I saw a card using the resist technique and decided to pull out my embossing powder and inks. I’ll just show you what I did- even though I know I have should have chosen a different background paper. You’ll see why – 
To do this you stamp your sentiment first. Then stamp in Versamark and emboss with clear embossing powder. Wipe, rub or sponge ink over the embossed area – wipe off the excess. I’ll just go ahead and say right here – do not use pink tones behind green unless you want a muddy brown look! 
You will do a better job than I – I’m sure! I’ll have to play around with this design after I finish my Going, Going, Gone stamp camp and convention projects.
Wave goodbye to Party Hearty!
Enjoy! Hugs, Fran
Category: Techniques
Simple Hello
Here’s an easy card to do – and it could be done in lots of color combos. While I was making this card I stamped the image on Concord Crush and heat embossed it in white so I could punch out just the little letters. I liked the look so much that I made it the focal image of this card – 
Think of the color combos you could do!
Supplies
Stamp Set – Hello Blossoms
card stock – Concord Crush, Tangerine Tango, Pear Pizzazz
Ink – Versamark
Etc – white embossing powder, Dots embossing folder, Scallop edge punch
Enjoy! Hugs, Fran
Love & Care CAS
It’s May! Can you believe it? And that means the Summer Mini is live! One of the hostess sets from this mini is Love & Care (level II.) I used this set to create a few clean and simple cards. The first one I did in Poppy Parade and Pear Pizzazz.
See the Poppy brad? It’s a 1/4″ circle punch topped with Crystal Effects. You can view the video by Nicole Heady for the line frame here. Then I did the same idea in Melon Mambo and Old Olive – using Upsy Daisy for the sentiment- 
Supplies
Stamp sets – Love & Care, Upsy Daisy
card stock – Poppy Parade or Melon Mambo, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink – Basic Black
Stampin Write Markers – Poppy Parade and Pear Pizzazz or Melon Mambo and Old Olive, Basic Black
Etc – ruler, 1/4″ circle punch and Crystal Effects (Poppy card), Stamp a Ma Jig
This technique is very addicting! It adds such a nice “punch” to a clean and simple card. Enjoy – Hugs, Fran
Kimono Kids
I’m pulling something out of the hat for you today! I made this card for my oldest daughter’s birthday last December and neglected to photograph it before I gave it to her. Yesterday she brought it over and I snapped a quick picture before she took off again. This is her favorite current set – Kimono Kids.
All the images are paper pieced. I stamped it over and over again on Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red and Regal Rose and pieced the images on the card. The flowers in the lanterns and her kimono are colored with my trusty white gel pen. 
Supplies
Stamp Set – Kimono Kids, On Your Birthday
card stock – Rose Red, Regal Rose, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White
Ink – Basic Black
Stampin’ Write Markers – Rose Red, Regal Rose, Pumpkin Pie
Etc – Pumpkin Pie taffeta, pearls, white gel pen
Did you get up early to watch the Royal wedding this morning? I did! It was so beautiful! And it’s Prom weekend here for my youngest – so it was a great way to start the festivities. Have a wonderful weekend! Enjoy – Hugs, Fran
A Father’s Day Idea
I don’t even have a Mother’s idea yet – but here’s one for Father’s Day! My father loves to travel and when I saw this double easel card on The Three Sisters site I pictured a card for him using The Open Sea. (See – I got the name right this time!)
The sentiment (from Best Dad Ever) and the anchor are embossed and the “stops” are staggered to hold the sides at different levels.
I almost printed “You Mean the World to Me” until I remembered that this sentiment is in Word Play! Perfect!
Supplies
Stamp Sets – The Open Sea, Best Dad Ever, Word Play
card stock – Cherry Cobbler, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White, Nautical Expedition DSP
Ink – Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Not Quite Navy (Classic and Craft), Versamark
Etc – Antique brad, Vintage brass brad, Word Window punch, 1 3/8 and 1/4 inch circle punches, Bakers Twine, silver embossing powder, clear embossing powder
Enjoy – Hugs, Fran
Simple Friendship
I tried a technique for making a tapestry card. You can see the video tutorial from Sage Kimble here. I stamped the background piece with Bella Toile in Soft Suede and then pounced some Champagne shimmer ink over it. Once it was dry I brayered over it with Blushing Bride and Crumb Cake and gently wiped it off with a tissue so the shimmer ink would show. Then I heat embossed the butterfly and flourish from Simple Friendship in gold. (The flourish got lost in the Bella Toile.)
While I had my heat gun and embossing powder out I decided to try embossing on the Early Espresso satin ribbon. I taped the ribbon down to another piece chipboard, stamped it in Versamark directly on the ribbon, poured on the powder and heated it up – it worked! I was afraid I’d melt the ribbon so I worked slowly.
Supplies
Stamp Sets – Simple Friendship, Bella Toile, French Script
card stock – Bravo Burgundy, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso
Ink – Early Espresso, Blushing Bride, Crumb Cake, Versamark, Champagne Shimmer ink
Etc – Rosette, gold embossing powder, Early Espresso satin ribbon, brayer, sponge
Give it a try and share what your results! Enjoy – Hugs, Fran
Proud Peacock
When I was growing up, my grandparents had peacocks on our family farm. They are beautiful but very noisy birds! I can remember waking up to the sound of the peacocks screaming “help! help!” (That’s really what it sounds like!) And they start with the sun coming up! But when I saw this set – I just had to have it for the memories of my grandparents (not the peacocks!)
I paired this set up with a technique on Splitcoast – Ruffled Ribbon Border.
Look closely and you will see that I stamped the peacock twice and popped up his body (similar to the sail on my Sail Away post.) His beautiful tail is colored with Stampin’ Write Markers. 
Supplies
Stamp Sets – Proud Peacock, Fabulous Phrases
card stock – Not Quite Navy, Daffodil Delight, Greenhouse Gala DSP, Whisper White
Ink – Basic Black, Not Quite Navy
Stampin Write Markers- Bashful Blue, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight
Etc – Daffodil Delight ribbon, Scallop Trim punch, Word WIndow punch, 2 /2 circle punch, rhinestone brad, Elegant Lines embossing folder
“Fabulous” seemed like the best phrase for this peacock! Enjoy. Hugs, Fran
On the Sea
Here’s another Summer Mini sneak peek – On the Sea. I had a piece of faux barn board from some previous cards and thought this technique would go great with this set. 
The ship is stamped with Stazon on watercolor paper and colored with reinkers and an aquapainter. 
Note – my barn board was too light so I took some Early Espresso and gently wiped it over the paper to darken it up a bit. On a “do over” I would use a darker color reinker.
Supplies
Stamp sets – On the Sea, Thank You Kindly
card stock – Cherry Cobbler,Not Quite Navy, watercolor paper,Nautical Expedition DSP
Ink – Jet Black Stazon, Not Quite Navy, Early Espresso,Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler
Etc – brass brads, 2 1/2 circle punch, Word Window punch, ticket corner punch, faux barn board
Enjoy! Hugs, Fran
Mother of Pearl Technique
In the demonstrator magazine this month they featured an updated take on the Mother of Pearl technique. Here’s a case of the card they did – 
Pour a very small amount of Frost White shimmer ink onto a paper plate. Wad up a piece of plastic wrap into a ball and pick up some of the ink. Pounce it onto a piece of glossy white paper – leaving some white showing. Let dry. Now you can either sponge color over it or brayer color. In the sample above I used a sponge. Here’s a comparison with a brayer – 
The brayered piece has a much deeper color.
Supplies
Stamp set – Easter Blossoms
Card stock – Baja Breeze, Rose Red, Basic Black, glossy white
Ink – Jet Black Stazon, Rose Red, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Baja Breeze, Frost White shimmer
Ect – Tulip embossing folder, Rose Red seam binding, linen thread, pearl, itty bitty flower, plastic wrap, spritzer tool, 1 1/4 and 1 3/8 circle punches.
Have fun with this and don’t forget to share your cards! Enjoy! Hugs, Fran
Inlaid Embossing
Here’s a technique that gives a big bang for your buck – Inlaid Embossing. All you need is your Big Shot and an embossing folder that has a tighter design. (Vintage Wallpaper, Square Lattice, Petals a Plenty – for example) Mine is a 4.25 x 4.25 card. 
To make this card I layered a 4 x 4 piece of Wild Wasabi, a 3.75 x 3.75 piece of Whisper White and a 3.25 x 3.25 piece of Pink Pirouette using Snail to hold them together.
Then I stamped the sentiment on a Whisper White with Jet Black Stazon and punched it out with my 2 1/2 circle punch. Punch 5 stems from the 2 step Bird punch and use a glue stick to adhere them around the circle (you will need to trim off part of the stems so they don’t stick out.) and adhere it to the center.
Run it through your Big Shot using the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. Note – You may need to drop down to no tabs to get it through.
Mat it to the Pink Pirouette card base (4.25 x 4.25) and add some flowers punched with the Itty Bitty flower punch. Add Pink Pirouette centers (Crop a dile or double circle punch, which is retired) and add pearls. Tie a bow and adhere with a glue dot.
Supplies
Stamp set – Something to Celebrate (hostess Occasions Mini)
card stock – Pink Pirouette, WIld Wasabi, Whisper White
Ink – Jet Black Stazon
Punches – 2 1/2 Circle, Itty Bitty Flower punch, Crop a dile or double circle punch, 2 step Bird Punch
Ect – White taffeta ribbon, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, pearls
You could go through the entire Something to Celebrate set and make one of these cards for each greeting! Have a great weekend – I’m scrapping tonight 
Hugs, Fran