I really don’t use Timeless Textures enough!  I love all the background and texture stamps available from Stampin’ Up! They allow you to add dimension and a lot of design to your stamping. And I love vintage, artsy looks much more than I actually show on this blog. Today’s card is a case of a card and scrapbook layout by Artisan Designer, Jackie Aitken. You can see her original design HERE!

I love her work and found this on Pinterest many months ago and kept a printout in my notebook of “ideas to try”.  I was looking for some inspiration and I finally decided to see what I could do with the idea!  I love how Jackie layers elements in a card. And she really used Timeless Textures and several other sets to a great advantage in her design.

When I look back on my beginnings in paper craft, I did a lot of layering!  In fact my very first blog post way back in 2008 was the project below. I loved fibers and paper layering back then!  But it wasn’t until I discovered stamps I found how how wonderful paper with ink can be!  The stamp and ink was the magic for me and the mediums I have used almost exclusively since then.

Casing Jackie’s design and experimenting with Timeless Textures and Artisan helped me get past a creative block and try a few more ideas on my own, which I will share in the next few days.  So, I always encourage people to try CASEing when you run out of ideas.  It can really help you develop your skills and allow you to branch out and do your own designs.

Products Used For This Card

Balloon Celebration is a stamp set I love, but don’t reach for often enough!  Last week, I was trying to come up wth a design that looked like “candy”.  This was one of the trys. I didn’t like it at all for candy, but I loved it as just a graphic background.  In fact I like the background so much, I kept it propped up on my desk to remind me to do something with it!

The result was a simple card with just the Gorgeous Grape and Granny Apple Green. I decided to make it a Thank You card because I needed one ASAP.  I have always liked purples and greens together and this card has a lot of that!  I decorated the envelope and the inside sentiment with the same 2 stamps. And now it is ready to go!  So pull out your Balloon Celebration stamp set and see all you can do with it!

Products Used For This Card

The stamp set, called By The Bay is a stamp you cannot buy at any price.  Its one of the Sale-A-Bration free stamps from Stampin’ Up! I love this time of year.  But its almost over. The free stamps, papers, ribbons and embellishments you can earn for free with a purchase will all be over March 31st.

By the Bay had been calling me for a few weeks since I got it as the free stamp with a purchase a few weeks ago.  Finally I just sat down and came up with this card. I love any stamps with the sea, beaches, sea shells, lighthouses, etc.  So, getting this set was at the top of my list. I really just started coloring with Stampin’ Blends and the color scheme for the card came from the Cajun Craze I used on the roof and the Mint Macaron on the dune grass.  I think it made for a lovely but moody seaside theme.

Products Used For This Card