hot foil applied. The radiating lines draw your eye to the soon to be focal point of the Arcade Die. The card was assembled and I am ready for a piece of pizza, a picture of soda, and a few quarters to try my mad skills!

Card Size: A6 (4.5 by 6.25 inches)

Arcade Die and Arcade Stamp, Kindred Stamps

Project Three: Framed Level Up

Have you ever thought of how good of a packer you are? You know, how you can cram sooooooo many crafty goodies in such a small space. Just visualizing the shape and determining where it will fit best. If you can relate, I’m guessing this card speaks to you!

This card layout is so simple… A fun lava card stock in a brilliant blue was attached to the card base. A simple frame cut from black card stock was popped up with a little foam tape and adhered in the center of the lava panel. The star of the show is up next, the colorful die cut!

The Arcade Die was cut from smooth white card stock and a few select pieces from black card stock. The base was colored in color blocks that reflect the colors of the game pieces. Utilizing Olo Markers (Y2.3/Y1.2; BV1.4/ BV1.7; YG1.6/ YG1.4; R0.6/ R0.5) and Altenew Markers (B204/ B201) to color the die, I was able to add some depth to the die cut. To emphasize the angles, a black fine liner pen was used to draw in sharp lines. The control panel pieces were colored with the same color theme. Finally, the change collector was colored with same blues and yellows, and the quarter slot was colored with Olo Marker CG3.

The front panel is where the money is at! A thin frame was drawn with an alcohol safe fine liner pen. The various shapes from the Arcade Stamp Set were inked with 5 different colors from Gina K (Dark Lilac/ Luck Clover/ Wild Dandelion/ Tangerine Twist/ Blue Lagoon) with intentional gaps. Random falling shapes were stamped from the top down. Using the CG3 Olo Marker, the background was colored to complete the panel’s aesthetic. The red boarder was filled in with Olo R0.6/ R0.5.

To finish the Arcade Die, the sentiments from the Arcade stamp set were stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne ink after shadowing was added with the CG3 Olo Marker. The die was assembled and foam tape applied. All that was left was snugly centering the die perfectly into the black frame. A skill I mastered in my youth. How about you?

Card Size: Mini-Slimline (6.25 by 3.25 inches)

Project Four: Congrats, A New Player Has Entered The Game

Who says wedding cards have to be all lovey dovey when they can be just awesome! The first card I made with the Arcade stamp set was this wedding card. I just couldn’t help myself. This clean and simple card consist of 2 sentiments and 2 images from the Arcade Stamp Set.

Utilizing the Card Basics Die, a black panel was cut out. A second white card base was cut out with the same die and then trimmed to remove the stitched outer lines (you could also just use a A2 die, but why get up and walk to the die machine when the trimmer is right there…). With my layers prepped, I could get down with the stamping.

The heart was stamped first in Cherry Red ink from Gina K. Then the Yellow Guy was stamped on the left hand side of the heart in Wild Dandelion (Gina K). To stamp the Yellow Gal, I removed the panel from my stamping platform and stamped the image onto the base of my stamping platform. I do have a clear polymer stamping pad inside my platform. To complete the reverse image, I placed my panel ink side down onto the stamping platform and rubbed over the area that I had stamped. This process was repeated to achieve the color saturation I desired. On a scrap of card stock, the t-shaped stamp was inked up with Cherry Red (Gina K) and then fussy cut to only form a “V". This bow was adhered to the Yellow Gal. The images were outlined with a fine line black pen to define the edges of the yellow stamped images.

The sentiment “Congrats” was stamped below the scene and “a new player has entered the game” to the inside of the card base in Versafine Clair Nocturne ink. The black Card Basic die panel was adhered to the card base and the inked panel was adhered with some foam tape on top. To make the heart glisten like true love, I applied some Glossy Accents for shine. Then finally, to ensure the new couple had the power to get through their honeymoon, a few Magic Seasons Enamel Dots were applied. (Wink, wink…)

Card Size: A2 (4.25 by 5.5)

Project Five: Aliens Are Coming

Fighter jets at the ready! This card is takes the sentiment and turns it into a fighter jet to take on the aliens! Only 2 stamps from the Arcade Stamp Set were utilized with the blackout technique. A fun technique to play with!

The background came together with the Desert Layering Stencil by using the positive and negative cuts. The other worldly scene was ink blended (Sweet Mango/ Tomato Soup/ In the Navy/ Sweet Corn/ Wild Dandelion from Gina K). Some metallic spatter was applied and the background was set aside to drive.

The aliens were up next! Using the blackout technique, I was able to have the various colors on each row. To achieve this, I masked a piece of paper with a sticky note and ink blended the top row with Keylime (Gina K). The mask was removed and reapplied to the top and bottom of the next row to be inked leaving space for the image to be applied. This was then inked with Bubblegum (Gina K). This panel was allowed completely. Don’t skip this step, you will be sad…. I aligned the alien stamp into the stamping platform and prepped the panel with an antistatic tool. The alien image was stamped in columns by simply adjusting my panel to stack the aliens in the colored rows with embossing ink. Clear Embossing Powder was applied and heat set. The alien was cleaned, moved to the next column, retreated, stamped, powdered, and heat set 2 more times. Now that all of the shiny aliens were ready and cooled, it was time to make the magic happen.

To complete the blackout technique, I pulled out Distress Black Soot ink and a foam blending tool. To protect the panel from my finger oils, I did use some post-it tape, sticky side up, on my fingertips for holding the panel down. The entire panel was inked heavily with black ink to cover all color rows and white space. Using my Kindred Microfiber Towel, I buffed the embossed aliens clean of the black ink. The aliens came to life!

The sentiment “You Got Game” was stamped and embossed with Snowfall Embossing Powder and fussy cut out leaving a canon on the top. Foam tape was applied to the alien panel and the sentiment spaceship. To assemble the card, the alien world background was applied flat to a card base. The alien panel was popped up on the center upper portion of the world scene. The sentiment spaceship was centered on the bottom of the card. Utilizing some random pearl square shaped embellishments from probably 20 years ago (unknown supplier) I added some laser shots onto the scene. See, it pays to be a hoarder… you never know when you may actually use them!

Card Size: A2 (4.25 by 5.5)

Project Six: Our Friendship Box

This fun fold card looks lack luster on first look, but when you open it up there’s a surprise for you! Let’s just say, it “falls” into place when opened.

A top folding card base was scored at 5.5 inches and 1.5 inches. A black A2 card panel was cut to remove 1.5inches from the bottom of the card. These panels will be adhered above and below the score line in a hot second. But first, using a black bleed proof pen on the scored card base, I traced a line above the 1.5 inch score line, through the channel of the 1.5 inch score line, and directly below the 1.5 inch score line. The black panels were adhered to the card base above and below the card stock. By tracing the score line, the color is seamless without having a dark card base which would make the card insides heavier. I don’t want pay for more postage…

Medium and small stars from the Card Basic dies set were cut from holographic card stock. On a scrap piece of white card stock, neon inks were applied in sections for die cutting and for the layering frame that surrounds the sentiment on the front of the card (Electro-Pop inks: Raging Red/ Orange Glow/ Hello Yellow/ Screamin’ Green/ Blaring Blue/ Potent Purple). Utilizing the Stitched Alphabet die, the word “ARCADE” was die cut. Finally, the sentiment was stamped on a piece of black card stock with embossing ink, covered with Snowfall embossing powder and heat set (Arcade Stamp Set). The front panel was assembled.

To make the fun fold, another piece of smooth white card stock (7 by 4.25 inches) was scored at 1.5 inches and 5.5 inches. Pulling out the square from the Card Basic Die set, the square was centered in-between the score lines. Do not discard the cut square, this will be used in a few. Using Altenew Artist Markers (TG05/ TG07), the frame around the cut out was colored. Again going outside the score lines for color transition. A piece of black card stock was cut to fit the backside of the card front and adhered. The inside frame and the card base were set aside to complete the inside image.

Remember the die cut that we set aside from the Card Basic square die? Gotta find it again… under a pile it was located. With a ruler I sketched out 2 rectangles with corresponding frames. Using the shapes from the Arcade stamp set, I stamped a layered board in the larger rectangle and a single shape in the smaller rectangle. (Gina K: Dark Lilac/ Lucky Clover/ Wild Dandelion/ Tangerine Twist/ Blue Lagoon). To fill in the stark white of the rectangles, I pulled out a Olo Marker in CG3 to fill in around the shapes. The frames of both rectangles were colored with Altenew Artist Markers (TG05/TG06). Finally the remainder of the square was colored with Olo Marker B4.6. The completed scene was centered on the black card stock on the inside of the card base.

Time to attach the our frame to the card base. After re-enforcing the score lines, the 1.5 inch on the framed piece was adhered to the top of the card front on the inside. Ensuring that the colored frame when folded up flows to the inside. With the card opened I folded over the frame. When laying flat it will fit perfectly into the card front (A2 sized panel). Place adhesive on the 1.5 inch section of the framed piece. Fold the card to adhere the fun fold to the inside card base. The panel will now open and close exposing the framed image. I added a piece of black card stock to the base inside the frame continue the framed area. To finish off the card, the sentiment “is on another level” was stamped in black ink. This felt a little naked with all the neon on the front of the card, so I placed a scrap of the neon inked paper and a strip of holographic paper. Tada, no longer naked!

Card Size: A2 (4.25 by 5.5 inches)

Christian Cottingham 1/24/25 Christian Cottingham 1/24/25

New Year, New Beginnings

New Year, New Beggings. Celebration of the Lunar New Year.

The lunar new year is upon us and the year of the snake will begin. What a better way to celebrate than to share a red envelope filled with wishes of prosperity. This set was developed for a good friend of mine and for her daughter. The dragon on the card comes to life and wobbles it’s head just like in the dances. While the little red envelopes contain a little “coin” with the year of the snake and lunar new year wishes to be shared with family and friends.

Project One: Dragon Dance

The card was stamped with Trinity Stamps Dragon Dance stamp set in Pink Fresh Studios Detailed Black alcohol safe ink. Images were colored with a combination of Olo markers and Altenew Artist markers (see Color Guide) on X-press It card stock. The eyes of the dragon and the dancer eyes were filled in a black glaze pen to bring them to life. The images were fussy cut out and set aside while I designed the card base.

Utilizing Waffle Flower A2 Layering dies, the card panel was cut from Gina K Designs Red Velvet card stock. The black panel was cut out of Gina K Designs Onyx black paper and then the inner rectangle was cut one size smaller on a mirrored gold card stock from my stash. These panels were layered together with Gina K Connect glue and attached to a top fold A2 card base.

The sentiments from the Mama Elephant New Beginnings stamp set were stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne ink.

The dancer was adhered flat to the card and an action wobbler was placed behind the dragon head. Now the dragon’s head dances!

Project Two: Coins for Luck

The little red envelopes are filled with Happy Lunar New Year paper coins for a special little girl to share with her cousins this New Year.

The coins were cut from Pink and Main Nesting Circles to fit into the envelopes. On the back side of the die cut, “Happy Lunar New Year” was stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne ink. Utiliizing a smaller circle die, and shiny mirrored gold card stock a smaller circle was cut out to allow a heavy frame.

The snake from the Lunar Animals stamp set by Mama Elephant was stamped in Pink Fresh Studios Detailed Black ink on X-press It card stock, colored with the same markers (see Color Guide) and fussy cut out. A black glaze pen was utilized to give the eyes the shine they needed. Placing some Altenew Instant Dimension Foam Tape to back of the images.

The snake was centered on the mirrored gold circle. The Year of the Snake has begun!

Color Guide:

Dancer:

Flesh> OR 7.2/ OR 7.4/ OR 7.2 (Olo)
Hair> OR 3.7/ OR 3.4/ BK (Olo)
Clothes> R 0.6/ R 0.5 (Olo)
Shoes> OR 3.8/ OR 3.7 (Olo)

Dragon: (includes dancers cloak)

Altenew Artist Markers> Y205/ C001
Olo> YG 1.4/ YG 1.6/ CG 1 for teeth/ R 0.6/ R 0.5 for mouth

Snake:

Olo> YG 1.4/ YG 1.6/ R 0.6
Altenew Artist Marker> Y205/ C001

Christian Cottingham 1/17/25 Christian Cottingham 1/17/25

January Kindred Stamps Challenge

Snowy challenge from Kindred Stamps monthly challenge! Galatic Travels to the rescue!

When the challenge of “Snow” was placed for the Kindred Stamps monthly challenge, for January I knew exactly what set I was pulling out from my stash. Nothing says snow like a snowy landscape from a far far away world. This single layer scene card was a breeze to make!

This blog utilizes affiliate links for the products utilized. These links provide a way for you to support me in the content that is provided at no cost to you. If you feel like you must have this set or product the links provided will take you right to the Kindred Website. Now, lets begin this chilly scene build.

The Walker from the Galactic Travel stamp set was stamped utilizing masking to have the pairs walk in tandem on the lower portion of the landscape card base. The Flyer was stamped in the top right hand of sky. All images were stamped in alcohol safe ink (Momento Tuxedo). The mountains were hand sketched in pencil and then traced with an alcohol fine liner pen (Altenew). Now that the panel was ready, the coloring begins!

Knowing this was a snowy scene and the Walkers were also white, I wanted to ensure there was a difference between the background and the Walkers. The Walkers utilized cool gray tones while the mountains and ground were in cool blue violet tones. To differentiate the Flyer, warm gray tones were utilized. The sky filled in with a cooler blue to keep the chilly scene ambiance. See the Color Guide for the marker brand and colors.

The sentiment was stamped with embossing ink and Snowfall embossing powder was heat set on the left side of the scene. As part of the challenge this month extra points were given if your utilized some Magical Season Enamel Dots from Kindred Stamps. I found these red sparkly dots that looked like the laser bullets shooting from the Flyer. My card was now complete!

Card Size: A2 (5.5 by 4.25 inches)

Color Guide:

Walkers:

Olo Markers: CG1/ CG3

Mountains/ Snow:

Olo Markers: BV2.2/ BV2.0/ B2.0

Sky:

Altenew Artist Markers: R916/ R912

Flyer:

Olo Markers: WG5/ WG3/ WG1/ O2.5/ R1.5/ B2.0

Christian Cottingham 12/31/24 Christian Cottingham 12/31/24

YAY SCIENCE!

YAY Science! This scientist and his assistant are always confirming ways to not to be successful. Yay SCIENCE!

Sometimes while you are sleeping, you dream of many things. The future, the past, the weird, the scary, the what the hell was that, and then you dream of card making and science. Two things that at first do not seem to correlate, and then the more you think about it the more they do! You test out different inks to find the one that works with your medium for coloring. You test different papers to find the one that works for the task at hand. You play with thermal conduction to change the state of embossing powder into a solid smooth design. You mix alcohol ink to make new colors. You have to try different things over and over again until you are able to get a product in the end that you love. You learn 10,000 ways NOT to do something. That is not failure, that is science! These 2 science geeks are always testing and learning. This is who I was dreaming of… why? Science…

You will see affiliate links embedded in this blog. If you are inspired and want to support me at no cost to you, you can shop via the links. The proceeds from these links are utilized to purchase more crafty supplies to keep inspiration coming.

The scientist and his assistant from the Showtime stamps (Kindred Stamps) were stamped in Memento Black ink on Hammermill card stock, colored with Olo Markers (see Color Guide), and die cut with the Showtime dies. Full disclosure, I was not a fan of the original color of flesh for the scientist that I selected. His flesh was colored last and I was not re-stamping and coloring because, it’s fine and I am lazy. Because alcohol markers are translucent, I picked a muted yellow tone combo and colored over the top of the brighter tones. In the color guide I listed both colors. However, next time I color the image I will use the muted tones. See, science… I tested and found I didn’t like it and I tried again.

The lab scene background was die cut from a piece of pattern paper from the Dessert Royalty paper pack (Kindred Stamps) with the square from the Cards Basics Dies (Kindred Stamp). The Science Lab dies set (Kindred Stamps) were die cut from Hammermill card stock and colored with Altenew Artist Markers (see Color Guide) and assembled. To give the illusion of liquid in the beakers, Glossy Accents were applied to the colored layers and allowed to dry. The wall felt a little naked, so I drew a frame on Hammermill card stock and used Altenew Artist Markers to color the chalk board. The sentiment from Science Geeks (Retired> Kindred Stamps) was heat embossed with Snowfall embossing powder to mimic my science class room in high school.

A panel of In the Navy card stock (Gina K Designs) will be the base of this card. Prior to assembly, the sentiment from Showtime Sentiments (Kindred Stamps) was heat embossed with Snowfall embossing powder (Kindred Stamps).

The lab scene was assembled and adhered to the pattern paper flat. The Lab scene panel was popped up with Simon Says Stamp Big Momma Foam (thin foam) on the solid embossed card panel. The same foam was then placed on the back of the scientist and his assistant and they were placed in the scene.

Finally, a couple of white and navy enamel dots from Kindred Stamps were placed to frame the sentiment.

This card was in my dream and now it has come to life! YAY for learning 10,000 ways NOT to do it! YAY science!

Color Guide:

Scientist> Olo Markers

Lab coat> W-G1
Vest> YG8.7/ YG8.5
Tie> R0.5
Shirt> W-G1
Pants> O7.7/ O7.8
Shoes> W-G7/ W-G5
Flesh> Y1.1/ Y1.2/ YO2.0/ YO2.2

Assistant> Olo Markers

Flesh> OR1.1/ OR1.2
Hair> OR2.3/ OR2.2
Mouth> R0.6/ R0.5
Shirt> B0.2
Tie/ Pants> W-G7
Shoes> W-G7/ W-G1
Lab Coat> W-G1

Science Lab> Altenew Artist Markers

Microscope/ Table/ Stand> TG05/ TG07/TG05
Glassware> CG01
Fluids> (test tubes didn’t make the card, but colors listed) Y608/ Y518; B314/ B216; G503/ G515; C006/ R826; Y205/ C001; B815/ B714; R304; R318

Frame> Altenew Artisti Markers

TG05/ TG03; Y762/ Y932

Christian Cottingham 12/18/24 Christian Cottingham 12/18/24

Kindred Stamps December Release: X-Ceptional Team

X-Ceptional Team to the rescue for any of your card making needs!

Being part of team is something we all dream of from a kid on through adulthood. Now let’s be real, a team does not mean just sports. How many others were the Gutter Ball Queen in the Girl Scouts Father Daughter bowling tournament when they were growing up? I don’t believe I am all alone. In my mind, a team is a group with a common goal. That goal can anything from world peace to making something unique and homemade. I’m glad you’re on my make something fun team! The X-Ceptional Team stamp set from Kindred Stamps is another great team out to make the world better and this set let’s them shine.

Before we start into the projects, I wanted to let you know that this blog contains affiliate links to the amazing products that I utilized. If you choose to utilize the links, you are supporting me at no cost to you. With the compensation, I purchase product to continue to bring inspiration to you.

Project One: Perfect Storm

Can you feel the weather change? This first project exemplifies having your own personal weather patterns, not hormonally induced if you know what I mean. The main character is set in a swirling light reflecting column of wind reflecting her power.

To achieve the holographic swirl, the Aloha Hot Foil Plate was re-imagined. Waves in the water can be waves in the sky if you turn the plate to be vertical. After the hot foil was cool, the Grass and Cloud Stencil was utilized with some moody light gray to reflect the storm that was brewing.

The card panel was cropped with the Card Basics Die to add a black frame from the card base. The flying woman was colored with Olo markers (see Color Guide) and popped up with some foam tape in the center of the holographic swirls.

The sentiment was stamped and heat embossed with Snowfall embossing powder. I adhered the sentiment flat to the card to allow the flying woman the respect and attention she demanded.

Card Size: A2 (5.5 by 4.25 inches)

Project Two: Ace

If you’re lucky, this Card Slinger will let you know you’re X-ceptional. My inspiration came from the card in his hand and I knew this card was going to be an Ace. The Card Slinger was colored with Olo markers (see Color Guide), fussy cut out on the line, and edged with a black marker.

The playing card was the next step. Utilizing the Heart Layers stencil, the smallest heart was stenciled in red ink. To ensure the red of the heart matched the letters of the card, I inked up a piece of white card stock with the same red ink and set it aside to dry. To finish the playing card, I grabbed a fluorescent pink ink. The negative cut out from the stencil was applied over the heart to protect the red ink and the remainder of the card was ink blended with a heavier hand on the outside and lighter toward the center. Hello neon pink!

With the Card Basic die, the playing card was die cut and adhered to a black card base. The Stitched Alpha die cut out the “A” from the previously inked up red piece of paper. The “A’s” were applied to the upper left and lower right of my pink panel to mimic the playing card. The Card Slinger was applied with thin foam tape to the center of the heart. “You’re X-Ceptional” was heat embossed with Snowfall embossing powder and adhered with the same thickness of foam tape under the Card Slingers feet to ground the image.

To bling up the dazzling playing card, I added a shimmer pen to the the “A’s” and the around the boarder of the stitched edging. This made the playing card come to life. I wish photos could show the sparkle.

Card Size: A2 (5.5 by 4.25 inches)

Project Three: X-tra Special

This X-tra special couple are sending birthday wishes in this bright card and shiny card. The All Seeing Eye Woman and the Vision Man were colored with Olo Markers (see Color Guide) and cut out.

The background panel was hot foiled with the Crown Plaid hot foil plate in a bright cobalt blue on an equally bright yellow card stock. Utilizing a flat hot foil plate, I pressed the negative foil into another piece of yellow card stock. With the Card Basic die, the main background panel with the largest rectangle die. Then the reverse foiled card stock was die cut with the smallest circle die. Since I was die cutting, I used the largest circle to cut a peace of vellum to layer beneath the foiled circle.

The sentiment was embossed with Snowfall embossing powder. To assemble the card, a blue card base was prepped. The yellow foiled panel was adhered flat to the base. The reverse foil circle and vellum were glued together and thin foam tape was applied to give the circle lift off of the base. The characters were edged in black and thin foam taped applied to provide separation between the paper.. The sentiment was adhered flat to the circle with a little foam tape on the overhang to prevent saggy sentiments… no on wants that. With all the shine on the card, no extra bling was needed.

Card Size: A2 (5.5 by 4.25 inches)

Project Four: On My Mind

No matter what the situation is the sentiment of this card can apply. “You’ve Been On My Mind.” This interactive card showcases the Head Master and he stealthy carriage. The Head Master was colored with Olo markers (see Color Guide) and set aside to work on the background.

A yellow pearl paper panel was cut out and adhered to a black card stock mat. With the same black paper, the City Scape die was cut out and glued to the yellow pearl paper. This was set aside to dry while more die cutting commenced.

The Pull and Slide die set provides the interactive part of this card. The pull was cut from same black paper, as well as the circle for mounting the Head Master. The label for the pull was cut from both red card stock and yellow glitter card stock. Finally the slit and the cut-out die was positioned on the card panel with the City Scape scene and cut out. The pull was assembled and the negative piece from the slit was applied to the pull. The pull was trimmed to line up with the buildings to keep the scene complete when the pull was returned to the neutral position. The red label was place on the end of the pull and the yellow glitter arrow was inlayed into the label. Foam tape was applied to the back of the panel around the mechanism to allow space for the pull to slide in and out. The Head Master was applied and ready for action.

The sentiment was stamped and heat embossed with Snowfall embossing powder and nestled into the top left corner to avoid interference with the Slide Out mechanism. I just love the sentiment. I always need one of these cards in my stash. Can be used for everything and anything.

Card Size: Mini-Slim line

Project Five: No… You’re a Beast

Kind and gentle, yet a beast at the same time. This Furry Man is the star of this card and with an action wobbler he is X-tra special. The Furry Man was colored with Olo markers and cut out (see Color Guide).

The card base was made out of holographic card stock and set aside. To draw the eye to the our Furry Man, a piece of blue card stock was hot foiled hot foiled with the Warp Speed hot foil plate in a silver iridescent foil. The foiled card panel was cropped down with the Card Basic die set. Thin foam tape was applied and the foiled panel was placed on the card base. An low profile action wobble was placed behind the Furry Man and placed on the card base.

“You’re a Beast” was embossed with Snowfall embossing powder and placed directly on the card base to ensure there was clearance for the wobbler to wobble. This simple card has lots of character and can be easily mass produced for gifts.

Card Size: A2 (5.5 by 4.25 inches)

Project Six: Whole Team Wishes

A simple grid layout showcases all of the amazing characters in the X-Ceptional Team. The characters were colored with Olo markers (see Color Guide). The team was cut out and thin foam tape was applied to the back of each team member. The Head Master was the exception, he had a double layer of thin tape so he would be lifted above the others.

The card panel was cut from a black pearl paper to add the drama to the background. To add texture to this panel, the Country Quilt stencil was dry embossed. Because this card is an A7 (5 by 7 inches), the stencil was realigned after the first pass to have complete coverage of pearly card base.

The sentiment was heat embossed with Snowfall embossing powder on black card stock. I wanted the sentiment to be separate small panels so I cut the stacked sentiment into strips. The team was assembled and applied in a grid layout. The sentiment strips were glued flat to the Head Master carriage.

Since shimmer and shine was on every one of the these cards, I added some holographic stars in the County Quilt squares throughout the card base. This card and sentiment are perfect for sending birthday sentiments from the team. I am so using this for my work family.

Card Size: A7 (5 by 7 inches)

Color Guide: Olo Markers

Two-Tone Woman:

Hair> WG 1/ WG 3; OR 4.8/ OR 2.6
Body Suit> Y 2.3/ Y1.2; YG 1.4/ YG 1.6; WG 7
Jacket> YG 1.6
Belt> YG 1.6/ R 0.5/ R 0.6
Headband> WG 9/ WG 7
Flesh> OR 7.2/ OR 7.1/ OR 2.0
Boots> Y2.3/ Y2.1/ YG 1.6
Lips> R 0.6

Helmet Head:

Helmet> V 2.6/ V 2.7
Flesh> OR 7.2/ OR 7.1/ OR 2.0
Cape> V 2.6/ V 27
Body Suit> R 1.7/ R 1.6
Roos> V 2.6/ V 2.7
Boots> V 2.6/ V 2.7; R 1.7/ R 1.6

Claw Man:

Mask> WG 9/ WG 7
Eyes> WG 1
Body Suit> Y2.3/ Y 1.2
Gloves> B 0.6/ B 0.7
Roos> B 0.7/ B 0.6
Belt> R 0.5/ R 0.6
Slashers> WG 9
Flesh> OR 7.2/ OR 7.1/ OR 2.0
Boots> B 0.7/ B0.5/ B 0.6
Sleeve Cap> B 0.6

Card Slinger:

Hair> BK/ OR 3.7
Flesh> OR 7.2/ OR 7.1/ OR 2.0
Mask> WG 9/ WG 7
Chest Plate> B 0.7/ B 0.5
Bodice> RV 0.6/ RV 0.4
Pants> WG 9/ WG 7/ WG 5
Boots> B 0.7/ B 0.5
Jacket> O 4.6/ O 4.3
Gloves> WG 5
Stick> WG 9/ WG 7
Card> WG 1; R 0.5/ R 0.6

Head Master:

Suit> YG 8.7/ YG 8.5
Shirt> WG 3
Tie> WG 7
Chair> YO 2.3/ YO 2.2; B 2.6/ B2.4; R 0.6/ R 0.5; WG 9/ WG 7
Flesh> OR 7.2/ OR 7.1/ OR 2.0

All Seeing Eye Woman:

Flesh> OR 7.2/ OR 7.1/ OR 2.0
Mask> WG 7/ WG 9; B 2.4/ B2.2
Bodice> B 0.7/ B 0.5; R 0.6/ R 0.5
Body Suit> Y 2.3/ Y 1.2
Lips> R 0.5
Wrist Plates> B 0.7/ B 0.5
Hair> OR 2.3/ OR 2.6/ OR 4.8

Vision Man:

Visor> Y 2.3/ Y 1.2; R 0.5/ R 0.6
Body Suit> B 0.5/ B 0.6
Hair> BK/ OR 3.7
Roos> Y 2.3/ Y 1.2
Floves> Y 2.3/ Y 1.2
Boots> Y 2.3/ Y 1.2
Belts> Y 2.3/ Y 1.2/ R 0.6
Flesh> OR 7.2/ OR 7.1/ OR 2.0

Flying Woman:

Flesh> O 4.6/ O 4.3/ O 4.1
Body Suit> WG 3/ WG 1
Discs> R 0.6
Wristbands> YO 2.3/ YO 2.2
Belt> YO 2.3/ YO 2.2
Lips> R 1.7
Boots> WG 1/ WG 3
Hair> WG 1/ WG 3

Furry Man:

Fur> B 0.6/ B 0.5/ B 0.3
Roos> B 0.7/ B 0.6
Belt> Y 2.3/ R 0.6

Christian Cottingham 12/6/24 Christian Cottingham 12/6/24

Thinking of You Everyday

Thinking of you cards are one of the most versitial cards to have in your stash. From birthday to support, these cards can be used for all.

Every once in a while, you just need to let some know that you are thinking about them. A thinking of you card can be utilized for any situation or just to reach out and say hey, I’m here for you. These two projects let nature shine and the sentiment be the star.

Project One: Artistic Foliage

Mother Nature provides us with serenity with the green leaves that we see all around us. This card echos peacefulness. Pink Fresh Studio & Simon Says Stamp collaboration Artistic Foliage provides an example of Mother Nature’s wonder and serenity.

The image was stamped in Gina K Designs Obsidian Black in. Utilizing the coordinating stencils, the image was inked with Gina K Designs Light Spruce/ Medium Spruce. The image was die cut out along with 3 more die cuts from scrap paper. This will add dimension to the card without the need to fiddle with foam. These cutouts were glued and stacked together with Gina K Designs Connect Glue.

Since I was stamping and die cutting, I inked the sentiment from Altenew Build-a-Flower Tree Peony stamps set with Gina K Designs Obsidian ink. The sentiment and blanks for dimension were die cut and stacked.

To achieve the serenity that I was envisioning, I wanted lots of white space for the eye to relax. White space does not mean white. It refers to the quiet space to allow the images to shine. Utilizing Gina K Designs Master Layout 2, I cut a black frame and a white card panel. I spattered the white panel with Distress Mica Spray in Frozen Fog, and some diluted Gina K Designs Black Onyx ink.

To assemble the card, the frame and spattered panel were adhered to the card base. The leaf sprigs and sentiment were arranged to provide the aesthetic that spoke to me. To accent the card some Clear Quartz Solid sequence from Gina K Designs were added.

Card Size: A2 (5.25 by 4.25 inches)

Project Two: Tree Peony

Everyone deserves to receive flowers. If you can’t afford to send physical flowers to someone when you are thinking of them, the next best thing is a floral card. The tree peony cluster and simple sentiment never fade and don’t require the water to be changed.

With the Altenew Build-a-Flower Tree Peony stamps and dies, this card came together in a breeze. The image was stamped in Altenew Obsidian pigment ink. The layering stamps we were inked with Altenew Crisp Die Inks in the Summer Afternoon color family (Buttercream/ Warm Sunshine/ Caramel Toffee/ Paper Bag). The leaves were colored in the Tropical Forest color way (Bamboo/ Parrot/ Olive/ Moss). The images were die cut out and foam tape was applied to the florals.

The warmth I was looking for came from the colored card base (Gina K Designs Prickly Pear). Utilizing Master Layouts 2 (Gina K Designs) I cut a black frame to pull in the black sentiment and inked lines, and a white panel for the florals to rest on. The panels were glued together with Gina K Designs Connect Glue and adhered to a white card base. The arrangement was determined and the leaves were adhered to the white base, framing the opposing sides. The florals were attached with the images overhanging the white framed panel to give interest. Thinking of You Everyday was stamped and die cut. A piece of foam tape was centered on the back to provide the support to the sentiment, while liquid glue secured the ends to the florals. A scattering of Clear Quartz Solid sequence by Gina K Designs draw the eye to the sentiment nestled between the florals. Now these are some florals, that will never fade and can be displayed for an eternity.

Card Size: A2 (5.5 inches by 4.25 inches)

Project 1: Hallway Teens

Project 2: Sarcasm Forever

Project 3: Good Taste

Color Guide:

Project One: Table Top Pocket Witches

Project Two: Shaking Witches

Project Three: Pop-up Witches

Color Guide (Olo Markers):

Project One: Fear Book

Project Two: Composition Ghouls

Project Three: Coffin Ghouls

Project Four: Ghoul Markers

Color Guide (Olo Markers):

Project One: Unstoppable Pinwheel

Project Two: Comic Pages

Project Three: Girl Power

Project Four: Flying High

Project Five: Shaker Up

Coloring Guide (Old Markers):

Project One: All Aboard

Project Two: Science, Oh Yeah

Project Three: Fly Away

Project Four: Hey Baby

Project Five: Besties Since Diapers

Color Guide (Olo):

Other Supply Links:

Project One: Come On…

Project Two: Loyal Friends

Project Three: Friendship Gift Card

Project Four: The Key of Kindred Treasure Kids

Project Five: Hey Guys!

Color Guide:

Zig Clean Color Real Brush Color Guide:

Project One: Radish, Yes Please!

Project Two: Postcard For You

Project Three: Purposeful Builders

Color Guide (Olo Markers)

Color Guide:

Project One: Magician Wanna Be

Project Two: Tune In D’Bomb

Project Three: I Spy

Project Four: Most Wanted

Color Guide: Olo Markers

Project One: Chalkboard Lessons

Project Two: Framed Art

Project Three: Donut Dreams

Project Four: Perfect Families Are Overrated

Project Five: Have A Drink On Me

Project Six: I Will Never Forget

Project 7: Skating By

Color Guide (Olo Markers):

Project One: Berry Bed

Project Two: Rainbow Berry Best

Project Three: Strawberry Toy Box

Project Four: Strawberry Candles & Berry Wishes

Project Five: Berry Artist

Project Six: Berry Gift Set

Color Guide: Olo Markers unless otherwise noted.

Color Guide:

Project One: You’ve Got Game

Project Two: Game On

Project Three: Framed Level Up

Project Four: Congrats, A New Player Has Entered The Game

Project Five: Aliens Are Coming

Project Six: Our Friendship Box

Project One: Dragon Dance

Project Two: Coins for Luck

Color Guide:

Color Guide:

Color Guide:

Project One: Perfect Storm

Project Two: Ace

Project Three: X-tra Special

Project Four: On My Mind

Project Five: No… You’re a Beast

Project Six: Whole Team Wishes

Color Guide: Olo Markers

Project One: Artistic Foliage

Project Two: Tree Peony

Cardigans & Cards