Quick Sketched Butterflies Cards

Hello friends!  The sun is shining today, and life is plenty good.  I have to get out and enjoy these lovely days.  Do a little walking maybe.  I'd say walking to stay in shape, but that shape part has turned into a lost cause, I think.  But it is nice being out in the sunshine.  That leads me to the cards I'm sharing today.  They look like spring with the color choices and butterflies.  Let's just hurry spring along a bit by stamping it!

I made two of these cards because I needed them.  I had all the components cut and ready to assemble.  Only when I was putting them together, I couldn't decide where to attach the sentiment, so I did one each way.  Maybe you can tell me which way you like better.

I started with a Basic White card base that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is folded in half.  

I had a long 12" x 2" strip of the green-ish printed DSP from the Bloom Impressions DSP that was one of the Sale-a-bration items.  Yes, I know Sale-a-bration is over and done, but I'll bet most of you have some of this still in your stash.  Why not use and enjoy it?  

The strip was cut to 5 1/4" x 1 3/4" for each card.  I used a 5 1/2" x 2" Coastal Cabana cardstock piece to back the DSP and then attached them to the card base with adhesive.  This is about 1/2" from the left edge.

Next, that same piece of DSP was turned over and the multi-color print was used.  Isn't this pretty?  These pieces measure 4" x 2 3/4".  Another piece of the Coastal Cabana cardstock is cut to frame this print.  It measures 4 1/4" x 3".  This is also attached to the card front with adhesive overlapping the first color and lying flat.

The sentiment is from the Sketched Butterflies Bundle.  It's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto a Basic White cardstock piece.  For added interest, it was die-cut with the Perennial Postage Dies.  Then a Coastal Cabana piece was cut with the next size larger die to frame it.  These are attached together with adhesive.  Set aside until you have the butterflies for the design ready to go.

Melon Mambo cardstock was used for the butterflies on these cards.  There are several butterfly die cutting choices in the Sketched Butterflies Bundle. I used the die with three open-work butterflies attached together.  I thought they looked great on the design.  At this time, the sentiment was placed near the bottom right of the design area and attached with Dimensionals.  For this card, the butterflies are attached with Mini Dimensionals under the two larger bodies.  They look like they are floating over the design.

A group of three Adhesive-backed Sequins Trio in the blue/green tone are added to the design.  I'd planned on using the pink-ish toned sequins, but they just got lost in the print.  It needed something a little bolder to stand out.  Just enough bling.

As you can see, this card is almost identical.  The sentiment layers are attached close to the middle of the multi-colored print layer.  It is attached with Dimensionals also.

The Melon Mambo butterflies are attached slightly differently.  The two outer ones are still attached with Mini Dimensionals.  But the middle butterfly has a Mini Glue Dot holding it down to the sentiment layers.

What do you think?  Do you prefer the sentiment and butterflies to exist on their own?  Or do you prefer them attached?

Be sure to let me know if you think it makes a difference or not.

This card also uses the same sequins.  I think they really make a great accent for the colors on this design.  Love them here!

Thanks for visiting today.  This is one of my favorite templates for making quick cards.  If you've got two prints that coordinate, you're all set to make this.  Hope this bright and spring-y card gets you in the mood for all the spring flowers that should start popping out soon.

This will be my last Host Code used.  There will be no need for them anymore, and everyone that places an order over $20 will receive their own rewards.  You will not have to use them on your next order but can accumulate them for up to a year.  Yay!  Rewards for everyone!  This is coming in mid- April, so I'm sure there will be more updates while we're waiting.  And while you're waiting, check out the new products shown in the Online Exclusives.  Wow, lots of new winners you'll love.  Happy shopping!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Start on Easter Cards

Hello, stamping friends, today I want to share with you my start on making Easter cards.  We have the new bundle called Faith Collection that I've been focusing on.  This can be found in the Online Exclusives section.  These are two very different styles of cards, but I'm going to lump them in together because of the stamp set.  

The first card shown here is the first one I made.  It's got a lot going on and I'm hoping it's not too busy.  The first component I decided on is the diamond shaped die from the Linked Together Bundle that is in the 2025 January - April Mini Catalog.  It's die-cut from Soft Sea Foam cardstock to get me started.

The palm branch "frame" from the Faith Collection fit inside the diamond perfectly.  It's stamped with Garden Green ink. 

Next is the card base which is Basic White Thick.  On this is an added layer of Soft Sea Foam that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  Before attaching, I used one of the masks from the Linked Together Decorative Masks with Soft Sea Foam ink and a Blending Brush to add this soft background to the light green.  The two pieces are adhered together with adhesive.

The stamped diamond was attached to the center of the card front using a Dimensional in each corner and one in the center.

I thought a gold cross would look good on the design.  There are two cross dies in the Faith Collection set.  One is solid and one die-cuts a wood-grained design into the image.  I actually used both of the dies.  First, I cut the solid cross from Brushed Gold Paper.  Then I just pressed the detail die onto this without running it through the Big Shot.  This gives it wood-grained look without actually cutting it.  Just what I wanted.  

The cross was attached over the "frame" of palm branches with Mini Dimensionals.

The sentiment is from this same set.  It's stamped with Garden Green ink onto a 1/2" strip of Basic White cardstock.  It's trimmed to tuck under the cross and flagged on the other end.  It's attached with adhesive.

I had stamped three individual palm branches on Soft Sea Foam cardstock using Garden Green ink.  They are die-cut, curved a little, then tucked under the diamond shape.  

A small vanilla and gold bow was attached to the side of the diamond using Mini Glue Dots.

The last bit is one of the Adhesive-backed Gold Heart Sequins.  This polished gold heart shows up very nicely on the embossed cross.  What a statement it makes about God's love!

As you can see, the second card is a total change from the first.  I wanted to try one of the small square cards with the focal point added on to make it a full-sized card.

I started with the card base this time.  I used one of the prints from the Floral Delight DSP found in the 2025 January - April Mini Catalog.  This has a soft and spring-like feel to it.  I matched it up with Peach Pie cardstock.  The cardstock measures 8 1/2" x 4 1/4" and is scored at 4 1/4".  The DSP print measures 4" x 4" and is attached to the base with adhesive.

The design element was a die from the Everyday Details Die set.  This is the cute rectangle that cut the Basic White cardstock.  The palm branch "frame" was stamped on this with Old Olive ink this time to match the DSP.  

On a separate piece of Basic White, the cross was stamped using Pecan Pie ink.  After stamping, I used a Blending Pen to soften the lines and even out the color just a little.  This was die-cut using the solid cross die.  It's attached over the palm "frame" with adhesive.

A frame of Peach Pie was cut to back the design images.  It measures 4 1/4" x 2 3/4".  This is attached to the card front making sure the height of the card measures under 5 1/2" so it fits into an envelope.

The white layer is attached to this with Dimensionals.    For the added bling, three of the gold-tone Low-Profile Dots were used.

Lastly, three forsythia blooms were die-cut from the Floral & Gingham Vellum DSP.  They're attached diagonally over the cross with Mini Glue Dots.

The inside of the card is a piece of 4" x 4" Basic White cardstock.  The same cross "frame" was stamped in the center.  I inked the stamp with Old Olive ink then off-stamped before stamping on the white layer.  A very old SU! stamp was used to over-stamp the palms.  It's stamped with Pecan Pie ink.  I know you can't get this particular stamp, but this idea would work with other sentiments as long as they were fairly bold.

That's it.  My first two Easter cards are now done and set aside.  Time to get cracking on a few more.  Hope you enjoyed two different looks at one stamp set.  I'll have to see what else I can create with this faith-based set.

Thanks for sharing a bit of your time with me today.  Be sure to come back for more inspiration soon.  It's always good to hear from you whether it's a comment or a query.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

 

All New Black and White Beauty

Hello friends!  Life has been going along at quite a fast clip, but unfortunately, I've been moving much slower.  Here it is March 6th already and this is only my first post of the month.  So sorry for the tardiness.  I keep trying to post on a regular basis.  Obviously, sometimes I do better than others.  Today's card features black and white in a gorgeous card that I used as a thank you card.  Just changing the sentiments would open the possibilities tremendously.  In case you can't tell once you read the post, I just received an order from Stampin'Up!  All of these new products can be found in the Online Exclusives section of the SU! store.  Seems like I used a bit of each of the new products that arrived.  Let's get to creating this card with all my new toys.

I wish you could hold this card in your hands and see the touches of sparkle that really contrast with the black and white.  Just lovely!

I started with the new Botanical Textures Designer Series Paper.  Choose a print that both sides coordinate well together.  This print piece measures 5 1/2" x 4".  About 1/4" was ripped from the bottom edge to give it a more organic feel.  

The next step uses another new product called Everday Arches dies.  These are so much fun to use.  For this project, I used the 3rd smallest die to cut a piece of Basic White cardstock.  Then I used the 5th smallest die to cut an opening in the piece of DSP we have ready.  This was placed as close to the middle as possible.  The die-cut piece is turned over and this is the darker layer behind the white on the card.  

I was thinking that the card would need some greenery stems of some kind to frame the arched layers.  Since I was already die-cutting, I figured I'd cut the two leafy branches I needed now.  The leafy branch die is from the Mixed Florals Dies.  One branch is cut from Basic Black cardstock.  The other one is cut from Black Glitter Paper that was from last Halloween.  This was a lovely addition for the design as it added another dimension to the blacks already part of the design.

The card base of Basic Black was cut.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" that is scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.  The large piece of DSP was attached to the black card base using adhesive.

The sentiment stamped on the smaller arched piece is another new one called You Are Remarkable.  Love the sentiment and the mixed fonts used here.  It's stamped using Memento Tuxedo Black ink to the center of the arch.

Before layering this onto the darker arch, a piece of Black Glittered Ribbon was wrapped around and tied into a knot on the right side.  Even though you can see only a small bit of the ribbon, it added to the overall look of the card.  

The white layer is attached to the darker layer with Dimensionals.  The Basic Black leafy die-cut is attached to the card base with adhesive.  The bottom part of the stem curves under where the arches will fit.

Next the glitter leafy stem is partially attached to the back of the arches with the upper part curving over the arches.  This is all attached to the card base using Dimensionals.  The arch nicely fits over the opening from where it was cut.  It's attached with multiple Dimensionals to keep it even.

The inside carries on the black and white theme.  The Basic White layer measures 5 1/4" x 4".  The sentiment is from the new Textured Notes stamp set.  I like how this font coordinates with the front.  It's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

The greenery on the bottom corner is also from this same set.  Don't the leaves coordinate nicely with the look of the DSP print?  The stamp was inked then off-stamped before stamping onto the cardstock.  This gives it a softer look.

Last step is figuring out what type of bling to add to the design.  I love the simplicity and sparkle of the Basic Rhinestone Jewels for this design.  It blends in nicely with the Black Glitter Paper and the glittered ribbon.

That's it.  The design is done, and I love the elegant card sitting in front of me.

Thanks so much for joining me today.  Hope you give this idea a try.  I probably went a little overboard with all my new goodies showing up on one card, but they all just blended together so nicely!  I just couldn't help trying them all out as soon as possible!!  Don't forget that you can find them in the Online Exclusives section of the store.

Thank you for all the orders that came through during Sale-a-bration.  I appreciate each and every one of them.  You guys are the very best!

Stay tuned for all the new changes coming to Stampin'Up!  Host orders and using host codes will be totally stopped in mid-April and the new rewards program will be going into effect.  I think you'll love getting a reward every time you place at least a $20 order.  These rewards can be redeemed with your following order, or you can accumulate them to be used on a future order.  Your choice.  I think this will work out well for all of us.  Please remember to choose me as your demonstrator.  😃 Thank You!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Pick A Season Card

Hello stampers!  I've got to get a quick post in today.  I wasn't going to share these, because I'd just quickly made them for my own use.  But since the Pick A Season stamp set is a Sale-a-bration freebie, I wanted to let you see these before the set is no longer available.  Like I said, these cards were for my own consumption for a couple of ladies in Sunday School who have been under the weather. I used several items that are retired, so you get a mix of old and new.  There is nothing out of the ordinary about them.   But I did have a small problem.  It seems I don't have any St. Patrick's Day stamps, so this little tree is stepping up and letting me decorate it for the holiday.  So that's why these little cards are being shared today.

Even though these were super quick to make, I think they turned out cute.  The card base is Shy Shamrock cardstock.  Quite fitting I'd say!  The size is 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half.  

The watercolor wash looking layer is a piece from the Bloom Impressions Designer Series Paper which is another Sale-a-bration item.  Cool, two items on one card.  The DSP piece measures 4" x 2 1/2".  

It's layered onto a piece of Shaded Spruce cardstock for definition between the two colors. The Shaded Spruce cardstock measures 4 1/4" x 3".  They are layered together with "green glue".  Then this is layered onto the fold card base right about across the center.  It's attached with "green glue" here too.

The focal piece is stamped onto a piece of Basic White cardstock.  This measures 3 7/8" x 2 5/8".  You could make the piece a little bigger if you don't like dealing with the odd 1/8" measurements.  This is just a piece I had in my "cut pieces stash".

The first item stamped is the trunk of the tree.  It's stamped with Pecan Pie ink about 3/4" from the bottom.  (The next one I made, I put this a 1/4" higher to not leave quite so much white on top and give you more room for the grass.)

Next, the leaves were stamped above the tree truck.  They're stamped with Shy Shamrock ink.  While I had the Shy Shamrock ink out, the grass was stamped multiple times to give it a base for the tree.

The stamp with 3 clover leaves is part of the set.  These were stamped with Shaded Spruce ink, so they show up nicely among the leaves.  Don't they fit in the open spaces just right?

I didn't have a current sentiment to use on the card, so I dug the Lovely Friends set out of hiding and used it once again.  This little stamp fit so nicely in the open area.  It's stamped with Shaded Spruce ink to match.

At this point I was planning on putting a layer underneath the white layer.  After trying several ideas, I realized I liked it just plain and simple with no more layers.   Sometimes less is the better option.  It's attached to the center of the card using Dimensionals for lift.

I remembered these teeny tiny flower accents from a year or two ago.  I seem to have a bazillion of these little flowers, so why not use them.  I thought they would be a good accent for this all green card.  I love the addition of both the color and interest.  Each of these tiny flowers were attached with a Mini Glue Dot.  What a lovely finish to my St. Paddy's Day card.

After making two of these, I thought they turned out cute enough to send to the shut-ins from church.  So, I've cut enough cardstock and DSP for another 22 cards.  We'll be getting together next week to make these.  Hope all the recipients with enjoy them.

And I hope you liked this card idea.  When I saw this Sale-a-bration item, I knew I had to get it.  I love that it has an assortment of stamps to fit the openings in the leaves.  This means you can do everything from hearts to flowers and shamrocks to eggs.  There are even some extra leaves if you just want a plain tree.  What fun!  Lots of possibilities.  I've always enjoyed these types of stamps that you can change around to cover several seasons.  Very versatile.

Thank you for sharing your time with me today.  If you haven't got this set yet and you really want it, you only have until the 28th.  So, hop to it and don't delay!  (hmmm, maybe I could add a bunny under the tree?)  But I digress.  I do appreciate your time and also your orders.  Thank you so much!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Toadstool Gardens DSP is Leaving

 Hello, my stamping friends.  I don't know about you, but mushrooms are not my favorite food.  In fact, I can't stand them.  Yuck!  But, this Toadstool Gardens DSP that is a Sale-a-bration item is another story.  The colors on the prints are so cute and happy.  They just make me want to smile.  What's not to love about this?  There's only one problem that I can see.  It won't be around for you to get after the end of February.  That's it, folks!  So, before it's time to put away, I wanted to share one of the cards I made using this paper.  The card also showcases the Everyday Arches die set that's available as an Online Exclusive item.  The lovely arched dies are a fun change-of-pace from all the rectangles and circles.  Just something different to use to play and create.

I chose to make an easy fun fold card that showcases two of the prints available in the pack.  Fresh Freesia cardstock was used for the card base.  It measures 7" x 5 1/2".  Then it's scored at 4 1/4" and on the score line.

Next comes the Toadstool Gardens DSP.  The cute little print on the card front measures 5 1/4" x 2 1/2".  After cutting, this was attached to the front flap with "green glue".

There is an inner layer of Basic White cut that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  And an inner piece of DSP that measures 5 1/4" x 1 1/2".  

The striped DSP strip is attached to the Basic White cardstock piece.  It's lined up carefully on the right edge so none of the white shows.

The sentiment is found in my favorite set, Hugs for Love.  This is stamped with Fresh Freesia ink onto the white section of the layer.  Then it's attached inside of the card with "green glue".  Make sure the top and bottom edges match up with the front layer.

As you can see, I fussy cut three different mushrooms from another one of the print pages.  They don't exactly match the front DSP images, but they fit in ok.  They're all attached to the bottom of the white layer using "green glue".

Now, let's go back to finish up the front of the card.  I liked the idea of the front flap being one of the arch die-cuts.  The 5th smallest die was used to cut a Basic White piece for the sentiment layer.

The sentiment used here is from the Softly Said stamp set.  It's stamped with Fresh Freesia ink.  I like how it filled up most of the space on this layer.  

I tried several different ribbons, twines, trims etc. to add to the layer, but most of the ribbons just melted into the background and didn't give the card a striking look.  Then I tried this black & white checked ribbon.  It was thin enough and packed just the pow the card needed.  A length is wrapped around the arch and tied in a small knot in the center.  I don't usually tack down my ribbons.  I like them loose.  But this time, the ribbon really needed to stay exactly where it was.  A Mini Glue Dot was tucked under the knot of the front and another one tucked in the middle of the ribbon in the back.

Carefully place Dimensionals under the layer only on the left side that will attach to the card front flap.  (I marked the backside of the flap lightly with a pencil to give me an idea where I wanted the Dimensionals)  The curved right edge comes to almost the right edge of the card when closed. 

The last step is adding the pretty gems.  These are the 2024-2026 In Color Shimmer Gems.  I thought they were the perfect accent.

There you go.  This is such a quick and cute fun fold.  Any shape would probably work for the label on the front.  Just find one that fits your sentiment or special images you want to add to the front.

So that's it for the Toadstool Gardens DSP.  I'll be using it more myself as I've made it a goal this year to start using my stash of DSP because I keep buying more!  If the prints weren't so doggone cute, I wouldn't be having such a problem of way too much DSP on hand.  Such a problem - having too much of a good thing.

Thank you again for spending time with me.  Hope you enjoyed this idea and will give it a try.  I'd love to hear which DSP you used to make your creation.  The possibilities are pretty much endless once you get started.  That's one of the lovely creative aspects of stamping.  You find an idea you like and start making changes to it to make it your own idea!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon 

Focus on Designer Paper

 Hello and welcome.  I've been spending more time focusing on the beautiful landscape prints to create my cards.  The prints are so gorgeous, I want to walk right into them and stay there!  Silly, I know.  But the prints are so special and really need to be the main theme.  So, I have a series of cards for you today.  Two of them feature the Splendid Autumn DSP and the other three I used the retired Meandering Meadows DSP.  There's no point in hanging on to these papers just so I can look at them and enjoy them.  They need to be used and enjoyed by others too.

The first card is a symphony of daisies contrasted with lavender.  It uses one of the prints from the Splendid Autumm DSP.   I just love this card!  And it's so easy to make with the whole focus on the DSP.  I had a piece of this paper that measured 6" x 3".  The width was trimmed down to 5 1/2" to fit the card base.

Highland Heather was used for the card base.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" when cut, then was scored and folded in half.  I needed a bit of extra color to define the DSP.  Gorgeous Grape worked great for this. The piece measures 5 1/2" x 3 1/2".

The DSP was attached to this with adhesive and then both were attached to the card base.

The sentiment comes from the set called Hugs for Love.  This set has some of the nicest sayings that I've been using quite often.  This time it's stamped with Gorgeous Grape ink onto a 5/8" wide strip of Basic White.  After stamping the edges are trimmed close and attached with Dimensionals.  There are three of the darkest Purple Adhesive-backed Sequins that are a Sale-a-bration item. 

Like I said, easy peasy.

This card is very similar but uses a print from the Meandering Meadow DSP.  The card base is Granny Apple Green the accent color is Daffodil Delight to pick up the colors of the print.  The measurements of the DSP are 5 1/2" x 3 1/2".

I don't remember which stamp set the sentiment comes from - sorry.  Anything like that would do.  It's stamped with Granny Apple Green ink.  A small bow is made from the Daffodil Delight 1/8" ribbon found in the January-April Mini Catalog.  It's attached with a Mini Glue Dot to hold in place.  There are several yellow sequins scattered among the flowers for an accent.

Next up is another print from the Meandering Meadow pack.  Isn't it lovely and tranquil?  The card base for this one is Bubble Bath cardstock.  A quarter sheet of Melon Mambo was used to die-cut the scalloped frame around the print.  For this I used the retired Scalloped Contours Dies set.  I liked the look of the lacy frame behind this scene.  The DSP was trimmed to fit just inside this frame.

The sentiment is from Changing Leaves set and is stamped on Basic White with Melon Mambo ink.  The die for this is also in the Changing Leaves set.  This was attached to the card front with Dimensionals.  Three pink sequins are snuggled in among the flowers to add a little bling.

This design is another from the Meandering Meadow DSP pack.  I have so few pages of these gorgeous prints left over that I'm trying to make the most of each of them.  This one has a card base of Garden Green to match the greens in the print.

The die used on this print is the Celebration Labels Die which is retired.  It's such a pretty shape and has the stitching on the edges that I like, so I bring this one out of retirement every once in a while.  For this card, I backed the DSP with a layer of Basic Beige to give the DSP a little more rigidity.

The sentiment is the same as the 2nd card, and I still don't know which set it came from yet.  I know as soon as this is posted, I'll run across it and be frustrated with myself.  That's what I get for not writing everything down as I'm creating.  BTW, it's stamped with Garden Green ink onto a Lemon Lime Twist cardstock piece.  There is also a Daffodil Delight bow made from ribbon in the current Mini Catalog.  And there are three retired yellow/green sequins scattered in the flowers.

This last card was a little more involved than the others, but I love it!  So worth the few extra steps to make it.  I used Washi Tape across the back of two Countryside Corners dies to hold them together.  Then the DSP print was die-cut.  Keep both the frame and inside piece.  Then with the dies still together, I die-cut Mossy Meadow cardstock twice to make the "frame" thicker.  The inside pieces were put aside for some other project.   Layer the three frames together with "green glue".

The Mossy Meadow cardstock for the card base was cut then scored in half.  Open it up and emboss only the front half.  I used the 3D Basics Embossing Folder with the crosshatch design.

I found that adding the "frame" to the card front first, then tucking in the center flat inside the frame worked best for me.  This way I was able to get the frame pretty well centered on the card front.  

This picture gives you a much better picture of the "frame" being thicker than the center of the design.  This was easier for me to do than adding Dimensionals around the entire "frame" to raise it up.  

After adding the "frame" and center piece, I used the edge of the die to figure the angle to cut the card to match up with the design.  The card was lightly marked with a pencil then cut to match on all four corners.

The butterfly comes from the Beautiful Butterflies Die set.  This was cut from Silver Foil paper.  It's added to the card with a Mini Glue Dot.  

The sentiment and label both come from the Beautiful Butterflies Bundle too.  It's stamped with Gorgeous Grape ink before die-cutting.  The label is attached to the front with Dimensionals.  Two Purple Fine Shimmer Gems in the lightest color were added to the sentiment with another one added to the butterfly for an accent.

The inside of the card has a Basic White layer that's been die-cut with the matching die from the front of the card.  After cutting, a 1/2" strip of the same DSP was attached along one side with the mottled purple side showing.  After attaching, the ends of the DSP were cut to match the white layer.  Then this was attached inside the card with adhesive.

Well friends, I hope there's enough inspiration here to keep you busy for a while.  I hope you try your hand at making any or all of these designs.  And don't stop with the prints I've used, there are so many gorgeous scenic prints to keep you busy for a good long while.

Just a quick reminder that Sale-a-bration ends on February 28th at midnight.  There are so many wonderful items still available to choose from that will get your imagination fired up and humming along.  Feel free to claim me as your demonstrator if you'd like.  Please use the Host Code at the top of the page when you're ordering if your order is less than $150.  Then you want to get Host Rewards for yourself

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  Hope you find time to create something beautiful today.  I've heard that creativity is good for the soul.  I know it makes me happy!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Storybook Moments Trio

Hello my friends.  I've been happily crafting with the designer paper as the focal point of the cards.  It's been fun and very relaxing to take a break from fun folds and themed cards.  I had gotten the new Storybook Moments Designer Series Paper but hadn't found the time to play around with it.  I figured it was time and just played for most of two days (in between organizing my stamp room).  These are simple cards with mostly just cardstock, ink, and paper without a lot of fuss and bother.  Hope you enjoy these simple and quick cards.

First card up is so sweet and reminds me of my storybooks when I was young.  Yup, way back in the dark ages! I kept the colors warm and soft to create the cozy feel of cuddling up and being read a Beatrix Potter book at bedtime.

I started by choosing the DSP print with all the adorable cottages.  It's trimmed to 5" x 4".  About 1/4" is ripped from the right edge.  Then that edge is distressed and curled to look old and well-used.

Next was a layer of Pecan Pie.  This was cut to 5 3/16" x 4 1/4".  This was also ripped about 1/4" from the right edge and distressed to fit nicely under the print.

Basic Beige cardstock was cut to be the card base and measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It seemed like it needed another layer on the design, so a layer of Crumb Cake was added between the Basic Beige and Pecan Pie layers.  This wasn't ripped or distressed.  Using adhesive, each of these layers is attached to the one behind it.

The little mouse was an image from another print from this Storybook Moments DSP pack.  Isn't he adorable?  He was fussy cut from the paper and added to this friendly neighborhood.  He's been popped up with Dimensionals.  

The flowering plant was another image that this design needed to round out the design.  It's also fussy cut and added close to the mouse.

The sentiment is from the Wonderful Thoughts stamp set.  It's stamped with Pecan Pie ink onto a Basic Beige 1/4" strip of cardstock.  The right edge was flagged and tucked in under the mouse.  It needed some extra color, so it was pulled out and a Blending Brush added a little Pecan Pie ink on the edges.  It's tucked back in and secured with a couple Mini Dimensionals.

A length of the Wild Wheat Rustic Ribbon was wrapped around the card front on the left side.  This was tied into a knot.  I liked the look of the ribbon along with all the other earthy colors on the card.  Lastly, three tiny Brass Butterflies were added flitting around the neighborhood.  One card design down, on to the next design.

This card seems to throw off a totally different vibe for me.  I can just see this little bunny boy saying "Hey, look at me!  I just found this huge radish!  It must be the biggest in the whole world!"  And of course, he needed a picture taken to record this trophy, so we have it in a frame to display it.

The frame is one of three in the Storybook Friends Bundle.  This is die-cut from Old Olive cardstock.  The bunny was cut from the DSP print with just enough excess to attach to the back of the frame with adhesive.  There's also a small plant and a small mound of blue flowers that were cut out and attached to the bottom corner of the frame with adhesive to decorate it.

The base is Old Olive cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored and folded in half.  A blue & green plaid from the Timeless Plaid DSP was chosen for layering on the card.  It needed a little extra definition between the Old Olive and the print.  A piece of Boho Blue cardstock was attached behind the plaid.  

Some of the Wild Wheat Rustic Ribbon was wrapped around the two layers and tied in a knot.  This was attached to the card base using Dimensionals.

The sentiment is from the Storybook Friends set.  It's stamped on a Basic Beige cardstock strip about 5/8" wide using Boho Blue ink.  The left end of the tag is flagged then attached to the right edge of the card using Dimensionals.  

The framed bunny is the last addition to the card.  He's attached with Dimensionals to make sure he's the focal point of the whole card.  If you are looking for a new baby boy card, wouldn't this one be perfect with just a small change of the sentiment?

That's two down and only one more to go.

This last one is super simple because it is totally the DSP doing all the work.  There's no extra die-cuts or anything.  There is a sheet of the DSP prints that is laid out in blocks of different prints.  These can be cut and used separately, or you can forget about this side entirely and just use the all-over green print on the back which is quite nice.  I kind of like these type of print blocks.  They're usually a bit of a challenge to me to use them on cards.  For this card, I used two of the blocks. 

I love the strawberry print as a stand-alone but then couldn't decide what I wanted to use with it. I found a cute little kitten carrying a plate with one large strawberry on it that worked with the strawberries.  The frame was a nice way to add her to the design.  

The base is a 11" x 4 1/4" piece of Old Olive cardstock that's scored and folded in half.  To frame the strawberry print, a piece of Moody Mauve was used.  This measures 5 1/2" x 2 3/8".  The strawberry print was attached to this with adhesive, then it's attached to the side of the Old Olive card base.

The little kitten was fussy cut then she's popped up on the Old Olive frame block. The frame is attached to the right side of the card front using Dimensionals.  To give the DSP paper some rigidity, I cut a piece of Basic Beige cardstock a little smaller to attach behind the frame.

For the embellishment on this design, I used three of the Iridescent Foil Gems.  The kitten needed some glitz, but not too much.  With the iridescent glitter in the gems, there are times you get a flash of pinky-purple that enhances the Moody Mauve layer.

I haven't added sentiments to the inside of any of these three cards yet.  They can be used for many different occasions.  On this last card, I played around with the inside just a little though and like how it turned out.  These little strawberry and flower sections were from the piece I trimmed off to fit my card.  They were fussy cut and added to the corners for fun.  Even if it's just a tiny bit of DSP that you've had to cut off, you might still be able to use it in your design.

Well, I don't know about you, but I had fun playing with this pack of DSP.  I really need to do more of a deep dive into the stamp set too.  I wasn't sure about this set when I first saw it.  It gave me the warm-fuzzies because of childhood memories, but could I use it now.  The answer is turning out to be yes, I can.  And now I need to get going and stamp some more.

Thanks for stopping by today.  As usual, it's appreciated that you spend time here.  Why not leave me a comment so I know who's been here?

Don't forget, there's only 8 more days left to take advantage of all the free items available during Sale-a-bration.  After February 28th it will be no more.  This is always one of my favorite times of the year.  It's so fun to get something free, right!?  Take advantage of this sale while you can.  If you have questions, feel free to contact me through my email - sharoncarr50@gmail.com.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon