Painted Pumpkin Stencils

Hello stamping friends!  Happy almost fall y'all.  So, let's talk a minute.  What are your thoughts on stencils for cardmaking?  Have you tried them?  Do you like them?  I'm totally hooked on the idea, so I of course had to get the Painted Pumpkins Bundle found on page 30 of the new catalog.  I'll admit that the colors SU! chose for displaying the suite aren't quite my cup of tea for fall.  But that said, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the stamps, dies, and coordinating stencils.  They are so much fun to play around with to get different color combos.  I've got my first card made with these stencils to share with you.  It's just a simple card with a few layers including some pretty DSP and a few stenciled and die-cut pumpkins to round it out.  Psst - if you don't like seeing any retired items used, then you don't want to go any further.  This uses a retired die, woven trim, and bling.  Sorry, sometimes you just have to use what works!

The first thing done to make this card was to stencil the three pumpkins onto Basic White cardstock.  The stencils in the Painted Pumpkins bundle have 4 stencils for the pumpkins and 1 stencil that is leaves and vines that would cover a card front size area.  So far, I've only used the pumpkins stencils, but will get around to the leaves at a later date.

The first batch of pumpkins stenciled used Crisp Cantaloupe ink and stencils labelled 1-3 to build the pumpkin colors.  Then a bit of Timid Tiger was added to the third stencil layer to darken it a little.  The fourth stencil adds the stems to each of the pumpkins.  For this I used Crumb Cake ink to keep the pumpkins on the light side.

After the stenciling was finished, these pumpkins were die-cut with the matching die from the set.  While die-cutting, I also cut several loose leaves and all the vines that are in the set.  For cutting, I took a section of Basic White Thick cardstock and Blending Brushes with several green inks - Garden Green, Old Olive, and Peaceful Pine.  The colors were swirled, light and dark, and blended into a fun mixture that was perfect for die-cutting all the leaves and vines.  You can see multiple greens on each piece.  Now that all the pieces were ready, it was time to plan the card.

The layer needed for these pumpkins to reside on was die-cut with the (R) Textured Notes dies from Peaceful Pine cardstock.  I really liked the contrast of this green with the pumpkin colors.  This die measures approximately 4 3/4" x 3 1/4".

Next, a length of (R) Irregular Weave Trim was wrapped around this and taped in the back.  The earthy neutral trim fit in well with this design.  After attaching the trim, the pumpkins were arranged on the right side.  The largest was attached flat with adhesive, and the other two were layered on with Dimensionals.  One of the vines was tucked in over the pumpkins, and the other one was tucked behind.  The leaves on the vines each have a Mini Dimensional behind it to give it depth.

The sentiment is from the Thanks & Giving set.  You'll find this in the Online Exclusive section starting Sept. 1st.  It's stamped with Pecan Pie ink onto a Basic White scrap.  Then it was cut with scissors.  It's attached to the layer with a Dimensional in the center.  Then a couple of loose leaves are tucked under it.

Now, on to the card base.  This is Pecan Pie cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half.

It took a while to decide on a DSP print to use.  I wanted to stay rather muted and let the pumpkins shine.  Looking through my stash, I found this lovely muted Peaceful Pine print in the new Autumn Opulence Designer Series Paper that I just love.  It's so unassuming, but it was just what this design needed.  This will be another Online Exclusive find on Sept. 1st.  A layer was cut that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  It's attached to the card base with adhesive.  Then the Peaceful Pine layer that was just finished was added to the center with adhesive also.

Several (R) Low-Profile Dots in a soft Petal Pink color were added.  Surprisingly these looked perfect with the Crisp Cantaloupe pumpkins.

Now, to finish off the inside of the card.  Another piece of the Autumn Opulence DSP was added.  This measures 5" x 4".

Then a layer of Basic White was cut that measures 4" x 3".  On this, another one of the sentiments in the Thanks & Giving set was stamped in the left corner using Pecan Pie ink.

There's also a tiny pumpkin stamp in this set that is so cute.  It's stamped in the bottom right corner with Pecan Pie ink.  Then Crisp Cantaloupe and Crumb Cake Stampin'Blends were used to add a little color.  Then the white layer was attached inside the card with adhesive.  And that's it.

Thanks for hanging out with me today.  If you haven't tried using the Decorative Masks (stencils) yet, I hope you give them a try.  It's really fun seeing how the colors blend and change as you keep adding layers until you have the final design.

Remember, the new catalog starts September 1st, just two more days to wait!  I'm so excited to see what you'll be getting and the fun things you'll make.  I'd love to hear what you're creating!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Another Radiant Sunflowers Idea

Hello my friends!  Are you tired of ideas using the new Radiant Sunflowers bundle yet?  I sure hope not, because this is turning into a real favorite with me.  I keep thinking up more things to do with this stamp and die set.  And then add in the pretty Sunflower Fields Designer Series Paper to really have a great creative palette to use.  I'm totally hooked on these products and keep coming up with more things I have to try.  Hang in there.  I'll be moving on to something else soon.  I promise!

I love all these muted autumn colors that are so warm and inviting.  This just puts me in the mood for pumpkin patches and cider.  Mm-mmm.  

I wanted to see how this worked with a Basic Beige cardstock base.  That base seemed to make it so much more muted than on either white or vanilla.  It's stamped with Early Espresso ink then colored with Stampin'Blends.

Sunflowers - Daffodil Delight Light, Golden Glow Light & Dark, touches of Crisp Cantaloupe Light

Centers - Pecan Pie Light, (R) dk brown, Crisp Cantaloupe Light

Flower - Golden Glow Light, Cajun Craze Light & Dark

Leaves & stems - Crumb Cake Light

After coloring the image, it was die-cut with the matching die in the bundle.

I wanted to use this checked print from the Sunflower Fields DSP as a backdrop for the image.  It's cut to measure 5 1/4" x 4".  For the card base, a half sheet of Golden Glow cardstock was cut.  This measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.

A 6" length of (R) Early Expresso Seam Binding ribbon was wrapped around the DSP approximately in the middle and attached in the back with adhesive.  Then a short length of ribbon was tied into a knot around this.  To finish the look on this ribbon, a length of linen Thread was wrapped around the brown ribbon then tied into a bow.  The look of those two together gave this a more rustic feel.

This layer was attached to the folded card base using adhesive.

The main image was added over the ribbon using Dimensionals.  The card looked a little empty with just the colored image added, so I improvised.  

The Fern & Flora dies have a pretty leafy stem that would fill in a little more.  I die-cut 3 stems from Early Espresso cardstock.  These were trimmed into smaller sections that tucked in under the main image and were attached with adhesive.

The same die set has a tiny die with 3 itty bitty flowers.  I used this to die-cut several tiny flowers from Cajun Craze cardstock.  I wanted a little extra color there, but not too much.  These were added to the leafy areas with just a touch of "green glue" to hold.  Did you notice those bitty flowers?

The sentiment used here is from the Banner Sayings stamp set.  It's stamped on a 1/2" strip of Basic Beige cardstock using Early Espresso ink.  Both ends were trimmed with scissors to finish.  In case you haven't noticed, I really like this stamp set.  All these little sentiments are so easy to tuck into a design, and they see to cover just about any occasion.

It's attached near the bottom of the card. This time Dimensionals were used to make the sentiment more prominent.

The final touches for this card are a few dark brown dots added to the design.  These are from the Earthy Matte Dots.  I think they're a nice touch here.

That's it for today folks.  Yes, I seem to be stuck on this Radiant Sunflowers bundle.  But I'm not apologizing here.  There are just too many ideas for using this bundle that I haven't tried yet.  But I promise I'll move on soon.

Hope you're excited about trying out some of the awesome new products coming out in the next catalog on September 1st.  I know there are a bunch of stamps, dies, and other goodies that I'm having fun with, and I know you will too.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Quick Retirement Card

Hello friends!  Hope you're doing well this week and getting a lot accomplished.  I've been holed up in my stamp room and getting a lot done, but I'm doing an awful job of posting what I've been working on.  Today is a quick card that lets the DSP do most of the work.  Sometimes when I'm really crunched for time, that's the best way to go.

The Waterside Retreat Designer Series Paper seemed like the perfect feel for this retirement card.  The card focuses on one of the multi-image sheets of DSP that need to be cut apart for use on cards.  This print was actually bigger than a full card size, so it was trimmed down to fit.  It measures 5 1/8" x 3 7/8" in size.

There is a very skinny layer of Pecan Pie added behind it.  This measures 5 1/4" x 4".  They are glued together with adhesive. 

Then they're attached to a folded Lost Lagoon cardstock base.  The base measures 11" x 4 1/4" and is scored and folded at 5 1/2".  Dimensionals were used here.

The sentiment used here is from the Sunset Coast stamp set.  It's stamped with Pretty Peacock ink onto a 1/2" strip of Basic White cardstock.  The ends are angle cut to finish.  The sentiment is attached to a 5/8" layer of Lost Lagoon cardstock.  They are attached with adhesive.  Then the Lost Lagoon layer is angle cut to match the sentiment.  

This was added to the card front using several Dimensionals near the top of the card.

A length of Linen Thread is wrapped around the card front twice, then it's ties into a bow.

For this design, I dug out my retired golden birds and dragonflies embellishments.  The birds added a little glitz to the design without being over-the-top and too girlie.

The inside of the card has a layer of Basic White that measures 5 1/4" x 4".

There is a 1/2" strip of the same DSP along the bottom.    Then I couldn't resist fussy cutting one of the life preservers from another print from the same DSP.  I thought it was a good addition.

The sentiments inside are from the Relaxing Waterside stamp set.  The 'relax' is stamped with Lost Lagoon ink on a Basic White cardstock scrap and then fussy cut.  The rest of the sentiment is stamped onto the white layer with Lost Lagoon ink.

After stamping and attaching the bottom strip, the white layer was attached inside the card.  Then the 'relax' was added with Dimenisonals so it really stands out.

That's it for making this quick retirement card.  Like I said, the DSP really did make the card.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Only another couple of days until September 1st.  And you know what that means - the new catalog goes live, and you can shop to your heart's content!  I've been having so much fun creating with some of the new stamps and dies.  I really have to get a move on and finish all these posts for the cards I have sitting by my computer!  I still have six more to go in the lineup right now!!  Yikes.  Yes, I'm working on it!!!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Sunflower Fields with Template

Hey there!  Today I'm back creating with the gorgeous Sunflower Fields Designer Series Paper.  I love the rich autumn colors used with this paper.  Reminds me of driving in Michigan in the fall when all the trees are changing and it's just a patchwork of autumn colors.  The change of colors isn't that dramatic here and I miss all that glorious color!  So, when I saw this paper pack with all the gorgeous color and add in all the sunflowers too, it was definitely a must have item for me.  I've already made a more muted design with this paper.  Now it's time to focus on the color.  Plus, this card uses a template for cutting that you can use over and over.

Doesn't this design just warm you up from the inside out?  Sorry, getting a little carried away here.  The idea here was to keep the DSP front and center but add a little interest to the design.  There are three panels cut consecutively from a piece of DSP.  Each panel measures 1 1/2" x 3 1/2".  Make sure you keep them in order when constructing the card so you can see the total design.

Next a layer of Early Expresso cardstock was cut.  This measures 5" x 3 3/4".  The three panels of print paper were lined up and attached to this. I found that lining them up on the layer and attaching first one side then the other side kind of eyeballing the edges worked the best.  Then just add the center panel in the middle.  Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue works best for me so there's a little wiggle time to get it straight.

The next step was choosing the card base.  Cajun Craze really made the colors stand out, so a piece was cut to measure 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  This was scored and folded in half.

The panel with the DSP was attached to the center of the card base using Dimensionals.

The sentiment used here is from the Radiant Sunflowers set.  It's stamped on a piece of Basic White cardstock using Early Espresso ink.  The white panel is 2" x 1 1/4".

There is a piece of Cajun Craze cardstock added behind the sentiment.  It measures 2 1/8" x 1 3/8".  They're attached with adhesive.  Then this is added to the card base with Dimensionals.

The inside has a layer of Basic White added.  This measures 5 1/4" x 3 1/2" just to be a little different.  

This is another sentiment from the Radiant Sunflowers set.  Again, I used Early Espresso ink to stamp it to keep with the warm colors.

To bring the design to the inside, a 1/2" piece of the same print was added to the bottom of the layer.  This brightens the inside so much.

To finish the front of the card, a bow was made from the new Neutrals Jute Combo.  This jute combo has 5 different colors to fit all the fall cards you want to make.  Several of the colors in the set worked, but I liked the Pecan Pie color the best.  The bow was added with a Mini Glue Dot to hold in place.

Three of the new Gold Adhesive-backed Dots were added to the design.  These are a soft muted matte gold that is so pretty.

So now you've got this versatile template to use with your DSP prints that you've been hanging on to because they're so pretty.  Time to get them out and use them.  Then send them out in the mail so someone else can enjoy it too!

I know this is last minute, but if you're planning on making an order soon, do it by August 21st.  Stampin'Up! is giving double rewards on all orders!!  And there are selected cardstock and DSP packs that are on sale.  Go online and see what basics you might need that are on sale now to take advantage of both sales!!

Thanks for stopping in today for your latest inspiration fix.  I hope you love this template idea and find ways to use it yourself.  There are so many templates that are similar to this.  Some have four panels or even more.  Just play around with the idea and make it work for you.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Radiant Sunflowers Bundle Sneak Peek

Hello friends!  Whew, still in the mid 90's and that's the forecast for the next week at least.  It's so hard to spend time outside when you can't catch your breath and you feel you're melting on the spot.  I want to know why you can't melt off fat while doing this!  The way I feel in the heat, I'm sure I should be at least 10 pounds lighter by now!  😆  Unfortunately, life doesn't work that way, right?  So, with a mind over matter plan, today's card is another fall themed card.  I suppose it could be used for different seasons if you changed the colors, but this card exudes a strong autumn vibe to me.

See what I mean about a fall feel?  The first thing I did with this card was to stamp this flower cluster from the Radiant Sunflowers bundle onto Very Vanilla cardstock.  This bundle is coming in September, and I can hardly wait for you to use it!  I used Pecan Pie ink for this to stay on the warm side.  After stamping, the coloring began.  

Stampin'Blends were used for this part:

Sunflower petals - Daffodil Delight Light & Dark

Sunflower centers - Pecan Pie Light & Dark

Flower - Daffodil Delight Dark, Timid Tiger Light

Leaves - Old Olive Light & Dark

At this point several extra leaves from the set were stamped with Pecan Pie ink and colored with Old Olive Light & Dark Blends.

All the pieces were die-cut with the matching dies in the set.  Now it was time to decide what to add to these flowers to make the card.  The card base is Pecan Pie cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.

A wide strip 5 1/2" x 3 1/4" was cut from Crumb Cake cardstock.  A sentiment from the set was used to stamp onto this strip in the far bottom right corner.  Then comes the embossing.   I'm lovin' the new Softly Woven 3D Embossing Folder which was used on this to give lots of texture.

This strip was attached to the folded card front using Tombow MultiPurpose Glue to hold securely.

There are some great prints in the Sunflower Fields Designer Series Paper coming in the catalog in September.  This brown-on-brown check highlighted the flowers nicely.  It measures 2 1/4" x 4".   But it needed something extra to set it apart from all the other brown tones on the card.  

I could have used a cardstock piece, but I remembered a golden yellow print from spring maybe two plus years ago now.  I had a few odd pieces of it left, so it's used here.  It measures 2 1/2" x 4 1/4".  The brown checked print was adhered to this with adhesive.  Then both pieces were added to the card front using adhesive.

The design still needed something else.  The grid from the Lily of the Valley die set was used to die-cut gold foil cardstock.  The two pieces were attached under the sunflower cluster using adhesive.  That bit of gold peeking out at the top and bottom was perfect.  The sunflowers were attached over the grids using Dimensionals.  Then the extra leaves were tucked in around the design to fill it out.

Several Gold Adhesive-backed Dots were sprinkled on the design.  Yep, they're in the new in the catalog coming out in September.

A smallish bow was made from the Crumb Cake color jute in the Neutrals Jute Combo that is also new in the catalog coming in September.  It's attached with a Mini Glue Dot.  The jute really continues the rustic feel of the finished card.

Hope this card idea gets you thinking fall.  Yes, I know there's still a couple weeks left in August for those last summer get-aways or picnics at the beach.  But this heat is so rough on me I'm really praying for cooler weather.  I do thank you for visiting my blog and hope you are inspired to give some of these products a try.  If you're looking for a demonstrator, I'd be happy to work with you.  If you are one of my customers and you haven't received your new September - December 2026 Catalog in the mail from me, please let me know so I can see what's going on.  Most of my customers really do become my friends, and I appreciate each one of you!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Quick Card Featuring Fall DSP

Hello again my friends.  Today's card is a very simple layered card featuring two new Designer Series Papers for are both fabulous in their own rights.  Both are fall themed, but they have a distinctly different feel to them.  It was fun to pair them together with this quick and easy card that was finished in minutes.  If you like this idea, but don't have either of these paper packs yet, why not try this design using what you have on hand.  Just work with two different prints that have a similar color palette.  Make sure one is a tiny print, and one is bolder - more of a focal point than a background.  Let me show you what I mean.

The part of this card I decided upon first was the soft monochromatic sunflower print from the Sunflower Fields Designer Series Paper.  Who new Cajun Craze could be such a soft color?  This piece measures 3" x 4" which makes it a good size to be the focal image.

Next, Cajun Craze was chosen for the card base.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.

It took a few tries to decide on this interesting background layer.  It's from the Autumn Opulence Designer Series Paper pack.  It's a nice background by itself, but...

I've been reaching so often for my new Softly Woven 3D Embossing Folder that just came a few days ago.  Wow!  I love the texture this adds to the paper and either side works wonderfully.  After embossing, this was added to the card front using Tombow Multi-Purpose Glue to hold.

I thought of using Cajun Craze as a layer next.  But after trying, it just got lost in the design.  Switched to a layer of Basic Black and that worked very well.  It measures 3 1/4" x 4 1/4".  The two pieces were attached with adhesive.

A Black & Very Vanilla Large Checked Ribbon was wrapped around these layers top to bottom then tied into a knot.  I liked the check with the country feel of the design so far.

The sentiment is one of the pre-made sentiments in the Greetings for All Mix & Match set.  These greetings come either white on black or black on white so they're very versatile.  I chose this white on black sentiment, but it was just a little stark and didn't blend well with the warm tones of the card.  The Ivory Stampin'Blend marker was used to color over the white.  Now it fits the colors so much better.

The sentiment was attached over the ribbon with a strip of Dimensionals to hold in place.  And to keep the ribbon from wiggling around, a Mini Glue Dot was tucked under the knot.  Perfect.

The two layers were attached to the card front with Dimensionals.

Several of the Cajun Craze & Gold Dots were scattered onto the design for a little bling.  I know these are retired, but they were my first pick.  There are several other items that could work, so use what you think works best.

The inside of the card has a 5 1/4" x 4" layer of Very Vanilla.  The sentiment is stamped in black ink.  (It's retired, sorry!  I always keep all my sentiment stamp sets to use as needed)

A different print from the Sunflower Fields DSP pack was used as an accent.  This measures 3/4" x 4" and is attached with adhesive.  And the card is finished.  

It definitely took me longer to type out this post than it took to make it.   I love making these quick and easy cards that feature the DSP as the focal point when I'm in a hurry to get a card out in the mail right away.  This is for a friend whose birthday I almost forgot.  Oops!  But it's ready to go in the mail as we speak, just in time!

Thanks for stopping in again to see what's been going on here.  Seems like every day somewhere around 4-5pm or so we've been getting a gusty lightning and thunderstorm that might hang around an hour or two and then be gone. We've gotten about 1/2"+ of rain almost every day! Add that to our temps being in the mid 90's all week and things have been very muggy and uncomfortable.  On the bright side, I don't think I've ever seen our grass (aka weeds) look so lush and green in August before!  So, is that a good or a bad thing?  Depends on your point of view, I guess.  Anyway, that just gives me more of an excuse to get down into my stamp room and putter around.  Now, if I could just get all these posts done, I'd be really happy!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Fun For Fall Card

Hello friends and happy fall y'all!  I've made a sharp pivot away from summer and have jumped solidly into fall with the cards I've made in the last few days.  That means I've got a lot to share and need to start in getting these posts written.  Have you seen the Fun For Fall stamp and die bundle in the Online Exclusives yet?   I love scarecrows so this set was a must-have for me.  But when I got it and really paid attention to all the details included in the bundle, I was totally hooked.  If you like die-cutting (yes Sue, this is you for sure!) you'll love this set too.  This card features both the die-cutting and coloring to make a cute fall scene.

The card starts with a card base of Pecan Pie which is a perfect fall color.  This is 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is folded in half.  Next is a skinny layer of Basic Black cardstock that measures 5 3/8" x 4 1/8".  On top of this is a layer of Golden Glow.  This is such a lovely warm color and perfect for the card.  The layer measures 5 1/4" x 4".  These layers are attached together with adhesive.

Next is a layer of Basic White that we'll do all the stamping and layering onto before attaching to the card front.  I started with Blending Brushes and both Balmy Blue and Old Olive inks.  The blue was blended across the top two-thirds for the sky, and the bottom has a blending of Old Olive to look like grass.

Next the hay bales and crows were stamped onto Basic White with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  There were three bales and 5 crows stamped.  They were colored with Stampin'Blends:

Hay - Golden Glow Light

Twine - Crumb Cake Light

Beaks - Daffodil Delight Dark

Bodies - Pebbled Path Dark (I wanted it a little lighter than black)

After coloring, these pieces were die-cut with the matching dies in the set.  Then it was time to die-cut the rest of the pieces for the card.

Corn stalks - Old Olive cardstock (cut 4 times)

Ears - Daffodil Delight cardstock (cut enough to fit stalks)

Fence - Crumb Cake cardstock (cut 3 sections)

Before adding anything to the white layer, the sentiment was stamped near the top of the layer.   I used Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

The ears of corn were attached behind the greenery with a little dab of adhesive.  Then 3 of the stalks were positioned on the left of the card and attached with adhesive.  Then 2 of the fence sections were attached over the corn.  Used adhesive for this. 

 

Then the right side was worked on.  First the 3 stacked hay bales were attached with adhesive.  Then 3 of the crows were added.  I didn't want to use Dimensionals, but wanted a little definition.  So, each of the crows have two Mini Glue Dots rolled up and placed behind them to hold in place to add just a little height.

I couldn't resist the "hay there" sentiment, so it was stamped under the first sentiment.  I'm still wishy-washy about whether I should have added it.  But it's there now, so it's staying!

The white layer was finished so it was attached to the card front with adhesive.  (I tried Dimensionals, but I didn't like it, so they were peeled off)

For the inside of the card, I thought it would be fun to have a mini version of the card front added inside too.

The bottom of the layer has a small band of Old Olive ink blended along this to mimic the front.  I added the last corn stalk set to the right with the fence added in front of it.  

The sentiment is another one from the Fun For Fall set.  It's stamped with the same black ink.

I couldn't forget the last couple of crows that were left.  They were added to the inside with Mini Glue Dots also.  Then this white layer was attached inside the card to finish it.

There's no extra bling added to this card.  With all the die-cut layers going on, there didn't seem to be a need for anything else.  I think it would just get too busy looking.

Thanks for hanging out with me on this fall adventure.  There will be a few more coming soon.  Hope you're ready for fall.  Since kids are back to school now, it seems to be the right time for fall themed creations.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon