With a new project on my blog every day I have a lot of finished items to hand. I do sell them in local craft stores and events but that takes time. So if I need a card or other item I can quickly grab one from my stash. However, every now and then I need to create something in a hurry but I have a shortcut. I keep a selection of sentiments stamped, cut and ready to add to a project. The Many Happenings Stamps Set makes this easy.
SYMBOLS OF FORTUNE
This project actually started as an experiment with the new Symbols of Fortune 12″ x 12″ Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP) pack. This pack coordinates with the Crane of Fortune Stamp Set and Good Fortune Dies but I’m still undecided about those. However I couldn’t resist the pretty paper with its gold accents. Looking through the pack I was struck by the use of Calypso Coral in the designs and it made me wonder how the pack would work with blue. So I selected a grey, white and gold design from the pack and set to work.
I began by using my Paper Trimmer to cut and core some Basic Gray Card. Then I folded it along the scored line and sharpened the crease with a Bone Folder to create a card base.
Next I cut a 5″ x 6″ piece from my chosen DSP. From that piece I then cut a 2-1/2″ x 6″ strip. Then using Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow) I attached the DSP to the flap of a Basic White Medium Envelope. Finally I used Paper Snips to trim off the excess paper, using the edge of the flap as a guide.
Going back to what was left of my 6″ x 6″ DSP I cut a 3/4″ x 5-1/4″ strip. Using liquid glue I attached this along the edge of a 4″ x 5-1/4″ layer of Basic White Card. Then I added the assembled layer to the inside of the card base.
Finally I glued the remaining 2″ x 5-1/2″ strip onto a 2-1/8″ x 5-1/2″ piece of Balmy Blue Card. I then mounted that onto a 2-3/8″ x 5-1/2″ piece of Smoky Slate Card. With that done I used Stampin’ Dimensionals to attach the layers to the front of the card base.
MANY HAPPENINGS
It was at this point that I went looking for a sentiment among my many stamp sets. Sitting side-by-side were two sentiment only stamp sets, Many Messages and Many Happenings. Like Many Messages, Many Happenings is actually one very large stamp with 19 different sentiments. There’s also four small shapes on the stamp. These line up with the four shapes on the coordinating Messages Die. This means I can stamp once and cut once and have 19 sentiments ready for when I need them.
So today when I opened up the Many Happenings stamp case, there in a couple of small bags were a selection of sentiments. I’d previously used Tuxedo Black ink to stamp Many Happenings onto Thick Basic White and Thick Very Vanilla Card. So now all I had to do was select the sentiment I wanted from the Basic White set. In the end I settled on “you’re awesome”.
Using Stampin’ Dimensionals I attached the sentiment to the front of the card. Then I added three Gilded Gems embellishments in a line above the layers and my card was done.
I’m really happy with how this masculine / gender-neutral card turned out. It’s simple but stylish, and having the Many Happenings sentiments stamped and cut really speeded up the process. Do you keep a stack of sentiments ready to go?
For another card using the Many Happenings Stamp Set see my earlier blog post California poppy for a brighter Monday.
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