Two Simple Stamp Techniques for Cards

 I am so happy to be guest designing with The Greeting Shop today. They're releasing really adorable new stamps, with a whole new look that come with matching dies! The Greeting Shop took it's time testing these dies, until they found the perfect fit. The dies will work in any standard die cutting machine, and they retail for $10.50. What a value!

Along with five very talented designers, I was asked to help showcase their new sets. Today, I'm sharing with you two pretty cards featuring Mini Cupcakes! This set is so sweet and precious. I especially loved the fact that you can mix and match your own custom cupcakes.

This first card was super fun to make. I have just discovered this fun technique of glitter stamping where I literally mix glitter and clear embossing powder together and heat set it. Right now it's sitting in a ramekin on my craft table, I gotta use it all up, but y'all know that embossing powder and glitter last forever, so I don't know when I am going to be able to use this ramekin again. But anyways, my husband saw the glitter in the ramekin and let out the exasperated husband of a crafter sigh that says, "oh my crafting wife and her supplies!" I think he was trying to get the ramekin back into the kitchen, but no way! It's doing a fabulous job of holding this home made glitter embossing powder concoction! And, I don't cook, so at least it's being used!

I wanted to show off the cupcake, so I decided that glitter embossing the top of the cupcake would show it off fantabulously, and then I placed it on the wrapper, put it on a stand and added a little candle! Of course I couldn't resist playing it up a little bit, in my shabby fresh style. I am obsessed with these adorable little paper doilies that I bought at the annual dollhouse miniature show my mom and I attend every year! I gotta get more, they complement the cute cupcakes perfectly. Wanna try the glitter embossing technique yourself? 

materials: Mini Cupcake w/die set | Watermark Ink | Dye Ink | Clear Embossing Powder | Heat gun | Cotton swab

|1| Combine equal parts of glitter and clear embossing powder into a bowl.

|2| Mix the glitter and embossing powder thoroughly.

|3| Stamp cake stand and cupcake wrapper with die ink.

|4| Stamp cupcake with Watermark Ink.

|5| Apply glitter and embossing powder mix. Lightly use your finger to pat the powder onto the image, and let it sit for about 15 seconds (after much trial and error, waiting 15 seconds really helped the powder stick).

|6| Remove excess glitter and wipe away with remaining with a cotton swab. Heat set.

Now, for another fun way to use this stamp. I am always trying to find new ways to get more use out of my stamps! Try looking at yours to see what else you can do with them.

 I am sucker for scallops and the cupcakes got them! So, I figured-why not exploit that adorable little scallop trim?

 This card utilizes the scalloped edge of the cupcake and creates a border, simply by masking part of the  cupcake image.

materials: Mini Cupcake w/die set | Die Ink | washi tape

|1| Affix washi tape to card to create mask. I prefer washi tape when masking because it's flush with the card when I stamp, making sure the image transfers perfectly. Plus, you can pull it off the cardstock  without ripping it.

|2| Stamp the cupcake upside down, slightly over the tape in a row. Remove tape when done.

Make sure to stop by The Greeting Farm's blog once you take a look at all the beautiful projects, and enter for your chance to win all four new stamp/die sets. The giveaway is open until noon CST February 16th, so grab your coffee, cuddle up under a blanket and be inspired by the lovely projects on today's hop.

Kimberly Crawford

AJ Otto

Kristina Werner

Vera Yates

Latisha Yoast

Jessica Diedrich

Suzanne Bier

Rosemary Bridges

Anita Madden

Rachel Parys

Andrea Rosenstiel

Jodi Stanisch

Jo Thompson

Peggy Toole

Joni Wilson

The Greeting Farm

I hope you try out these simple techniques for your cards using the  Mini Cupcake set. Don't forget to stop by on Monday for my second Top Ten list! You'll love this installment, the top ten things I learned from being on a design team. See ya then.