More Heart Shaped Cards

Hey there.  Are you tired of this stamp set and all the cards being made using it?  Or are you loving it as much as I am??  Today I have three more cards to share with you.  All of them are using parts that I die-cut from the cardstock with all the blended colors the other day.  But each have their own color palette and style.  Hope you are inspired by what you see and try this yourself.

This is the next card that was made with these extra pieces.  This color palette consists mostly of Fresh Freesia and Petunia Pop.  The card base is Petunia Pop and measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  The heart was also die-cut from the same cardstock at this time.  The die comes from the Hearts of Elegance Bundle that is an Online Exclusive.  The 4th largest heart die was used for this.  

The next layer on the card is Basic White.  It measures 5 1/4" x 4".  On top of this is a layer of Fresh Freesia cardstock that measures 5 1/8 x 3 7/8".  I liked the look of just a tiny white border to separate them.

On the Fresh Freesia layer, I stamped one of the word stamps from the new Elements of Text stamp set.  This set is sort of easy to overlook in the Mini Catalog, but well worth looking for it.  It's stamped 5-6 times using Fresh Freesia ink so it's not real noticeable.  On top of this, one of the splatter stamps in the set was stamped randomly.  For this I used Petunia Pop ink but off-stamped it before stamping on the cardstock to get a lighter version of the color. These two layers were attached together and then to the card base using adhesive.

The label tag on the card is from the Greetings of the Season Bundle with Basic White cardstock.  The word 'love' is from the Hearts of Elegance set.  I only used part of the stamp and Petunia Pop ink.

The hearts layered up are the Petunia Pop heart, the inner cut-out from the heart wreaths, and the smallest heart from Hearts of Elegance in Basic White.  The 'xoxo' is also from the Hearts of Elegance set and is stamped with Petunia Pop ink.  The flower is one of the many that were cut from my blended cardstock.  The label tag and the large heart are popped with Dimensionals.

The gem accents on the card are new and they are the Two-Tone Sparkle Gems that are an Online Exclusive item.  These are so pretty and fairly flat to make the card easy to mail.  

Okay, one down.  On to the next.

This time the color palette was changed up to be more of a rosy look.  The card base is Bubble Bath cardstock.  The layer of DSP is next.  It's from the Beautiful Bokeh Designer Series Paper.  It measures 5 1/4" x 4".  This pack of DSP is just beautiful and will make lovely backgrounds on many cards.  It is embossed with the Plaster Painting 3D Embossing Folder before attaching to the card front.  This gives so much gorgeous texture to the card.  It's attached with "green glue".

The label tag is the same one used in the previous card.  The sentiment is from the Hearts of Elegance stamp set and is stamped with Berry Burst ink.

One of the heart wreaths that I had made the other day was used here.  It's attached to the tag with dots of "green glue".  Inside this wreath was added another heart.  It's the 2nd smallest die from the Hearts of Elegance set and was die-cut from the Marbled Elegance DSP.  It's attached to the tag with Mini Dimensionals.  Then the tag was added to the card front with Dimensionals too.

For an accent, the gold ribbon from the Gold & Silver 1/8" Trim pack was used to make a bow. It was added to the tag with Mini Glue Dots to accent the gold on the DSP.

Several of the Adhesive-back Heart Sequins were added to the design.  One was left plain gold; the others were colored with a Melon Mambo Blends for some added color.  Love how this card turned out.

Last card for the day.  Back to the Fresh Freesia and Petunia Pop color palette.  Start with a base of Fresh Freesia.  Add a layer of Petunia Pop that measures 4 3/4" x 3 1/2".  Then cut a layer of Basic White to measure 4 1/2" x 3 1/4".  The white layer is embossed with the Forever Plaid 3D Embossing Folder.  Love the geometric plaid look behind the hearts.  These are layered onto the card base using Dimensionals.

The 4th largest heart die was used again to cut another Petunia Pop heart.  Layered onto this is another of the extra heart wreaths I made a couple days ago.  In the center is a Basic White heart cut with the smallest heart die from the set.  This has the same 'xoxo' stamped with Petunia Pop ink.

The sentiment is from the same Hearts of Elegance set.  It's stamped on a piece of Fresh Freesia cardstock that measures 3/4" x 2 3/4".  Petunia Pop ink was used for stamping.  This is layered onto the card front using Dimensionals.  The layers of hearts are then added slightly overlapping the sentiment.  Dimensionals were used for the hearts also.  

For an accent on this card, I used the lovely Purple Adhesive-backed Sequins.  I love all these pinky-purply colors on the sequins!  So pretty. The sequin pack is one of the free Sale-a-bration items you can choose when you spend $60 or more.  These are really a good bargain.  You'll love them!

Okay.  One last look at all three of these Valentine cards.  The ones with the purple tones are definitely going to my sisters.  They both love purples, so I thought these would work out just right.  Next, I need to make some Valentines for my grandsons who really are getting too old for all this "girlie stuff".  Hope I can come up with something more geared to teen boys.

Lots of new items were used on these three cards.  When you're shopping, make sure you check out the Online Exclusives and Kits, so you don't miss anything.  There's so much new that is added it's hard to keep track of it all.  If you don't have either the new Mini Catalog or the Sale-a-bration brochure, please let me know.  I'd be happy to get one to you.

Thanks for stopping by today and getting immersed in lots of hearts.  Be sure to check in in another day or two to see what I've been stamping up for you.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon 

sharoncarr50@gmail.com

Heart Shaped Cards Again

 Hello my friends!  Back again with a couple of cards using the Heart Shaped Sale-a-bration bundle.  It's definitely my favorite and seems to be a favorite of pretty much everyone else too.  The card I shared previously used it for a non-Valentine purpose.  Today's cards follow that idea, and one is an anniversary card for my daughter and son-in-law.  The other one is a just because card.  I love making generic cards like that because you can always add a sentiment that fits the need.  

Before I made the cards, there was a little prep work to do ahead of time.  Back a number of months ago I shared a technique that requires several coordinating ink colors and Blending Brushes to match.

This is a half piece of Basic White cardstock.  The colors on the right were brushed on first.  I started with the lightest color, Petal Pink, and made random circles that were about 1 1/2" or more in size.  The next color added was Pretty in Pink.  Then circles of Melon Mambo were added last.  Keep all the inks fairly light so nothing jumps out at you when you look at the finished paper.  Yes, I know it looks kind of 'blobby' right now but just wait until you start die-cutting pieces out of this!  Wow!

On the other half of the paper, I brushed on sections of Bubble Bath, Fresh Freesia, and Petunia Pop.  You might notice in one section I got a little heavy-handed with the Petunia Pop color.  But it still all worked out fine when I used it on the projects.  What surprised me the most with this was that the colors worked well together when my die-cut piece overlapped onto the two sides.  You never know what might surprise you!

I worked with two colors at a time because I wasn't sure what I was making with them or how it would all turn out.  Right now, it looks sort of like a mess.  But now the magic happens when this cardstock is die-cut into piles of heart wreaths, the "wishing" word die-cuts, and bunches of small flowers.  You should see the oodles of pieces I have to work with now - such fun!

This is the first card made with these die-cut pieces.  The base is Basic White cardstock.  Next is a layer of Petal Pink that measures 5" x 3 3/4".  This is attached flat to the card base with adhesive.  

The next layer is Basic White measuring 4 3/4" x 3 1/2".  Using the largest Stylish Shapes circle die, cut a circle centered on the upper part of this layer.  This layer has a Petal Pink Ribbon wrapped around the bottom half and then tied into a knot.  It's then attached to the card base using Dimensionals.

On the circle that was cut out, use the Blending Brush to lightly add some Petal Pink ink to the center.  Attach this back inside the circle opening using adhesive.  This will make the circle piece sunken into the front.

Next, I went through my stash of die-cut hearts to find the one with just the right color combination on it.  This was added to the center of the circle with little drops of "green glue" added to the wreath.  

Three of the flowers were chosen for the card.  They were slightly curled and then added to the wreath using Mini Glue Dots.

The sentiment is from the Heart Shaped bundle.  It was stamped on a scrap of Petal Pink cardstock using Pecan Pie ink to keep it lighter.  Then it was die-cut using the die that coordinates with it.  This was popped up over the wreath using Mini Dimensionals.

Three small pearls were added to the center of the flowers for an embellishment.

Okay, that's the first card.  It only used one heart and three small flowers, so I still have lots more to use.

This is the anniversary card I made.  As you can see, the colors look very different on this card.  The wreaths were cut from the left side of my blended paper so there's all kinds of lavenders and purples to use.

The "wishing" die is part of the Delightful Wishes bundle along with the sentiment I used.  There were three "wishing" words that were cut from my paper.  I chose the one with the most Petunia Pop ink on it.

The card has a Basic White base.  The layer is Petunia Pop.  It's been embossed with the Distressed Tile 3D Embossing Folder to give it interest.  Then it's attached to the card base with adhesive.

Two of the heart wreaths were chosen and added to the card front.  I used touches of "green glue" again to hold in place.  Then two flowers were shaped and added to the design.  They are attached with Mini Glue Dots.

The sentiment was stamped on Basic White cardstock using Petunia Pop ink.  It was die-cut using the die from the Heart Shaped bundle.  The more detailed "Wishing" is die-cut from the paper I made and is backed with a "bubble" word in white to make it stand out.  It is attached to the card front using a bunch of Mini Glue Dots to hold in place.

One of the plain Rhinestone Basic Jewels is added to the center of each flower for an accent.

Thought you needed one last look at these two lovely cards.  I'm so happy with how they turned out.  This technique of brushing color onto cardstock to make any color combination you need or want is so much fun to do.  I don't know why I don't do it more often!  But since I did do this, I now still have three extra heart wreaths, two more "wishing" words, a small pile of flowers, and even the inside of the heart wreaths that I intend to play with some more.  If all goes as planned, I'll have some cards to share with you tomorrow using more of these pieces that are left.  I certainly can't throw them away.  But if I put them away somewhere, I'll forget about them and never get around to using them.  So, this is what I'll be sharing again.  If this isn't your cup of tea, I'm sorry.  Give me a few days and I'll start creating with something else.  Okay?

Did I mention that Sale-a-bration is going on right now?  And did I happen to mention this is my very favorite set?  I hope you get this free item and use it well.  And fall in love with it like I have!!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Pick a Season Happy Tree

Hello all you wonderful people!  Hope your month is going great so far.  I've still got my hacky cough holding me back, but I'm definitely back to stamping!  The ideas are just percolating at a rapid pace and I'm having trouble keeping up.  There have been some orders coming in this month, so I needed to make some cute thank you cards for them.  What better to use that the new Sale-a-bration set called Pick a Season.  This is such a cute set that is very versatile.  I was going to use different colors on each of the cards.  But after starting out with the Peach Pie color, I liked it so much that's what I used for all of them.  I'll have to revisit this set and use some of the other stamps in the set and different colors too.

I started by stamping the tree on Basic White cardstock that measures 3 1/4" x 4".  The trunk was stamped first with Pecan Pie ink near the bottom.  The leaves were stamped next.  It was inked with Lemon Lime Twist ink then the bottom portion of the stamp was tapped onto the Granny Apple Green ink pad to blend the colors.  I like the lighter color at the top.  It reminds me of sunlight on the upper branches.

Then the triple flower stamp was used with Peach Pie ink to fill in each opening in the leaves.  I kept twisting the stamp, so the flower cluster wasn't all lined up the same way.

The grass stamp was inked in Granny Apple Green ink and stamped multiple times to get different shades of green.  It also filled in the grassy area a little bit.

Granny Apple Green was chosen for both the card base and the layering piece.  The measurements are 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  This is scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.  The layer is 4 1/4" x 3 1/2".  The stamped piece is layered onto this with adhesive.

Now the decision for the background layer.  After trying a few options, the 2024-2025 In Color 6" x 6" Designer Paper was chosen.  I couldn't decide which print of the four to choose, so I tried out two different ones and liked them both.  Dilemma - which one to choose.  In the end both of the prints were used on my stack of cards, and I was happy.

The sentiment is from the Mixed Labels stamp set.  It's stamped on a Peach Pie 1/2" strip of cardstock and trimmed to fit.  Pecan Pie ink was used.  It's attached with Dimensionals.

For this card, peachy colored gems from the Party Dots were used for an accent.  Then a Peach Pie Bordered Ribbon was tied into a loose knot and attached with Mini Glue Dots to the card.

The inside of all the cards were finished the same way.  A sentiment from Mixed Labels was stamped with Pecan Pie ink.  One of the flower clusters was stamped with Peach Pie ink.  And one of the small leaf sets was stamped with Granny Apple Green ink.

Did I mention making several changes on the cards as I went because I couldn't make up my mind on some of the choices?  Thought you'd like to see a slightly different version...

Can you spot the changes?  The leaves have more of the Lemon Lime Twist showing on this one so it's a little brighter.  

The background DSP is a stripe instead of an overall print.  It's still from the same pack of paper though.

The gems used are the 2024-2025 In Color Shimmer Gems. 

All these add up to just minor changes, but it does make a difference.

Here's a last look at them together. Which one do you prefer?  I'd like to hear from you.

If you didn't know, the Pick a Season set is one of the Sale-a-bration free choices.  It's so dog-gone cute and so easy to use.  You'll just love it if you choose to get this set.  I will definitely be making more cards with this.  There are tiny eggs, shamrocks, hearts, and of course the flowers I used.  There is also a fence and clouds.  Just think of all the possibilities!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Fun Fold Valentines

Hello friends!  Hope you're staying warm and dry.  It's snowing today!  Woo Hoo!  It's not like we get snow too often here in South Carolina, so this is a treat for me.  Especially when I can stay inside and enjoy how pretty it looks.  Just about everything is closed because of the weather - no school, some businesses and doctor's offices are closed, etc.  So yes, I'm sitting by my French doors to the deck and watching the show.  Everything is turning white and I'm thinking I should be sharing Christmas cards instead of Valentine cards.  😀 But not today.  A couple days ago I noticed a YouTube video from Tami White with a darling fun fold.  Her design was for Halloween, but I changed it into Valentine cards.  She has an easy-to-follow video that was a big help.  You can find it here if you are a more visual learner.  I'll share all the dimensions that I used for my cards.  Some of them are a little different from Tami's.

Here are two of the cards made with just a few differences between them to give you an extra idea.  When I saw the fun fold originally, I thought it would be hard to make.  But I was so wrong.  It's very easy to make and is so cute when finished.  I think this is an idea I'll be going back to often.

You can see that the basis of the card is Melon Mambo cardstock and the Marbled Elegance DSP with accents from the Hearts of Elegance stamp and die bundle.  The stamps, dies, and DSP are all in the Online Exclusive section of the SU! online store.  Aren't they just gorgeous with that marbled paper and all the gold accents swirled throughout?  These prints are a beautiful mix of reds and gold - perfect for Valetine cards.

Before you get started, I would suggest that you use a piece of scrap paper the first time you try to make the card.  Once you master it, it's very easy to replicate and you should have no problems.  

Here are the directions for the actual card:  The Melon Mambo card base is 11" x 4 1/4".  It is scored at 2 1/4" and 5 1/2".  On the section with the 2 1/4" score line, measure in 1" at the line and cut out the rectangle shape.  Do this on the other side to match.  This will leave you a flap that is 2 1/2" wide that can fold backwards and forwards.

This picture shows you the outside of the card.  You can see the two 1" x 2 1/4" sections that are cut out.  The card folds on the 5 1/2" score line and the flap stays flat.  When you open the card, the flap swings and you can see the front design on the inside of the card.

There are three pieces of the Marbled Elegance DSP cut for the card.  They measure one at 4" x 5 1/4" and two of them at 4" x 3".  The two smaller pieces are attached to the left flap, both outside the card and inside.  The larger piece is attached to the inside back area.

The layered sentiment areas both outside and inside are the same measurements.

Melon Mambo is 4 1/4" x 2 1/2"  (2)

Brushed Gold is 4 1/8" x 2 3/8"  (1)

Basic White is 4" x 2 21/4"  (2)

(I used Brushed Gold on the outside layers, but not inside the card.  You could use in both places if you wanted.)

The sentiment on the front layer is from the Hearts of Elegance set.  It's stamped with Melon Mambo ink.  The inside sentiment is another of the stamps in this set.  After stamping both sentiments, attach the proper layers together with adhesive.  I used "green glue" as it's easier to manipulate the layer edges with this glue.

Looking back to the third picture, close the card with the flap to the right edge.  Add adhesive to only the squarish flap.  Then line up the top layer's right edge to the edge of the card front over the flap to cover it.  Now the front layer sits across the card front when it's closed but can swing to the inside of the card when it's open. 

For the hearts across the front of the sentiment layer, I used three different heart dies from the Hearts of Elegance set.  The heart on the left is cut from the Marbled Elegance DSP.  This print is the backside of the print I used on the card.  It uses the die with the stitched design in it.  The heart on the right is cut from Basic White cardstock.  It has a trio of flowers stamped across it using a stamp from the Heart Shaped SAB set.  They're stamped with Melon Mambo ink.  The same ink was used with a Blending Brush to add a little color around the edges.  The center heart is the smallest heart die and is cut from Melon Mambo cardstock.  There is a flower die-cut from a marbled print scrap.  It's attached to the heart with a Mini Glue Dot.

The finishing touches were the Brushed Gold Flat Hearts that are also part of this suite in the Online Exclusives section of the store.  Aren't they just the perfect addition to the design?  And they're flat so you don't have to worry about bulky cards going through the mail.

Whew!  Did any of that make sense?  Like I mentioned in the beginning of the post, Tami White made a video giving excellent directions for making these cards.  This one was difficult to just write instructions without lots of visuals.  If you have questions about making this fun fold, please contact me by email at sharoncarr50@gmail.com.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

New Heart Shaped Set

Hello friends.  Back again using a new product from Stampin'Up! that I'm really loving - the Heart Shaped Bundle.  It is so easy to create using this bundle.  I thought today's card would be a simple straight-forward card using just one set.  Well, when I got around to actually making the card from my thoughts, it turns out I used a few extra die sets and another stamp set too.  Seems like it's hard to focus on just one set when there's so many possibilities out there that I can use!  Sometimes you've just got to get everything out on your desk, make a big mess, and create.  At least that's how I tend to work.  So, let's see the card made with the new Heart Shaped Bundle (that is a Sale-a-bration freebie!!) and a few other goodies that I have on hand.

I wanted a bright sunny card to send out in January when all seems dreary and gray.  This certainly accomplished that!  I mentioned that this uses a stamp and die bundle that is one of the Sale-a-bration items.  When you purchase at least $120 of products, you can choose this bundle.  You'll find you will use it throughout the year, and not just for Valentines Day.  This is going to be a very versatile set!

To make this card, I started with a bright Daffodil Delight card base that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half.

The Designer Series Paper used here is from the new Floral Delight DSP that's in the new Jan - April 2025 Mini Catalog.  This paper is beautiful and it's part of the Delightful Wishes Suite that I'll be featuring soon.  For this card, the yellow geometric print measures 5 1/4" x 4".  I was going to leave it plain, but decided to add the Stitched Whimsy Die (ret) to add a little interest around the edges.  After cutting, it was attached to the folded Daffodil Delight card base.

The next step is cutting the white circle layer.  I used the 2nd largest circle die in the Stylish Shapes Die set.  I wanted the heart wreath to slightly hang over the edges.  

The wreath stamp in the Heart Shaped set was used to stamp a Daffodil Delight wreath on the white circle.  I actually stamped it twice - once about 1/8" off center to the left and then again to the right.  This gave me a much fuller base to attach the die-cut wreath.

The wreath was die-cut from Old Olive cardstock.  There are also a couple of small leaves die-cut at the same time.  Touches of adhesive around the wreath were used to hold it in place.

Next, the flowers were die-cut from Daffodil Delight cardstock.  The two larger ones are from this same set, but the smaller one is from the Country Birdhouse Die set.  

The sentiment comes from the Heart Shaped set too.  It's such a tiny little thing that it fits tucked in just about anywhere. The little banner die is from the Nested Essentials die (ret).  The sentiment is stamped with Old Olive ink.

The ribbon is another item in the Delightful Wishes Suite but can be purchased separately.  The color of the ribbon is Daffodil Delight and it's 1/8" wide.  A bow was made from this and attached to the circle with a Mini Glue Dot that was rolled to make it tiny.  

The sentiment was attached in the middle of the heart using adhesive only on the left side.  The right edge is curled up a little and has no adhesive on it.  The flowers were clustered between the bow and the sentiment.  They're attached with a Mini Glue Dot under each.  

As the finishing touch, some Rhinestone Basic Jewels were added to the center of each flower.

Oops, I almost forgot the inside of the card.  Can't do that!

The design was carried inside to match the front.  The same wreath stamp was used to stamp onto a Basic White layer.  It's stamped with Daffodil Delight ink.

The sentiment is from a set called Hugs for Love.  This is another new set in the Jan - April 2025 Mini Catalog.  It's stamped inside the heart using Old Olive ink.  So cute - love this sentiment!

I had so much fun making this card that I ended up making five of them.  These will really brighten the days of the ladies that receive them this month.  Just a little sunshine in their mailbox.  

That's it for this non-Valentine card using hearts.  What can you create with this?  I'd love to hear your ideas.

Reminder that there are so many new things going on right now - new Jan-April 2025 Mini Catalog, Sale-a-bration, new Online Exclusive items, and new kits in the Stampin'Up! store just waiting for you!  What a fabulous time of year!!  This sure makes those winter blues slip away.

Don't forget that the Sale-a-bration requirements have changed this year.  The minimum required is $60 for Level 1 items and $120 for Level 2 items.  The Heart Shaped Bundle is a Level 2 item and is definitely worth every penny!  If I can help you with any ordering or information, please ask.  I'd love to be of service.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Ready for Valentines?

Hello friends, it's getting to be that time of year again where everything is coming up hearts and flowers.  I don't have the flower half on my cards today, but we do have the hearts covered.  I'm working on Valentine card ideas that are super simple to construct as this month our Groovy Grans group at church are putting the cards together for the shut-ins.  Since I'm one of the 'younger' members at 73 years of age, that gives you a general idea of the ages of these lovely ladies.  So simple it is.  This is the first set of cards.  I will be coming up with more ideas in the near future for them to make also.

This first batch of cards is very bold and bright.  Thought they would be cheerful and work for either a man or a woman.  I guess that's my criteria - not too frilly so the men can enjoy them too.

These cards are made with the Hearts of Elegance Bundle and the Marbled Elegance Specialty Designer Series Paper which are all found on the Online Exclusive section of the store instead of in any catalog.  And don't forget those darling Gold Heart Sequins found in that section too.  Really, you don't want to miss browsing there.  Some of the very best goodies can be found in the Online Exclusives section!

To make the cards, I started with Melon Mambo cardstock for the base.  After trying out all the different colors that match the DSP, I decided that Melon Mambo was the best choice for these cards.  This is cut at 11" x 4 1/4" and scored at 5 1/2".  This makes it a top fold card.

The marble-looking print is one of the six choices in the Marbled Elegance DSP.  They are all beautiful, swirled prints so it was a hard choice.  This one won out.  It's cut to measure 5 1/4" x 4".  You can get 6 pieces (enough for 6 cards) all cut from one sheet.  The DSP was attached to the folded Melon Mambo card base using adhesive.

Next was choosing which heart colors to use with this design.  Even though the card base is Melon Mambo, I chose to use Real Red cardstock to cut out the hearts.  Then added some brushed Gold Specialty Paper for the second heart.

Did you notice the lovely, pierced design in the hearts?  One of the heart dies from the set adds the design as it cuts the heart out.  Nice touch.

The hearts are attached on the top half of the card.  The gold heart is attached with adhesive on just the middle section of the heart that is plain.  The Real Red heart is attached over this with three Dimensionals to hold in place.

The sentiment used here is also from the Hearts of Elegance stamp set.  There are seven sentiments in the set including a 'to and from' stamp to make it easy for finding just the sentiment you need.

The label for the sentiment is from the Wildflower Designs Die set.  I love the shape of these for a different look than the usual rectangles or circles that I use.  This size is the smallest in the group and is the perfect size for this card.

The sentiment is stamped in the center of the label using Melon Mambo ink.  I tried one with Real Red and didn't like it with this card.

The sentiment label is attached to the card front with Dimensionals.  It's positioned just a bit below the hearts.

The crowning touch for our Valentine card is more hearts, of course.  Those cute gold Adhesive-backed Heart Sequins were added to the label.  I used two of the larger hearts.  I love that these hearts are totally flat, so you don't have to worry about break-through when your envelope goes through the mail.  That's always so frustrating!

So, what do you think?  Will the ladies be able to put these together easily?  And will these cards brighten the day for the shut-ins that receive them?  If those answers are yes, my mission is accomplished!

Do you like any of these products?  If so, I'd be happy to be your demonstrator if you'd like to order from me.  Don't forget that Sale-a-bration is starting January 7th when you can earn free products.  These products can add to your total and you'll get a freebie!  Remember that the required order total for free items is $60 (or $120 for the higher ticket items).  You might want to consider waiting until January 7th to place your orders!  It's only a few more days, but well worth the wait.

Thanks for stopping by today and getting a quick dose of lots of hearts.  Theres more where that came from, so I better get stamping and get my ideas from my head onto paper.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

New Mixed Florals!

Happy New Year dear friends!  Yes, this is a day late, but I can explain.  Hopefully you're all having a better transition time from last year to this year.  I was really enjoying all the holiday busyness and then Christmas day with my family.   But the cold and sinus bug decided to strike on the 26th.  And that was that for the end of the year.  So not fun!  I'm finally starting to get back my energy and can think straight again, so here I am.  The cards I want to share today were actually made before Christmas and were a fun Sneak Peek of new things to come, but time has slipped away, and the new mini catalog time is almost upon us.  And not just the new mini catalog, but Sale-a-bration and new Online Exclusives too!!  Wow!  So many good things are coming on January 7th.  What a way to start the new year off right!  

When I saw the new Online Exclusives that would be joining the line-up, something caught my eye, and I just had to order it to play with as quickly as possible.  Of course, it was a floral set!  I thought this would be a cute bundle to work with and I was so right.  I've seen some adorable and lovely cards using the tulips in the new Mixed Florals Bundle, but I was drawn to the daisies first.  So, on with the not-so-early Sneak Peek of both the Mixed Florals Bundle and the Mixed Labels Bundle that're coming soon.  Plus, the card is a Fun Fold!  Bonus!

These were so easy to make, and I loved the look so much that I decided to make several of them.  Here are two with just slight changes between them with the placement of the sentiment.

To make this fun fold, start with a card base that measures 8 1/2" x 4 1/4".  It's scored in half, so when folded you have a 4 1/4" square card.  I used Moody Mauve cardstock on these cards.

As an accent, I added a bit of the new Timeless Plaid 6" x 6" DSP from the new mini catalog.  Isn't it pretty with the Moody Mauve and Petal Pink used together in the plaid?  For the card, I used a 4" x 2" piece to go across the bottom of the card.  It's attached with adhesive near the bottom edge.

Next up is the main section of the card.  A piece of Basic White was cut at 4" x 2 3/4" for stamping the daisies.  Memento Tuxedo Black ink was used for this.  The daisies are a little longer than the cardstock, so they were positioned at the top and any excess on the bottom was ignored.

For coloring the flowers, Stampin' Blends were used.

Daisy Petals (only near the centers):  Petal Pink Dark

Daisy Centers:  Pecan Pie Light & Dark

Stems & Leaves:  Old Olive Light & Dark

Tiny Flowers:  Moody Mauve Light & Dark

After stamping and coloring, it seemed to need a little extra color.  I used the Moody Mauve Light Blends to spatter some color overall.  Then, just because, I spattered Wink of Stella on this to give it a little bit of sparkle too.

To finish making the card, a 3" x 4 1/4" piece of Moody Mauve was cut to back the design.  They're attached together with adhesive.  To fit this onto the card base, place the top over the folded base and measure to keep the height no more than 5 1/2" so it fits in the envelopes.  I ended up with a height of 5 1/4" on mine.  Lightly mark on the back of design piece to gauge how much area needs to be left free of adhesive before you put any on the back.  You don't want to have to try to get the adhesive off, so be careful.

Next comes the sentiment which is from the new bundle called Mixed Labels.  Lots of cute sentiments here to choose from in the set.  I chose a simple friendship one and stamped it with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Then it's trimmed down to make a small tag that measures about 1/2" by a little less than 2".  Just trim to fit.  This is attached with a Dimensionals strip that is only on the part of the label that is on the design area, so it floats on the right edge.

I'm having trouble keeping track of which ribbons are current or not.  This is a retired ribbon that is Petal Pink and 1/8" wide.  Just perfect for the card.  If you have nothing to match, use a Petal Pink Stampin' Blend or Marker on a white ribbon.  Instant match!  My ribbon is attached with Mini Glue Dots to the bottom of the bouquet on this card.

The inside of the card has a 4" x 4" piece of Basic White cardstock.  Another sentiment from the Mixed Labels was stamped with the same black ink used on the card.  There is a smaller flower stamp in the set that matches the front design.  This was stamped with Moody Mauve in the corner to compliment the design.

Just a last up-close and personal look at this design.  I was surprised that it only took about 10 minutes to do the coloring on this design.  So, this a quick card to make when you're in a hurry, but it looks like you spent more time on it than you did.  Plus, a fun fold card always gets a little more attention.

Hope you're excited to see all the new items that will be available coming on January 7th.  I'm sure you'll find a thing or two that is just what you need.  There are so many different styles and products from which to choose. 

IMPORTANT - Stampin'Up! made a change to the Sale-a-bration requirements.  The basic amount needed to earn a free item is now $60 (or $120 on a few larger ticket items).  So please pay attention to the amount of your order and don't miss out on anything.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Hope you have a happy and healthy new year!  And as always, have fun creating and sharing those creations with your family and friends.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon