Valentine/LOVE card with HLO peeking through window + decorative inside!

Hello friends,
Today I have a card that I had a lot of fun making!  I used a window die cut from Spellbinders that was a lot of fun to sit His Little Ones: Heart-Holding Girl into!  I also decorated the inside of the card, as I love to have Scripture somewhere in my card in some fashion.  Here's the card from top to bottom:

 Inspired Stamps: His Little Ones: Heart-Holding Girl, Labelmaker Alphabet, and the 'LOVE YOU comes from our 1 inch Circle Sentiments which has over 40 little stamps on it like that!
Paper: Bazzill Basics Cardstock
Inks: Ranger Distress Ink Tea Dye, Momento black
other:  Spellbinders die cuts, MS flowers, Copic Markers, CTMH ribbon, Cuttlebug Embossing folders

Here is what the card looks like when you open it up.

Inspired Stamps:  1Corinthings 13:4-8 ($3.99 Single Scripture Stamp)
Other is same as the front of the card with the addition of CTMH opaque stickers in pink

Inspired Stamps:  Friendship's Flowers (for the sentiment)
Other is same as front of card along with buttons from my button jar :o), and a tag punch

I also stamp a piece for the back of the card with the $3.99 MADE BY...Single Stamp which has several stamps on it.  For this card I chose the sentiment "Hand-made with stamps, ink, love, and prayers just for you by" and then signed my name and added the year I made it.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Are you making Valentine's or Love cards this year?  Leave us a comment and let us know!

Only a couple of days left to save big on our biggest stamps, sentiments, and alphabets!  We are shipping most orders the SAME DAY you place it: 

You can reach the online store by clicking on the link here:

www.inspiredstamps.com

Thanks so much for your support of Inspired Stamps!  We will be back tomorrow with LOTS of artwork from our very talented Design Team!

Blessings,

Antoinette

How to make your own Christmas Cards in sets

Hello Friends!
Today I want to show you the Christmas Card Sets I am making this year for my friends and family (well over 100, and that's all I'm gonna say LOL).  I need SIMPLE, but ELEGANT designs and I don't want them all exactly alike, since we all know we look at everyone's cards when we go to family's and friend's houses and want to feel our card was hand made just for us!  SO here is how I made mine.  FEEL FREE TO COPY THESE TO MAKE YOUR OWN or something similar, just dont' submit them to contests or for publication please.  As always you are free to make and sell sets with our stamps, and I am honored when you use my designs to do that (although this is so simple, I would be surprised if someone else hadn't thought this design up in some form LOL).

Here is what you need:
*4x5.5 card bases
*I used GLITTER TAPE in 3 different colors, but you could just use pretty ribbon or even make paper strips to look like the ribbon behind the verses.
*I used colored card stock that came close to matching my glitter tape riboons to mat my embossed white pieces with Cuttlebug Snowflake design.
     *colored cardstock mats are 5.25x 3.75
     *embossed white snowflake paper is 5.5x3.5
*I used the Spellbinder die cut for the lacy pattern I stamped the verses on and the insert ornament inside:      2012 Heirloom ornaments and  Floral ovals

 I also used the following Inspired Stamps:

   this $13.99 stamp set that you can find  HERE

   this $3.99 single Scripture stamp you can find HERE

this $3.99 single Scripture stamp you can find HERE

this $3.99 stamp you can find HERE

WHAT THE CARDS LOOK LIKE:

I leave that white side on the left blank, but for family cards I attach a photo of our family by the tree there!

Here's how to make them:
I STRONGLY encourage the assembly line method when making a LOT of cards.  I cut all my papers out and stack them.  So I have a stack of the colored mats, in each of their colors, I have a stack of all the papers I've cut with the Spellbinders, all the papers I have cut and embossed,  I cut all of the GLITTER TAPE in their strips and put them in a basket, by color, I tie all the ribbons ahead of time and put them in a basket.  THEN I go through and STAMP everything that needs to be stamped (inside and out).

Once you've got all your materials ready, you can go and do each card one at a time OR assemble them in sets:  so you may put all the embossed pieces on their mats first.  Then adhere all those to the white card bases.  Then do all the glitter tape ribbons onto the embossed.  Then put all the stamped verses.  Then adhere all the bows (with pop dots).  Then add all the jeweled embellishments (optional).

I hope you will make your own cards this year using Inspired Stamps and send us a photo at inspiredstamps@gmail.com.  We'd love to showcase what you are making using Inspired Stamps one day in December!  Be sure to include your name and your blog address where we can find your photo of your cards (Thank you Sherry H. for this great idea!)

THIS COUPON to use the 25% off your TOTAL PURCHASE  EXPIRES THURSDAY MIDNIGHT!:

 Have a blessed day!

Antoinette

www.inspiredstamps.com

2 Weeks of Christmas In July with Inspired Stamps starts TODAY!!

                                                             

Hello friends!

Today I want to share the first post of our 2 weeks of celebrating Christmas In July here at Inspired Stamps!  This THURSDAY we will be having a TAG BLOGHOP with our talented Design Team who are creating some WOWZIE Christmas Tags to inspire you and help you start the creating season strong this year!!  There will be a giveaway too, that you won't want to miss!!

Here is a 6x6 card I made to start us off using one of our most popular sets:  NATIVITY

   which can be found in our online store by clicking HERE
The other Inspired Stamp is a circle stamp from our 1.5 inch Circle: Christmas sets.
I used Spellbinders die cuts and Bo Bunny papers along with some miscellaneous flowers and lace I had. Distress Inks and CTMH mocha dots finish it up with a Cuttlebug embossing folder for the tag.:

I like to decorate the inside of my cards and plan to put a photo of my family in the top part of the card and write a message below the sentiment.  I don't know if you've seen this stamp lately, but the Made by... stamp we sell is super important when you put a lot of time in your cards to make sure they know not to throw this card out!  It's only $3.99 and I use mine all the time:

All of the stamps you've seen can be ordered online at: www.inspiredstamps.com 
We get orders out the SAME DAY they are ordered, whenever possible (obviously if you order at midnight, we have to wait until our post office opens LOL)

And here are the Copic markers I used to color the images in this card:

Thanks so much to all who applied for our Design Team.  We've had a much greater amount than we had even hoped for, and will be going over them through the day.  Everyone should hear from us by Monday night.  We are so blessed that so many want to be a part of our Inspired Stamps family in this way, and we thank you all for your support!!

Have a blessed day and be sure to come back by tomorrow for more in our 2 weeks of Christmas in July Showcase!!
Blessings,
~Antoinette
www.inspiredstamps.com

WEEK #7 of our Inspired Christmas Creations: Coaster Calendar Tutorial (Birthday SATURDAY GIVEAWAYS ANNOUNCED!)

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Hello friends!  It's our 1st Birthday and Here's the FREE SHIPPING SPECIAL only good this weekend:

Also, since it's our Birthday Weekend, we are drawing 6 winners to receive a FREE stamp set of their choice from the Inspired Stamps Online Store. HOW TO ENTER:  Just leave a comment to this post AND/OR our Facebook Birthday post between now and 11:59pm Sunday!  Let your friends know about our Birthday Giveaways and tell them to mention you when they come here to comment.  If they are drawn as a winner...you win too as our THANK YOU for sharing us with them!!
            Here's a badge you can put on your blog if you like:

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Tonight I am sharing one of the most inexpensive and beloved gifts I give each year:  The Coaster Calendar.   I made this one for myself, as I make the same New Year's Resolution each year 1. To love the LORD my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength 2) To love others more fully.   So I make one of these for myself to keep on my desk to remind me of this dedication I have to those two pursuits! I also put the His Little Ones: Boy Praying on the front to remind me to pray without ceasing throughout the day.  Winter is my favorite season so mine is decked out with a winter theme, but you can make these to suit any person you like.   These make great gifts for men, too, and a photo can replace or be added to the inside spot across from the calendar.

Here are the supplies I started with:

There are 4 solid blue card stock pieces at 4" each, 4 3.75" pieces of the BoBunny paper with their corners rounded, I used different ribbon and that hole punch wasn't strong enough so I got out my crop-o-dile to punch the holes.  So lets get you started so you can make one!

First, You need coasters.  Mine are 4" blank coasters I got from a friend about 4 years ago and I believe she googled where to purchase them.  I love the restaurant coasters, because they work the same and your waitress may give you a stack free if you ask (Chilis in the US is great for this).  I glued the blue card stock to the coasters with gel medium, but your tape runner or plain old glue would work too:

Next I file the edges with a CTMH file (sandpaper will work too, but these are easier).  This makes it look like the paper just blends into the edges.  Now add your 3.75" patterned paper to the center (I use a tape runner for adhesive from now on):

Ok, now you'll want to print off a calendar for 2012.  Here's the link I used for the one I printed off: HERE
I trimmed it and using my Tim Holz mini stapler I stapled them together:

I then used red line tape which is the strongest tape I know to attach this to the burgendy paper, then my adhesive tape runner to attach that to the blue mat you'll see in the photo below this one:

I stamped the bear head from the Inspired Stamps called BEARS ALL THINGS and left a piece of paper underneath his chin that I marked and colored yellow so you'd notice it here in the photo.  Those adorable mitten buttons are from Christmas Button Bags at Hobby Lobby.

I used the Inspired Stamp set LABELMAKER ALPHABET to stamp the word love, then I flip over the carrier sheet like above to see which double lined box stamp will work best with the size of that word.  Then I stamp it and cut it out:

I centered it between the bear's mittens so it looks like he is holding it and added the other elements:

Here they are from front to back and how I assembled them:

 Above is the outside front cover, below is the back side of the top coaster:

 This is the inside right side and below is the back of the coaster you see above:

I heat embossed the Inspired Stamps stamp set MADE BY...on the back.  To head emboss you just stamp with a pigment based ink, put embossing powder on it, and heat it until it's shiny.

Here's how I put these 2 coasters together to make the Coaster Calendar:

 I punched two holes with the crop-o-dile.  Then I put the coasters together and marked onto the coaster I wanted to punch holes in so the holes would be the same spot in both coasters:

Choose your ribbon and thread it through the closed coaster calendar:

Tie the ribbons to secure your coaster calendar: 

outside (above)

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 inside of coaster calendar above and closeups below:

Don't forget!  Leave a Comment to this post and/or our Facebook page... you have 6 chances to win!!
I'll be back to announce the winners on Monday.  Our Guest Designer week starts Sunday with one of our very talented followers, Patti!!  Be sure to tune in each day to see what these ladies have to inspired you with!
Until then,
Be the Blessing!
~Antoinette
www.inspiredstamps.com   We ship most orders the same day they are placed! Click on the link to see all our stamps and the specials!!