My blog is called "Creative Smiles" because my designs are the result of incorporating mistakes. With fumble fingers that drop whatever they are holding - repeatedly, it takes a lot of giggles, smiles and creative patience during my crafting process. xx

Thursday, August 22, 2024

Dimensional Inchies on an Easel Card - and freebies


Hello, my friends! Hoping you are not uncomfortably dripping wet from the sweltering heat (here in the northern hemisphere) - I also hope that our friends Down Under are escaping the wrath of the current explosion of influenza cases. May you be well soon if the flu has come to your home.

Do you know what "inchies" are?

Before I became "house-bound", 20+ years ago, I had the pleasure of working in a brick and mortar store called THE PAPER PLAYHOUSE. There I taught classes and designed the free, weekly Make N Take, instructing about new products and how to use them. It was a great opportunity to meet people and enjoy our hobby!

Do you remember when...

In those days, designer paper was scarcely a "thing". So we stamped our own background papers, embellishing them with inks, glitters, embossing powders, etc. It was great fun cutting them for One Sheet Wonders or Inchies-Twinchies creations. 

 My card shares today involve some of the oldest designer papers of day - lovely K&Company designer paper, which was also VersaMark stamped with an Impression Obsession image and heat embossed with clear EP containing glitter, to give the paper some extra pizzazz. 



First up are some "Just A Note" cards - with die from Sue Wilson Script collection. Cut once on white cardstock, a lavender glitter layer was attached - it has been adhered to vellum for a bit of texture and mystique.


I was inspired by a friend recently who took an "Inchies Class" involving 3-D appearing shadows without actual dimensional adhesives:


The ribbon, also 25 years old, was fed through a slit in the vellum:


Has this ever happened to you? 

The "colored powder" of a die flaked off, onto the paper. It is deeply embedded in the white and is quite noticeable. It worsened with each pass through my Gemini Junior machine. If it happened to you, how did you remedy it? The folks at Creative Expressions told me to use wax paper, which Spellbinders always said not to do (at least when they were a new company) (you may have to click on the photo to enlarge it).


Two very special birthdays in blog land are soon coming! 

I'm all set for them:

flat for mailing:


Also a little sentiment on the card backs, which I've included as a gift to you below:


This project, while challenging for not-so-nimble fingers, was SO FUN, and brought back happy memories of laughter, fun and dear people in the classes!

Products: Die Sets: Sue Wilson Scripted Just a Note, Double Pierced Circles and Scripted Happy Birthday, Spellbinders Grand Nestabilities Scalloped Squares, SB Classic large scallop rectangles, Sizzis TH Garden Greens, Cottage Cutz Greenery 4x4, Papers: Lavender, Pacific Blue, White, Black, Purple, Green Glitter, Vellum, Lavender Glitter, K&C patterned papers, Inks: Pumice Stone DI, Fantasia VersaFine Clair, Versamark, Misc: EK Success 1-1/4" punch, Clear EP containing glitter, stamps: SU Elegant Greetings stamps, IO Alesa Baker Large Flourish Three E2036, my digital sentiment stamps

I'd like to play in the following challenges, please!

(many thanks to challenge owners and design team members who create fun for us!)

  1. The fabulous DOUBLE D CHALLENGES (Aug 21) Use Shapes (I used multiple 1.25" squares from an EK Success Punch, 1/2 circle scallop layers, circle sentiments on the back, and shaped rectangular layers) 9/1
  2. Darling "I Spy With My Little Eye" challenge #18 Something from the garden (flowers, leaves, dragonfly) 9/17
  3. Lovely Creative Inspirations Challenges #17 - Anything Goes 9/1
  4. Love Those Pretty Papers 8/3 Used the option anything goes 9/1
  5. Word Power #8 7-31 Sentiment is Focus of Card (words on front, sentiments on bottoms and backs) 9/1
  6. Paper Minutes #860 Birthday 8/27
  7. Creative Moments #261 Patterned Paper - inchies are punched from patterned paper. 9/5
  8. Creative Creases #89 Anything Goes with a Fun Fold Card 9/1

My gift to you - 


Arrangements of the same sentiment for use on the inside or outside of your projects. Please do not sell these Sentiments. Use on any of your projects, including projects involving any design teams you might be on.

Click on the image to bring it to full size. Because of the changes Google Made with Blogger (June 2020), your image will appear to be solid black. Don’t panic. Right click and do a SAVE AS PNG. Once it is saved on your hard drive, you can open it and it will have a transparent background. I create PNGs instead of JPGs so they can be placed anywhere on a scene or project, and so backgrounds can be made using them. Please let me know if you have any problems. I hope they serve you well!

Enjoy!





   




Sending you Joy,




16 comments:

Chris said...

Lovely to see a post from you Donna, hope you're doing well and enjoying life, I do admire your positive attitude!
These cards are gorgeous, love how you've added you own touch to the beautiful paper with the embossing and sparkle. The inchie easel cards are fabulous.
Never come across the problem with the dies - hope it stays that way :)
Thanks for the lovely freebies.
hugs xxx

KarinsArtScrap said...

very beautiful cards and great designs Donna............gr karin

crafty-stamper said...

Gorgeous cards and beautiful paper, love the added sparkle and yes I do remember inchies. Sorry can't help with the die problem, hope you get it sorted.
Carol x

Chrissy said...

Gorgeous cards Donna, the papers and colours and added embossing is just beautiful..and the excitement to see a stamp that I have in my possession, well, what can I say, my son did not share my in my enthusiasm but never mind...I love the sparkle on the leaves and the vellum for softness and gorgeous sentiment dies..

luv CHRISSYxx

Pauline C said...

Gorgeous cards Donna, I live the vibrant colours, and there is so much interesting detail on each one, and the sentiments are just lovely! Thanks so much for sharing with this month’s I Spy challenge.
Pauline xx

Barbara said...

I so enjoyed your post and all of the information in it. I am inspired to try some of these ideas. Also, thanks for the wonderful sentiments that I can also use for my cards. Your entry to Double D Challenge was wonderful and inspiring. Thanks for sharing with us at Double D. We appreciate you!

Verna Angerhofer said...

Your inchies easel cards are so beautiful! I remember well making my own designer papers and using lots of embossing powders. You haven’t lost the touch. These cards are gorgeous!

Donna said...

I am sure that you were a fabulous teacher! Gorgeous card with all the sparkle and the fabulous inchies! Thank you for the sentiments!!! Take care dear friend.

Donna Phelan said...

What a dream job, that must have been so rewarding and FUN! Love these 2 cards! Yes, every once in awhile I will also cut some inchies lol I also have been known to save/keep/hoard some of my K & Company papers--they are delicious! Love your colors and the large cards topped with the pretty sentiments! Love to see you in the Blog-O-Sphere! (((hugs)))

Christina said...

Was für eine schöne Karte, sie gefällt mir sehr gut. Danke, dass du sie bei Paperminutes zeigst.
LG Christina

coldwaters2 said...

WOW Donna these are totally breathtakingly beautiful, the colours and images those scrolls and sentiments this has been one very enjoyable post to see and to read you have done an excellent job
hugs
lolo x

Margarets designer cards said...

Two very beautiful cards, and the sparkle makes them extra special

Conniecrafter said...

Oh yes I use inchies every now and then I have some stamps from Inkadinkado that are inches and work perfectly, I love how you dressed up your older papers to play with this and I ove them vellum touch behind you sentiment. Pretty glittered leaves inside, sweet sentiments too :)
I did not know you are not to use wax paper with your Spellbinders dies so I have done that in the past, don't know if it messed things up or not, they still seem to be working, there are only a couple I have problems with and need the wax paper.
So glad that making these lovelies brought back some great memories!

Ellibelle said...

Absolutely beautiful with these pretty colors and such great designs!
Thanks so much for playing along at "I spy with my little eye" challenge!
Ellie
Ellibelle's Corner

Debbie Mageed said...

Oh, Donna, you made my week finding you in the gallery! I do remember inchies and have made a couple in my day! Your easel cards are so pretty! Love the pretty stamps you used. Thank you for playing with the Creative Creases Challenge, and I hope you can join us again soon. We really appreciate your support!
Debbie, DT
Secrets To Stamping

Leslie Miller said...

Wowie, beautiful cards and a fun read! Inchie backgrounds have been on my to-do list for ages, but so have a bazillion other things. I love the swirly embossing to make the beautiful paper even more so. You bring back fond memories. About the flaking... my older Spellbinders dies leave their mark along the edges of the cut. It's aggravating and tedious, but I use a piece of sandpaper to lightly brush it away. It's not always perfect. I've never had it anywhere other than the edges. Once again you are lovely to share the sentiments. Hugs!