Hallelujah! for Hallelujah!

 I say Hallelujah for Hallelujah one of the super fun January new release stamp sets from Kindred Stamps.  The ideas were easy:  cards for a sister, a friend who is as close as a sister, an actual "nun" sister, or a sister (as described above) to a sister who is a singing sister in a choir possibly.  Oh, the sister fun, one can think of when they ink up and design with this set!  

 

I'm fairly new to shaker cards... but I immediately wanted to make mini shaker windows with a stained glass background like you might see in church

 

 

I'm sure there must be a more efficient way for me to make the shake...but this is what I did...  Awhile ago, I purchased Transparent Acetate Sheets (like 2 years ago)...and I still have a bunch.... to generously use for shaker cards...  (Instead, I find I'm using them more for a backing for storing stamps that may not have this with their original packaging, or perhaps I've "lost" it from the original... but the idea was to make more shakers with the use of these sheets.)  I since then, found a really quick way to make a shaker with a different film... a CLEAR CELO BAG...(which as a specialty food manufacturers, our inventory of clear celo bags is MASSIVE...in ALL SIZES)...

 

 

The first card, I didn't want all the "shakes" to fall to the bottom...I had to make separate windows on the transparency to hold the confetti pieces limited to that window...  I first out lined, with a sharpie pen, the shape of the die cut for a transparent piece to place directly on the backside of the die cut.  I also needed an additional one with the patterned paper.  I glued the transparent piece to the die cut (back of), then carefully applied the 3D tape along the outline (piece face down) of each window.  (Careful to not let any tape show, I used Skinny 3D Foam Strips to do so.

While the die cut with transparency was still flipped face down, I sprinkled my confetti shapes into each window.... Lastly, carefully pulling the last of the double side film of the tape off, I (face down) I lined up the stain glassed designer paper (also face down) and gently applied it to the tape.  I say gently, because IF I had put it on crooked...I wanted a clean chance to try again.  It was a nice solid piece of patterned paper, not flimsy, so application went like a breeze.  After playing with it and shaking it for a few...I felt it was time to adhere that alter piece to my card...  I used Stardream Cardstock for my card and my giant window, I even made my own cross using the Antique Gold, same color as my card, the giant window is with Bronze Metallic, both colors are constants in my designs, if you zoom around my blog, you will see...

The second card....for my transparency to hold the confetti pieces in...  I simply used a crisp, clear celo bag, slid my finished work inside, and dropped the little pieces in.  I then snugly taped the open end of the bag over the backside of the card, and adhered firmly.  My bag was a little too big for my background, so...I slid a slightly larger piece of the Stardream card stock behind it...it made a perfect mat.  I wasn't about to start over, the empty margin was bugging me, and this was late a night in my craft studio...I didn't want to get in my car to the factory to rummage through other celo bag options!  That being said...the mat turned out perfect...there is ALWAYS a solution to a mishap...well, most always...

Sticking with the stain glassed theme... my next card, would be a great option to give to a close friend, one, who you may have considered a sister forever and always.  I suspect many of us have a friend like that!  I liked the idea of the gold bead type dots, sticky dots, they reminded me of the beads the nuns have on their gowns.  

Continuing with the stain glassed look....  I made a "quickie" card ... using a stencil.  I'm still learning stencils, when to hold back, how to blend my inks, how to not make a big mess...lol... I wanted this card to be quick, so, I didn't want to overthink.  That's what the charm of quick cards is all about.  I want to be able to make something fast when I need to, and it sure feels good not having to clean up much too.  That being said...I won't elaborate...it's supposed to be QUICK!  lol  I did use holographic film to get those twinkly stars...I love this stuff... I learned about it from a random post on a craft page ... I wish I knew who originally posted...I'd love to thank them for the tip.  So fun and adds so much interest to cards!

 

 My last card ...  I really have to laugh about this one... I was up very late one night, working on either one of these cards, or something else.  I had my designs all mapped out ahead of time...  I usually color my images,  and cut them out first before anything.  I always color and cut extra, because inevitably, some ink mistake happens, and I like to have that "extra".  I am able to crank out several cards by doing so, and the creative process is becoming easier and easier for me.  After starting this method of designing...some day, I'll post a blog about my process, not today...this post is getting long already.  Anyhow...that night, while cleaning my desk...after already knowing I wanted a black card (Stardream card stock again), and I knew I wanted the crimped white panel (kind of resembling the colors of a habit)... I knew I wanted the 3 nuns... my hand, by accident, swiped the card (nothing adhered)...and the nuns tilted to the side!  That's when it came to me...they were singing and dancing and whooping it up!  And the title... well, IYKYK, lol...  I cannot get that song out of my head now...every.single.time I look at it...I hear my Sister Sledge album playing on my "turn table" stereo, back in 1979...when I was a teenager.  Oh, where did the time go?

 

 I do want to point out a few other Kindred supplies I used in all of these designs:

 

Font used for my singing nuns:   Stitched Alpha Die Set

Shapes/Panels for the stain glassed window cards:  Card Basics Die

Background banner on my shaker card:  Sentiment Strip Dies

 Confetti pieces for shakers:  Shaker Packs (although I drew from my stash, I thought I'd share this link.   The shakers I used are Kindred shaker packs from the past, but I wanted to share this link since there are some fun clay ones to see, (and other)...I can see once on a shaker roll, how it would be easy to want some of each!  :)

 

Well, there you have it!  I thoroughly enjoyed designing with this set.  I have 4 sisters, who each one of them, has a special place in my heart.  I found myself choked up a bit, I won't lie, there were some tears... while reminiscing about each one throughout this creative process.  One sister, in Heaven, I'd love to reach and talk to, I've really needed my sisters this past year, and I am truly blessed to have them in my life.  So, you know where my cards may be going, I truly hope everyone has a "sister" like I do.

 

This set, along with 4 additional "must have" sets, will become available on Friday, January 30th, 8:00 am, Pacific Time.  This new release is going to be hard to resist them all, so you will definitely want to pop on to the Kindred Stamps website early on Friday, or through my links here, I know I see a couple more that will end up in my craft room too!