Another Fun Fold Card Idea

Hello there!  Today's card is a fun fold card that is focusing on the Everyday You & Me stamps and dies.  These are very simplistic florals that are on the "cutesy" side, and I think they're adorable.  Plus, there are four good-sized sentiments that are very useable for both scrapbooking and card making.  What's not to like, right?  They are only found in the Online Exclusive section if you're looking for them.  With all the new items we've been showered with lately, this bundle has gotten lost in the shuffle.  So here it is featured and a cute little z-fold card.

And it's purple!  This is for all you purple aficionados out there.  Isn't this a bright and happy card?  Let's make it.

We're starting with some Mossy Meadow cardstock.  This measures 11" x 4 1/4".  This is scored at both 2 1/4" and 5 1/2".  Measure in on the front flap 1" from either side and cut to the 2 1/4 score line.  

This is what your piece of cardstock will look like when scored and the two corners cut out.  Please excuse the not wonderful drawing.  Never said I could actually draw!

The smaller flap on the front folds back like a z-fold card.

The next step is to cut two pieces of DSP to add to the card base.  I picked a scene from the Splendid Autumn 6" x 6" DSP pack for the card.  First the design was cut in half vertically at 3".  Then each side was cut 4" tall to get the scenic look I wanted.  One of these was attached to the front side of the card and the other was attached to the inside.

A piece of Gorgeous Grape cardstock was cut to measure 4" x 5 1/4" to fit the inside back of the card.  This was attached with adhesive.

Now it's time to dress up the front flap area of the card.  For this, I cut 2 pieces of Basic White that measure 4 1/4" x 2 1/2".  The first piece has the 'lovely day' sentiment stamped in the center with Gorgeous Grape ink.  This sentiment comes from the Autumn Expressions set.

The 2nd piece of white has a sentiment from the Happy Thoughts stamp set.  This is also stamped in Gorgeous Grape ink.  I'm always needing just general wishes/thinking of you types of cards, and this card really works for that.

Both of these white pieces are layered onto Gorgeous Grape cardstock pieces that measure 2 5/8" x 4 3/8".  The layers are attached together with adhesive.  

I added "green glue" to the folded back flap on the card base, so it was facing up.  Then I laid the white layers for the front onto this positioned in the middle of the closed card base.  This way the layer is only attached to the flap and can fold independently from the card front.  Next the inside layers were attached to the Gorgeous Grape layer inside the card but hiding behind the layers on the front.

Next up was stamping the two sizes of roses in the Everyday You & Me set.  Two large roses were stamped with Gorgeous Grape ink on Basic White.  Three of the small roses were stamped with Daffodil Delight ink on white.  Five of the leaf clusters were stamped with Old Olive ink onto Old Olive cardstock.  These pieces were all die-cut with the coordinating dies.

The flowers and leaves were arranged on the front white layer leaving one flower and leaf for the inside of the card.  The flowers were attached with Dimensionals with the leaves being tucked in under the flowers and attached with adhesive.

The last two pieces were added to the inside of the card.  I placed them so they would be peeking under the layer when the card was closed.

The last addition to the card were the three Iridescent Faceted Gems.  They sparkled so nicely on this card.

This sounds like a complicated card, but once the two sections are cut away from the card base, it comes together quickly and is just a fun card.  I want to make another one of this style of card but using bright colors and maybe the Cheers and Sips stamp set.  Wouldn't that be fun?!  But I've got a few other works in progress going on right now that I need to get finished first!  Oh my, so many cards to stamp and so little time!!!  Keep on creating.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

sharoncarr50@gmail.com

Two More Floral Impressions DSP Cards

Hello my friends.  Hope you are doing well and enjoying summer.  We've got a heat wave coming so I should be spending more time indoors next week.  With the weather predicted to be in the very high 90s, that's definitely time to find indoor projects to do.  Today I have two cards using one of my favorite prints in the Floral Impressions DSP pack.  I've put off showing these because one was a Mother's Day card that I was using and didn't want her to see.  I think I've waited long enough, don't you?  Where does the time go?  Mother's Day can't have been over a month ago already, can it?  Sheesh!  Well then, on with the show!

This is the first card I made using the pretty blue and purple floral print in this DSP pack.  I think they are so pretty and couldn't wait to create with this.  This is a very easy fun fold design that I've used quite often.

It starts with a 1/2 sheet of Berry Burst cardstock.  This is scored at 2 1/8" and 4 1/4".  This makes the front fold back on itself.

The DSP is from the Floral Impressions pack that is an Online Exclusive item.  The piece for the front folded back flap measures 1 7/8" x 5 1/4".  It's attached to the flap with 'green glue'.  The green striped piece on the inside of the card is the back side of the print.  This measures 4" x 5 1/4" and is also attached with 'green glue'.

The next step is to die-cut two Basic White layers, one for the front of the card and another for the inside.  The 3rd largest rectangle die in the Textured Notes Dies set was used to cut these.  The pieces are set aside until you're ready to work with them later.  The Textured Notes Dies are part of the suite of items in the Botanical Textures Suite that is found only in the Online Exclusives.  All the items in this suite are part of the BOGO 50% off sale that runs until the end of June.

Next the flowers were die-cut with the Impressions Abloom set.  This is also one of the Online Exclusives that is a suite of products.  These are also available to purchase during the BOGO 50% off sale.  The multi-petaled flowers were die-cut from Misty Moonlight cardstock, the smaller flowers were cut from Berry Burst cardstock, the tiny flowers are cut from Pool Party, and the stems and leaves are cut from both Old Olive and Mossy Meadow cardstocks.

Before arranging the flowers on the white layer, the centers of the main flowers were stamped with Misty Moonlight ink.  This helped give the flowers some definition.  Only two of the flowers were attached with Dimensionals.  All the rest are attached with either adhesive or Mini Glue Dots for the tiny flowers.

I'm not sure which set I got the Mother's Day sentiment from, but I know it was retired.  I just hunted through my stash until I found one.  This was stamped onto a 3/8" strip of Basic White using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  The ends were trimmed closer.  Then a small piece of Misty Moonlight was cut to frame the sentiment.  It was attached to the white layer with Dimensionals.

The white layer was laid on the card front to see where it needed to be attached so it was centered properly.  I put tiny pencil marks on the back, then added two strips of Tear & Tape to hold this layer firmly on just the left side.

The second white layer that was die-cut is attached inside the card making sure it is hidden right behind the front white layer.  I used 'green glue' for this so I could maneuver it into place a little.

After attaching the white layer, I chose one of the More Messages labels that were already stamped and die-cut previously.  I had stamped them three different times so far using Tuxedo Black ink, Secret Sea ink, and Pecan Pie.  It's so easy to stamp once and die-cut all the different sentiments at once.  Then you have multiple sentiments on hand when you need them.

For this sentiment, I used a Blending Brush and Berry Burst ink to add a blush of color around the edge of the label.  Then it was attached with adhesive. 

I had lots of leftover flowers, so just a few pieces were added to the inside of the card for a nice accent.

There are two butterflies added onto the front and one inside the card.  There were also three of the darkest Purple Fine Shimmer Dots added to the flower centers on the card front.  Now let's look at the 2nd card.

The colors and stamps are the same on this card, but the cut of the card is a little different.  Start with a 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" size card base cut from Berry Burst.  It's scored at 4 1/4".  Then 1" is cut from the edge of the front flap.

The DSP size for the front flap is 3" x 5 1/4" and it's attached with adhesive.  

The inside of the card has a layer of Basic White that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  A 1" strip of the same DSP print is attached along the right edge, so it shows when the card is closed. 

This time the 4th largest die was used to die-cut the Basic White layer.  Another layer of Berry Burst was cut that measures 2 1/2" x 4".  They are attached together with adhesive.

The flowers are the same color and cut as the previous card.  (Whenever I'm cutting flowers, leaves, etc. for one card, I always make extras and usually make another card at the same time.)

This time when the front layers were attached, I used several Dimensionals on the left half and the middle area, so it's raised from the flap.  It also overlaps about 1/2" over the edge of the flap.

The sentiment is another one from the More Messages set that I already had available.  Very handy dandy.

Ok, that's about it for now.  Hope you made it to the end.  I know this post seemed especially long when I was reading it over to make sure it all made sense.  Hope you're inspired to get out those stamps and play a little today.  Or maybe a lot!

It's fun to make just small adjustments to your card base that will turn it into a fun fold card.  It makes it more interesting for you to make and more fun for the recipient too!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Another Impressions Abloom Idea

Hello friends and Happy Sunday to you.  If there are any fathers out there, I need to say Happy Father's Day too!  There, I think that covers it all, don't you?  Today I have a really simple card that still looks very nice as far as I'm concerned.  I keep grabbing the pink and purple shades when playing around with the flowers in the Impressions Abloom bundle.  It's just so easy to mix and match those colors.  So, I thought it was time to use some of the warmer orange-y shades for a change of pace.  I was surprised by how much I love these colors together.  They give the card a warm and cozy feel.  Give it a look and tell me what you think.

To make today's card, I started with a Very Vanilla card base that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  This is scored and folded in half.  Another piece of Very Vanilla is cut at 3" x 4" for the focal layer.

I decided on Crumb Cake for layering.  This piece measured 3 1/2" x 5 1/4".  To add some interest to the layer, it was embossed with the Distressed Tile 3D Embossing Folder.  Then about 1/2" - 3/4" was ripped from the bottom edge to add to the visual appeal.  Then it's attached to the card base with 'green glue'.

Now it's time to make that pretty cluster of flowers.  The Impressions Abloom set is a two-step stamp set, meaning you have a stamp with a more solid image and then another stamp that adds all the detail to the image.  These are so much fun for creating multiple color choices for each flower or just going with a simpler color palette like I used here.  

For my grouping, the largest flower is made with Timid Tiger ink.  The detail stamp was used first to stamp on a Basic White cardstock piece.  Then the solid stamp was inked and off-stamped before stamping over the detail to give me these gorgeous flowers.  Since I wasn't sure just how these flowers would be arranged, I stamped a couple extra.  You can never have too many flowers on hand when you're ready to create!

For the medium sized flowers, Peach Pie is the ink color used.  Stamp the detail stamp first with full-strength ink.  Then the solid image is inked and off-stamped before stamping over it.  Again, I stamped a few extras just because you never know when you'll need them.

The leaves were stamped with Garden Green ink.  I only used the detail stamp on these.  And of course, I made extras.

The centers of the flowers were stamped in with Pecan Pie ink.  Only the detail stamps were used for the centers.

All the flowers and leaves were die-cut with the matching dies from the bundle.  That makes it so easy to get a whole garden full of flowers cut in minutes instead of fussy cutting them.  To fill in the design, the tiny flowers were die-cut from Timid Tiger cardstock to match.  Oh good, now I have a whole cluster of pretty flowers to play with!

Time to prep the extra piece of Very Vanilla that you cut.  The sentiment is from the same set.  It's stamped with Pecan Pie ink to stand out.  (This card would work nicely for so many occasions, just change the sentiment to fit.)

Crumb Cake ink and a Blending Brush added a blush of color to anchor the flowers.  I decided to add a light spatter of Pecan Pie ink mixed with a drop of water to add interest to the Very Vanilla layer.  Give it a minute to dry, then attach to the card base with Dimensionals.

Take a little time to arrange the components on the card to get an idea of spacing.  The large flower is the only one that I attached with Dimensionals.  The two medium flowers and the leaves are all tucked around and under the center flower and were attached with adhesive.  Afterwards, the tiny flowers were tucked in.  These were each attached with a Mini Glue Dot.

For the extra bling for this card, I chose the Pecan Pie & Clear Ribboned Adhesive-backed Dots.  They seemed to be the perfect accent for these flowers.

I'm still debating whether to tuck a double bow made from Linen Thread at the bottom of the large flower.  I've put it on and off a couple times now and I just can't decide.  Do you think it needs it?

Hope you like this simple card idea.  It was fun to get out of my comfort zone of pinks and purples for a change.  It seems like whenever I need to make a card for someone, that is the color palette I grab first.  

Hope you've taken advantage of the "BOGO 50% Off Suite Sale" going on this month.  Remember you don't have to buy a complete Suite.  Any of the individual items in the Suite also works too.  TIP - the lowest priced item is always the 50% off item!!  Pay attention when ordering.  For example, I ordered two different times so I could get the higher priced items in the first order.  Then went back to get the lower priced items next.  And of course, Rewards get tallied for your next order (or save them up!).

If you have any questions or are looking for a demonstrator, I'd be happy to help you.  Just email me at the address below or leave a comment in the section below.  Either way I'd love to talk to you.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

sharoncarr50@gmail.com

Textured Notes Thank You

Hello stamping friends!  I think we've survived the cold and damp rainy days we've been experiencing.  On to the sunshine and warmth again!  Yay!  Along with the dreary weather getting me down, a good friend from our Sunday School class passed away very suddenly last week.  It definitely threw me into a blue mood for a time.  But I realized even though I'd only known Judy for less than two years, I have many fun memories of time spent in her presence.  It's time to embrace the good memories and put away the sadness and live life to the very fullest extent possible.  Just like she would.   She loved Jesus and loved serving others and that's a wonderful legacy to leave behind.  As Judy would say, "Let's get on with it!"

Today's card idea came from the need of some masculine thank you cards.  I had a good assortment of floral thank you cards, but those really don't work too well for the manly men out there.  So, I turned to the Textured Notes stamp and die bundle for some un-girly inspiration.  These are part of the Online Exclusive products available to you.

With all the intersecting lines and angles along with the nature theme on this card, I think I achieved my goal.  There's a good number of textures and layers used here to keep things interesting.  Ready to make it?

Start with a base of Crumb Cake cardstock as a good neutral.  This measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored and folded in half.

The first layer is Very Vanilla cardstock that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  I wanted to give this some subtle interest, so the larger leafy stamp from the Textured Notes set was used.  To achieve the very light background, the stamp was inked in Lost Lagoon ink then off-stamped twice before stamping randomly on the vanilla cardstock.  This gives just a hint of color and design but really made a difference from the plain Very Vanilla cardstock.

Next there is a 2" x 4" layer of Lost Lagoon cardstock.  This lays across the card to anchor the design elements.  Before it was attached, it was embossed with the retired embossing folder called Tasteful Textiles.  I love the texture this adds to the layer, but it's still subtle and just blends in.  It's attached about 1" from the bottom of the Very Vanilla layer.  I used "green glue" to attach the layer to the Very Vanilla layer.  If there is any overhang on the sides, this is the time to trim it up. Then these both were attached to the folded card base.

Now we get into the lovely Textured Notes rectangle dies.  Each of the rectangle dies has a different texture cut into the edges.  For this card, I used three different dies.  The 2nd smallest size cut the Very Vanilla cardstock.  The 3rd smallest size cut the Pretty Peacock cardstock, and the 4th smallest cut a piece of Crumb Cake.

On the Pretty Peacock layer, the smaller leafy stem from the Textured Notes set was randomly stamped several times using Pretty Peacock ink.  This added a nice print on the darker layer.

This picture really shows off the interesting details on each rectangle layer and also the embossed Lost Lagoon layer too.

The Pretty Peacock layer was attached to the Crumb Cake layer with "green glue".  Then this was attached to the card front fairly close to the right edge.  Again "green glue" was used to keep these layers flat.

The same large leafy stamp used on the background was used again.  It's stamped onto Very Vanilla cardstock using Lost Lagoon ink full-strength.  Since there is no die for this, it was fussy cut with Paper Snips.  Set aside for a minute.

The sentiment is from the Textured Notes set.  It's stamped to the left side of the Very Vanilla layer that was already die-cut.  Pretty Peacock ink was used for this.  It is attached over the two layers that were just added.  This time Dimensionals were added to give it some lift.  The leafy stem you just cut layers over this.  Dimensionals were used under the top leaves and the bottom stem, and the center part lays flat across the sentiment layer.  The leaves were curled slightly to give more dimension.

On to the inside of the card.  A layer of Very Vanilla cardstock was cut at 5 1/4" x 4" for this.  The sentiment is from the Grateful Blessings set found in the Annual Catalog.  I love both the words and the font on this stamp.  It is stamped with Pretty Peacock ink to show up nicely.  

Using the smaller leafy stamp from the Textured Notes set, the leaves were partially stamped in the top left and bottom right corners.  Lost Lagoon ink was used for this.

The layer was attached inside the card using "green glue" to hold it.

Last look.  As you can see, I couldn't resist adding a few embellishments.  I thought the metallic dots would continue the more masculine look of the card.  Three of the Adhesive-backed Textured Dots were used.  Aren't they the perfect embellishment for this masculine card?

And then I couldn't stop myself.  I added a small bow made with Linen Thread to the design.  It's attached with a rolled up Mini Glue Dot.

That's it.  I had to stop, or it would end up too girlie.  I hope you like the card idea for today.  I know I find it much harder to make the more masculine style of cards.  Thankfully, those aren't needed too often around here.  But that means I get out of practice.  Ahh, sounds like a vicious circle.

In case you haven't heard yet, Stampin'Up! is having a special sale right now.  You can Buy One and Get One 50% Off on all suites and suite products.  Definitely mix and match suites and products from both the catalog and Online Exclusives.  The more expensive item is full price, and the 2nd item is half off.  If you have questions, feel free to get in touch with me.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

sharoncarr50@gmail.com 

Another Gallery Blooms Card

 Hello to you on this rainy and cold Tuesday.  Not sure where our sunshine and warm weather went, but it's definitely not here now.  It got so cold in the house overnight I'm thinking of turning the heat back on.  As my hubby would say, "Sacrilege!".  But I don't care what month it is, I'm cold!  Anyway, that has absolutely nothing to do with card making.  Like I said yesterday, there's a second card using the Gallery Blooms bundle I wanted to share today.  The two cards were pretty much getting made at the same time, so they're slightly similar.

Here's today's card.  As you can see, it has a slight vintage look to it that is due to the interesting print from the Beautiful Gallery 6" x 6" Designer Series Paper.  This reminds me so much of an old tapestry hanging in a museum.  I almost want to touch it to see if I can feel the texture woven in it.  So, let's make this card and see how it works.

For the card, I chose a Basic Gray card base.  I thought it was a good backdrop for the DSP.  The Basic Gray measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored and folded in half.

The DSP print first has a 3/4" strip cut from the bottom of the piece.  (This was used on the card shared yesterday.)  Then it has a strip cut from the side that is 1 1/2" wide, and another strip that is 3/4" was cut so the back could be used.  I like the look of the two sides of the DSP used together.

Next a piece of Very Vanilla was cut that measures 5 1/4" x 2".  These three panels will line up and be the front of this card.  I had planned on using the Damask Designs Embossing Folder on this section of the card, but decided I wanted to try something a little different.  There is a floral stamp in the Beautiful Motifs set that intrigued me.  I wanted to know if it could make a nice background.  Of course, if I didn't like it, it could be turned over and the back used instead.  I inked the floral stamp with Secret Sea ink and off-stamped twice before stamping on the Vanilla piece.  I really liked the look, so this stamp was used four times for full impressions and then a few random corners were filled in too.  Looking at the background, you'd never know that this was a floral image on there.  Just what I wanted.

The DSP print was attached to the left side and the stamped Very Vanilla piece was attached to the right side of the card front.  Then the 3/4" strip of DSP was attached between them just slightly overlapping each of the sides.  I used "green glue" for this, so I'd have a little wiggle time to get everything just right.

As you can see, this floral stem is just like the one I made yesterday since I was making two at a time.  It's stamped on Very Vanilla with Secret Sea ink.  Then it was colored with a Wink of Stella brush and the Secret Sea ink.  Added ink is on the leaves to darken them.  You still can't see the shimmer of the Wink of Stella on the images, but it has a lovely soft shimmer all over the flowers.

There was a small bit of the mottled gray background print of the DSP that would be great for the sentiment.  It was trimmed down to about 1/2" x 1 3/4".  The sentiment from the Beautiful Motifs set was stamped on this with Secret Sea ink.  

After stamping this, both the floral stem and the sentiment were added to the card front.  Dimensionals were used to give them a little lift.

The design seemed to need a ribbon of some sort.  The Basic Beige 3/8" Ribbon that is part of the suite made up a nice little knot.  It's attached with Mini Glue Dots.

Of course, the design needed some bling, right?  I used three of the 2025-2027 In Color Flat Pearls in the Secret Sea color for an accent.  I love how these pearls have less height so can be mailed easily without a problem.  I think these dark gems look lovely on the design.

Now that the card is finished and I've looked at it for almost two days, I'm thinking I should have made it slightly differently.   I think the tapestry-type DSP should be a little thinner and the Very Vanilla that I stamped should be just a little wider.  But that's my opinion now that it's done and I'd totally ruin it if I took it apart to change it.  Oh well, I guess that just means I need to make another one and see which I prefer so I know for future reference!

Hope you enjoyed this second edition using the Gallery Blooms and the Beautiful Motifs stamp sets.  This has been fun and I'm sure I'll be creating with these sets again soon.  There are all the fun dies in both sets that I haven't played with yet and they are calling to me!  Wonder what I should make next?  Are you inspired to get out your stamps and play, ahem, I mean create?  In fact, since it's a cold and rainy day today, I should go right down to my stamp room and get busy!

If you have any questions or comments, I would be happy to hear them.  You can either comment on the bottom of this post, or you can email me at sharoncarr50@gmail.com.  If you're looking for a friendly demonstrator, you've found one right here.  It would be my pleasure to assist you in your stamping journey.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon  

Gallery Blooms Simple Card

Hello friends!  Hope you're enjoying this Memorial Day!  Please take time to remember the brave and wonderful men and women of the Armed Forces that gave their lives and futures to protect our country and preserve liberty for us all.  "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 How blessed we are to live in this country and enjoy all the freedoms that we take for granted daily.  Let us be thankful for how blessed this nation has been through the years and ask God's continued hand of guidance and blessing to rest upon us.

I recently received an order that included the Gallery Blooms bundle and the coordinating Beautiful Gallery Designer Series Paper.  I kept telling myself that I didn't need every floral set that came along, but obviously I couldn't resist this one.  The first card made with this set was quite simple and straightforward.  Nothing fancy, just the stamps and some cardstock.

I think this card is really quite beautiful even though it's rather simple.  Let me take you through the process of making it.

The first decision made was to stamp the flowers from the Gallery Blooms onto Very Vanilla cardstock using the new Secret Sea ink.  Since I was making one, I decided to make two of these flower stems and have an extra for another card.  After stamping, I used a Wink of Stella brush to sort of lightly "watercolor" the flower petals.  I only used the ink that was already there from stamping the flowers to keep it very pale.  I also used Wink of Stella to color the leaves, but this time used extra ink from the pad.  This gave the leaves the darker coloring.  I was surprised how very light this dark ink could be and how pretty it turned out.  No matter how many different ways I tried to picture this, the shimmer of the Wink of Stella just didn't want to show itself but believe me it's there.

After the coloring the two flower stems, the coordinating die was used to cut the flowers out.  Now, what to do with them?

I decided on a card base of Cloud Cover cardstock for the first card.  This is a lovely soft blue/gray color.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored and folded in half.  

Next is a layer of Secret Sea that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  This was embossed with the new Damask Designs Embossing Folder.  Even though the design isn't really obvious when looking at the card straight on, it shows up nicely at an angle.  This left a really elegant look to the background.  And I always love the feel of embossed texture on my cards.  

This layer was attached to the folded card base.  Tombow MultiPurpose Liquid Glue, also known as "green glue", was used to attach them together.  

As I was in the process of making this card, I had another card in pieces on the side.  One of the extra pieces from this card was a 3/4" strip cut from the bottom of one of the Beautiful Gallery DSP prints.  This was a mottled gray strip that I liked with the card I was making here.  I cut the strip to measure 4" and attached it across the card front with "green glue".

The sentiment used here is from the new Beautiful Motifs stamp set.  This set has eight great sentiments that are very general and a good size.  I'm sure these are sentiments I'll be using often.  This one is stamped on a Very Vanilla 1/2" strip using Secret Sea ink.  It was trimmed some to fit the card.

The stem of flowers was attached to the card front with Dimensionals.  The sentiment was just tucked under the stem and popped up with Dimensionals also.

Since I have the 2025-2027 In Color Flat Pearls that match these colors, I chose to use the Cloud Cover gems and attached three of them.  I think they show up nicely on the Secret Sea background, don't you?

Okay, that's the first design I've made using the Gallery Blooms bundle.  I still have that second flower that is already stamped, colored, and ready to go.  If all goes well, the next card should be making an appearance here tomorrow.

One last picture of this card using the new Gallery Blooms bundle with a couple of the new 2025-2027 In Color cardstock colors.  This turned out to be a very clean and simple card design.  It was also easy to make.  I've seen several cards made with this stem of flowers on Pinterest that were colored much more brightly.  But as you can see, these soft grays are quite beautiful too.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog.  Hope you were inspired to get out your stamps and paper and then get creative.  I always find it uplifting and satisfying to create something beautiful that I can share with you.  I'm so glad you find time to visit.

Feel free to leave your comments at the end if you'd like.  If you have any questions or need some help, I'd love to hear from you.  You can always contact me through my email at sharoncarr50@gmail.com.  Looking forward to hearing your comments.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

 

Another Impressions Abloom Card

Hello friends!  I've got a lovely, bright card idea for you today.  I wanted to use the Beautiful Bokeh Designer Series Paper, so that was my starting point for the card.  For some reason the Impressions Abloom stamp set keeps handing around my worktable, so I thought it would be a good match for those gorgeous DSP bokeh prints.  And I had seen a card design by Tami Hewlett using the Everyday Arches die that really pulled all these ideas together.  Thank you, Tami, for inspiring me!

The mottled background on the arch is the basis of the flower colors I used, and they complement each other so nicely.   Like I said, the first step for this card was choosing which print to use.  This one is a blend of Calypso Coral and Fresh Freesia.  I used the Everyday Arches die to cut the DSP.  Next the choice for a card base was made for Basic White.  This let the other colors be the main focus.  

Instead of just placing this on the card front, a layer of Basic White was cut to measure 5 1/4" x 4".  This layer was embossed with the Exposed Brick 3D Embossing Folder to give it lots of interest and texture.  This layer was attached to the card base with "green glue".  The DSP arch was then attached to this layer with the "green glue" also.

Now for the focal point of the card.  Using the Impressions Abloom stamp set, I started stamping the large flower using the detail stamp and full-strength Calypso Coral ink onto Basic White cardstock.  Since I was stamping anyway, I stamped a few extra for future projects.  Next, the solid stamp for this flower was inked with Calypso Coral ink, off-stamped, and then stamped over the detail image I had already stamped.  This is easy to line up because there is one petal that is longer than the rest.  I love the two-tone look on the flower from having the solid image stamp much lighter.

Next the daisy style flowers were stamped in the same fashion with the detail being full-strength and the solid background being off-stamped.  These were stamped with Fresh Freesia ink.  

The centers of the flowers were stamped a little different.  The solid stamps were inked with Lemon Lolly ink and stamped inside each flower.  Then the detail stamp was stamped over this using Crushed Curry ink.

The leaves were stamped with just the detail stamp.  For the best color choice, I checked the Color Coach for inspiration.  I made some of these Coastal Cabana to be light and fresh, and others were stamped with Lost Lagoon.  After all the pieces were stamped, they were die-cut with the coordinating dies.  When finished, there was a whole bouquet of flowers to play with.  I loved the combination of all these colors together and dove right in.

When arranging the placement of the flowers, I realized there needed to be a contrast between the background and flowers.  Two Basic White leafy stems were die-cut using the Textured Floral dies.  These were nice and airy and fit the design well.  

First the white stems were attached with adhesive.  Then the flowers were added with Dimensionals.  Lastly, the leaves were tucked in around the design using Mini Glue Dots.

The sentiment is from the Wonderful Thoughts stamp set.  It's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto the white strip about 5/8" wide.  This was trimmed and tucked in among the design.

For the final touch, three of the Iridescent Foil Gems were added for a little sparkle.

I don't know about you, but I'm just thrilled with the way this card idea turned out.  It's so vibrant and fresh looking to me.  It's a little out of my comfort zone, because you know I love pastels.  But I'm very happy with it.  If you want to give this one a try, the design wasn't hard to make at all.  If these aren't your favorite colors, go through the Beautiful Bokeh DSP prints and find one to inspire you.  I'd love to hear what you make with this design as a starting place.   There are so many possibilities to try.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon