Another Card Template for You

Hey everyone.  Hope you're all doing well and having a great day.  Things have been a little crazy the last few days with my heart again.  I'm learning so much about how my heart works or doesn't work sometimes!  I'd much rather be ignorant and have no heart problems though.  It's really cutting into my stamping time!  I did spend time stamping on Monday when I had a little more energy for a change.  Looking through my card layout ideas, I came across another quick and easy idea that I hadn't used in a while.  Looking at the layout, this idea just popped in my head, and I had to give it a try.  It was so much fun, I made two more.  So, I guess it's time to share and get creating here.

This is what I envisioned and it's as pretty as I thought it would be.  My first thought was to use one of the vases in the Artisan Sketched Garden DSP pack.  I first cut a strip from the bottom of this sheet and cut them into separate sections to use.  

Before there was any coloring done, the colors needed to match another print of DSP.  This time I found a pretty Fresh Freesia and Peach Pie print that would work.  The print is from the Lovely and Beautiful DSP.   I'd used the gorgeous gold-touched prints but really hadn't used the back of the prints.  This print was die-cut with the largest square die in the Stylish Shapes die set.  I cut two right away to make two cards at a time.

TIP:  It's best to use a non-directional print for this layout because you're putting it at an angle.

A Basic White cardstock layer was cut to frame the die-cut piece.  The white measured 3" x 3".  The two pieces were attached with adhesive.

A Basic White cardstock piece was cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" for the card base.  A Fresh Freesia cardstock piece was cut at 5 1/4" x 4" for the layer.  This was embossed with the Beautiful Pattern Embossing Folder to give the layer a subtle pattern to go with the delicate floral DSP print.  This was attached to the white card base with adhesive.  Then the diamond layers were attached a little above center using Dimensionals.  

The coloring on the vase of tulips was with Stampin' Blends:

vase - Fresh Freesia Light and Dark

tulips - Peach Pie Light and Dark

greenery - Granny Apple Green Light & Dark

Then the image was fussy cut which only takes a few minutes.  It was attached to the diamond shape with Dimensionals.

The sentiment is from the Banner Sayings set.   This was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto a 3/8" wide strip.  The ends were trimmed to finish it.  Then it was attached to the bottom of the card with Dimensionals.

Three Iridescent Pearls were tucked in around the design for a subtle accent.

Next card uses the same white base with the same embossed Fresh Freesia layer.  The diamond-shaped layers in the middle are the same.  

This time I used some images from the Simply Beautiful set.  They were stamped onto Basic White with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Then they were colored with Stampin' Blends:

flowers - Fresh Freesia Light and Dark

leaves - Granny Apple Green Light and Dark

flower center - Peach Pie Light and Dark

After coloring, the images were die-cut with their matching dies and added to the diamond layers using Dimensionals. 

I thought the sentiment needed to be a little larger to go with these images.  It's stamped on a 5/8" wide strip of Basic White with Fresh Freesia ink.  When trimmed, the ends are a little longer than normal so the pretty gems could be added at each end.

At this point, I wanted to do a little more coloring on those Artisan Sketched Garden DSP, so I reverted back to that paper but kept the same Fresh Freesia color and DSP print.  

I just love these images from the Artisan Sketched Garden DSP.  They are so loose and 'artsy' looking.  They just beckon me to come play with them!  This is another image from that bottom row of the print.  The coloring is Stampin' Blends again.

flowers - Peach Pie Light and Dark

buds - Fresh Freesia Light

greenery - Granny Apple Green Light and Dark

water - Sea Spray Light and Dark  (this is from several years back and I just love this color, so it gets used often)

The image is fussy cut then layered onto the diamond shape with Dimensionals.

For this card, I changed the embossed layer to the Eyelet 3D Embossing Folder.  I love the bolder look of the embossing with the delicate look of the floral print DSP.  It's a nice contrast.

The same sentiment was used as the first card.  It's attached with Dimensionals.  Then three of the Iridescent Pearls were tucked in around the design.

I hope you like this simple card layout.  The diamond shape could be made smaller to fit your take on this layout.  That's part of the process of using layouts to get you started.  Since you are the designer, you can change the layout to fit your needs!

One thing I want to stress here, I absolutely am having so much fun coloring these images from the Artisan Sketched Garden Designer Series Paper!  I need to try colored pencils and water-color pencils too with this.  I was surprised that I could color and fussy cut an image out in about 10 minutes.  Amazing!  And I totally love the look of them.  You might even say I'm getting addicted to coloring them!  I always did enjoy coloring books, and I guess I haven't grown out of that yet.  I hope you enjoy coloring these too.  Let me know when you've tried using this DSP.  I'd love to hear if you like it too.

Thanks for sharing some time with me today.  Hope to see you back soon.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Piles of Thank You Cards

Hello stamping friends!  What a beautiful day we have today!  (that's a little sarcasm there)  Chilly, damp and cloudy.  Sounds like the perfect day to get downstairs and do a little creating, doesn't it?  Well, I do feel a little better today.  My heart isn't quite as rambunctious as it has been lately.  So, I thought I should take advantage of this energy and do something.  Let's see, housework, laundry, or stamping?  Hmmm.  Boy, that was a real hard choice, right?  Are you laughing out loud yet? 

I felt the need to send out some thank you cards for a few gifts I received for my birthday.  Looking at my stash of DSP, and knowing I'll be getting more very soon, I thought I should use some of my retired stash to make more room.  You remember that cute True Blue Florals DSP that was a Product of the Month a couple months back?  I had a bunch of odds & ends pieces that needed to be used up, so that was a really good place to start.

This is a look at most of what I made today.  There are a few others that didn't fit with this grouping of cards.  Maybe I'll share them at a later date.  As you can see, there were several strips of DSP in different prints.  I'm always surprised by how many of those strips are always left over when the paper pack is almost gone.  This was a great way to use some of them up.

On the majority of cards made today, the focal image used was either the larger roses stamp or the single small flower from the Charming Day stamp and die bundle.  Sorry, this is a favorite set of mine and it is retired.  Then I couldn't resist trying out a few images from the Artisan Sketched Garden DSP.   That's in the new catalog and will be available to purchase on May 5th.  Those images are awesome!  You need to fussy cut the images if you want to use an individual design, but that only takes a minute or two.  Not a big problem.

Let's start with two cards that are very similar.  The card base on these cards is Balmy Blue that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  They are scored and folded in half.

The strips of True Blue Florals DSP on each card is about 1 7/8" x 5 1/2".  Both strips are backed with a layer of Night of Navy.  The top card is 2 1/4" x 5 1/2".  The bottom card has a wider layer of Night of Navy - 2 1/2" x 5 1/2".

The sentiment on each of these is from the Wonderful Thoughts stamp set.  (It was on the Last Chance List, but it just sold out.  Bummer!)  It's stamped on a 1/2" strip of Basic White.  Then the ends are trimmed with paper snips.

The roses are stamped with memento Tuxedo Black ink on Basic White cardstock.  They are colored with Stampin' Blends:

roses:  Balmy Blue Light & Dark, and Azure Blue Light

leaves:  Granny Apple Green Light & Dark

I've never colored these roses in blues before, but I love how they turned out!

The card base for this one is Basic White Thick.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  The DSP strip measures 1 3/4" x 5 1/2".  It's backed by a Night of Navy strip that measures 2 1/2" x 5 1/2".

This time the sentiment strip is also layered onto a Night of Navy strip measuring 3/4" wide.  This makes the horizontal strip so much bolder to define it.

This flower is also from the Charming Day set.  When coloring, I also added just a small touch of Blueberry Bushel Light Stampin' Blends to the flower.

The tiny flowers are from the Forever Florals stamp and die set.  They are die-cut from Balmy Blue cardstock to mimic the main flower and also to give more heft to the focal image.  It didn't look substantial enough without the added mini flowers and extra leaves.  A sprinkle of three Rhinestone Basic Jewels was added to finish the design.

This is where things got a little different.  I'd wanted to try the new Artisan Sketched Garden DSP since I saw it.  It finally came in the mail, so why not use it here?  I cut a strip off the bottom of this sheet of designs and picked one to color.  I had a little problem finding a punch or die that could get the whole image but manage to not cut into the surrounding images.  I used my very old Layering Ovals Dies to cut both the DSP and the Night of Navy layer behind it.

The image is colored with the same colors as used on the other images.

The card base is Balmy Blue with a layer of Night of Navy on top of it.  The DSP piece measures 2 3/4" x 4".  It's attached in the upper left corner with adhesive.  The ovals were attached to the center of the DSP layer using Dimensionals.

A small Basic White circle was cut using one of the Spotlight on Nature dies.  The sentiment is stamped with Night of Navy ink.  Three of the new Sunset Sparkle Sequins in a bluish tone were added under the sentiment.

This last card is my very favorite of the whole batch of cards.  This time I have a Basic White Thick base.  It's layered with a full layer of one of the Balmy Blue designs from the True Blue DSP pack.   This time a 1/4" strip of Basic White cardstock was added near the bottom to anchor the vase when it was added.

The vase of greenery is from the same Artisan Sketched Garden DSP.  This time it was fussy cut after coloring.  I used Stampin' Blends again.

water:  Balmy Blue Light

leaves:  Granny Apple Green Light

The Basic White sentiment piece measures 7/8" x 2 1/8".  It's stamped with the new Basic Black Hybrid ink pad.  There is a 1" x 2 1/4" layer of Basic Black attached behind to frame it.  Both the vase and the sentiment are attached with Dimensionals.  Three soft blue pearls are added to the white strip as an accent.  These are Tahitian Tide pearls from several years ago, but I liked the look here. 

Whew!  That's it for my card making marathon today.  Maybe I'll get around to the last several cards if I find the time.  I hope you've gotten some ideas about using those leftover strips of DSP from other projects that you have laying around.  Just check if there is a directional print, then orient your design in the proper direction.

Remember May 5th is the date you can order from the new catalog!  Are you counting down the hours?  I hope you're as excited by the new catalog as I am.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon 

Lily of the Valley Quick Cards

Hello, my dear friends!   I'm still struggling with my health each day.  Several of you got in touch with me and let me know you're praying for my crazy heart to settle down and behave itself.  It surprises me how worn out this makes me when it's not beating in rhythm.  But life goes on, doesn't it?  Just very much slower! 

Lately I've spent some time weeding through card layouts that I've saved over the last many, many years.  It's been fun trying out a few to decide if I like them enough to save the idea.   Several days ago, I made two cards with a similar layout that is another easy idea to have on hand.  Thought today I'd share this with you.  I'm having so much fun playing around with one layout and making small adjustments for a different look.  It's amazing what a change in cardstock color will do to a card.  Let me show you what I mean.

This card follows the original layout that I'd saved.  Plus, it uses one of the new DSP designs - Valley in Bloom. (Yes, this will be one of the last sneak peaks as May 5th is almost here.  Woo hoo!) Isn't it beautiful?  I love lily of the valley flowering plants, and the DSP is absolutely gorgeous in my opinion.  With this card layout, I only stamped the sentiment.  Everything else about the card focuses on the DSP.

The measurements for this layout are as follows:

card base - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"  folded in half

DSP layer - 2 3/4" x 5 1/2"

cardstock layer - 3 5/8" x 3 5/8"

DSP layer - 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"

sentiment - your choice size and shape

The card base for this one is Garden Green to pick up the darker greens in the DSP.  The strip of DSP going across the card is actually the backside of the focal piece.  I really liked these together.  The watercolor style print against the mini geometric print was an interesting contrast.

For my framing layer, Basic White really made the little bell flowers stand out nicely.  The focal DSP print was attached to the white cardstock with adhesive.  Then these were attached to the card base with Dimensionals.

The sentiment is from the Lily of the Valley stamp set.  It's stamped with Garden Green ink onto a 3/4" strip of Basic White cardstock.  The right end was finished by flagging it.  This is attached flat to the card on the left side with a Dimensional under the right end to level it out.

The pretty sparkly new bling was added for an accent.  These are from the new Shimmering Dots pack.  Pretty, aren't they?

I haven't finished the inside yet as I'm not sure what sentiment I want to use.  It always depends on the person the card is being sent to, right?

The next card is very similar with a good number of changes though.

The first big change you notice right away is the cardstock base is different.  This time I went with Granny Apple Green which was one of the colors listed as coordinating with this DSP.  Just that change alone brightened the look of the card immensely.

The strip of DSP across the card base was slimmed down just 1/8".  It was attached to the card base with adhesive.

The focal piece of DSP is from the same piece of DSP as the first card.  The DSP page I used is one of the two border prints in the pack.  This time it's trimmed a little smaller - 3" x 3 1/2".  This meant that the layering piece was also smaller at 3 1/8" x 3 5/8".  This card has Garden Green cardstock for this layer to give it a bit of dark to balance the bright.  By making these changes, a good deal more of the background cardstock is visible which makes the entire card have a lighter feel.

This time the sentiment comes from the Friendly Foliage stamp set.  I love the font used here and this is one of my basic sentiments used for cards.  It's just versatile and seems to cover so many applications.  It's stamped on a Basic White strip that is 1/2" tall with Garden Green ink.  After stamping, the ends were flagged to finish the look.

The same pretty bling was used on this card as the last.  I just love the colors in the Shimmering Dots pack.  They are this Granny Apple Green that I used, Coastal Cabana, and White.  All lovely colors that I'll be using a lot!

Looking at this card with the slightly smaller dimensions, I was thinking it would work well for a portrait style card also.  That will be something I need to try soon!

Here's one more look at the two cards.  This time they're together so you can easily the differences.  Let me know if you try out this layout and add it to your rotation of layouts.  I find there are some layouts I gravitate towards more often.  My old standbys.  But then again, it's fun to pull out another idea you haven't played with in a while for a change of pace.

I can't wait until May 5th when you too can order these fun new stamps and dies and get your hands on these gorgeous new designer papers.  You're gonna love them!!

Thanks for stopping by today.  I really appreciate that you spend some of your precious time with me.  Give these template ideas a try.  It's always a good idea to have some basic layout templates to work with when you get some creative stagnation going on.  They really are a great starting point to get you stamping again!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Another Great Layout

Hello stamping friends!  Felt a little rough this morning but still went about my daily routine.  One of the regular things I do is wander around Pinterest for a while during breakfast time.  Sometimes a color will catch my eye, sometimes it's a layout.  You never know what will appeal to you that you might have overlooked on a different day.  Well, I saw a similar layout used a good number of times with different colors, stamps, and even dimensions.  But they were all similar and that got me thinking.  Which turned into stamping, you know?  I had to make it my way and see how I liked it.  It turned out to be a great layout and I'm happy to share my dimensions with you for the cards I made.  Ready to give it a try?

This is what I came up with first.  I had lots of smallish strips cut off from other projects I've made previously using the Brushed with Beauty Designer Series Paper.  It seemed to be a great project to use some of these.  The strips were all about 1" wide, so I picked two prints that I liked together and cut them down to 5 1/4" long.  I had enough strips to make two cards, so I had fun making them similar but just a bit different.

The card base is Very Vanilla to coordinate with the DSP.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It was scored at 4 1/4".  Then 1" was cut from the front flap to make an off-set opening.  The striped piece of DSP was layered inside the card on the back flap leaving a small border on 3 sides.

The floral print was layered onto the front flap lining it up with the back strip of DSP.

Next, a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock was cut at 2" x 5 1/4".  This was embossed with the Lovely Stripes Embossing Folder so that the stripes would mimic the stripes in the Designer Paper.  After embossing, this was attached to the card front with "green glue".

The sentiment and die-cut label are both from the Unbounded Love stamp and die bundle.  After cutting the label from Very Vanilla cardstock, the sentiment was stamped with Calypso Coral ink.

A piece of Crumb Cake cardstock was cut to 2 1/2" x 1 3/4".  The square corners bothered me, so my trusty, very old Corner Rounder punch was used.  I'm so glad I've hung on to this for a good number of years.  Every once in a while, it is just the perfect tool to have.  The two layers are attached with adhesive.  Then it is layered onto the card front using Dimensionals just where it's attached to the front flap of the card only.

The inside sentiment is from the new Framed All Around stamp set.  This is an Online Exclusive set, so you won't find it in any catalog.  Calypso Coral ink was used for stamping this.  The set has the 2-line corner stamp that I thought I'd try out in the corner.  It's stamped with Crumb Cake ink.  It doesn't really add anything to the design.  Thought I'd like it better. I'll have to work on using that stamp later.

Going back to the front of the card, a bow made with the new Crisp Cantaloupe Bordered Ribbon was made.  Then it was attached to the corner of the label with Mini Glue Dots.  For the added bling on this card, I used three of the Opal Rounds that were in my embellishment stash.  I thought they looked nice on this card.

Keep reading for the 2nd card made with most of the same ingredients.

As you can see, the basic card was put together the same as the first up to the point of orientation.  

The label and sentiments are also from the Unbounded Love set, just different stamps used this time.  The sentiment was stamped in both Calypso Coral and Crumb Cake inks.  The Crumb Cake layer behind this was made the same as previously.  

When it was attached to the card front, I used adhesive and kept it flat to the card.

The sentiment inside the card is from the new Framed All Around set again.  It's stamped with Calypso Coral ink to match.

The Crisp Cantaloupe Ribbon was used again to add a bow to the design.

This time several of the Opaque Faceted Gems in the coral color were added to the front for a little bling.

Need one more look at these two cards?  Sometimes layouts seem to just work better in either landscape or portrait style.  This layout seems to work nicely either way.  Do you have a favorite?

Ok peoples, that's my two-for-one card layout for you to try.  I'm very happy with the outcome and will certainly use this layout again.  I'm just not sure what DSP I'll be using next.  I've probably got at least a dozen print combos that would make up into beautiful cards.  I'll have to start going through my stash with this layout in mind.

Hope you enjoyed this layout.  Is it new to you?  Or is this one of your old standbys?  No matter which, I hope you got just a little inspired to give this a try soon.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Ready for Barely Blush?

Hey there stamping friends!  Here we go with another one of the 2026-2028 In Color cards.  This card will focus on the Barely Blush color which is the last one of the five colors.   It's so soft and pretty, just right for those girlie cards you love making.  If you want to see the other four In Colors featured in cards, check out the previous four posts to see them all.  If you're ready for Barely Blush, then let's get going.

Oh, I almost forgot that yesterday I promised you another easy card layout too.  This card handles both the featured color and a new layout plus there's extra samples of this layout at the end of the post too.  Hope these will really get your creative juices bubbling and get you creating!

Today's card starts with a card base of the Barely Blush.  It's a pretty soft pink color that's very light.  To give the card base a little more interest, the small flower in the Simply Beautiful stamp set was used with Barely Blush ink to stamp an overall design on the front of the card.  It's barely there but just adds a little color and interest to the background.

Here's where the new layout comes in.  I used the 2nd largest rectangle die from the Textured Notes dies to cut a Basic White piece of cardstock.  The inside measurements of this piece are approximately 4 3/8" x 2 7/8".

 

You need two pieces to fill the space in.  The left side measures 1" x 4 3/8".  The right side measures 1 7/8" x 4 3/8".  You can use two different DSP prints, or one print and one piece of cardstock.  It's up to you.

For my card, the left side is Crisp Cantaloupe that picks up some of the color of the flowers. It measures 1" x 4 3/8".  It is embossed with the Eyelet 3D Embossing Folder.  This is attached to the white layer with "green glue" lining it up to the left side.

The right side is a pretty print from the Bloom Boutique DSP.  Yes, it's my new favorite DSP that I've been using all over the place!  This print has gold foil flowers all through the print.  So pretty!  It measures 1 7/8" x 4 3/8" and is attached with "green glue".  

After attaching the two pieces to the white die-cut, the layer is attached to the pink card front using Dimensionals.

Next, the 2nd smallest circle die in the Stylish Shapes Die set was used to cut a Basic White label.  The 3rd smallest die was used to cut a Barely Blush circle to layer behind the white.

The sentiment is from the Cutest Crew stamp set.  The little happy birthday fits inside that circle perfectly.  It's stamped with Peaceful Pine ink.  Then they are attached together with adhesive.

A 6" length of Gold Striped Mesh Ribbon was folded in half and attached to the back of the circles.  Then this was all added to the card front by attaching with Dimensionals.

Lastly a few Flat Pearls were tucked in around the design.

Now that you've seen this layout with some pretty new products, let's take a look at the same layout using retired DSP to get a different look.

The same die-cut from Textured Notes was used here.  The dimensions for the DSP pieces are the same as the previous card.  The DSP used for these two pieces is the Floral Impressions DSP from a year or so ago.  

Instead of stamping on the card base for interest, I added a piece or embossed vellum that is probably 5+ years old at least.  But it still added a nice touch.

The punch is retired and I don't remember the name of it.  The sentiment which is from the Textured Notes set was stamped with Misty Moonlight ink.  Then it was attached to the card front with Dimensionals.

A retired Rainbow Dots in Fresh Freesia was added to the label.

The ribbon is the recently retired Petunia Pop.  I thought it was a better addition than a Fresh Freesia ribbon.

This card is very similar to the one above.  The DSP is also from Floral Impressions pack.

There is no stamping or vellum added to the card base.  I thought there was enough contrast to leave it as is.

The label and sentiment are the same.  The ink is Garden Green.

The ribbon is Pretty in Pink.

Rainbow Dots in the darker pink color were added.

There are a few changes on this card.  First of all, the largest rectangle die in the Textured Notes set was used to cut the Basic White label.  That changed the dimensions of the DSP to:

left side - 1" x 4 7/8"

right side - 2 1/2" x 4 7/8"

The DSP used for this card is from the Lovely Garden pack.

After attaching the two DSP strips to the white layer, a length of Fresh Freesia Seam Binding was wrapped around and tied into a bow.

The 3rd smallest circle in the Stylish Shapes dies was used to cut a piece of Basic White cardstock.  The same sentiment was used with Basic Gray ink.  

This sentiment label is attached flat and tucked in under the ribbon a little.  One of the Fresh Freesia dots from the Rainbow Dots was added for an accent.

As you can see, there are so many wonderful DSP prints that can be used for this layout.  I'm sure you've got a whole pile of possibilities just waiting for you to give it a try.  Let me know if you tried this layout and love it too!

Thanks for stopping by today.  Since all of the new 2026-2028 In Colors have been addressed in the previous posts, it's time to start focusing on some other new goodies in the May - August 2026 Catalog.  Believe me, there's plenty of fabulous goodies to create with next.  Hmmm, what will it be next time?  I can't wait until you can stamp along with all the new goodies too!  If you don't have a demonstrator to order from yet, I'd be happy to fill the spot.  Let me know if I can be of help at sharoncarr50@gmail.com.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Forever Florals and Peaceful Pine

Hello friends!  It's been a little rough going the past several days.  My AFib seems to be kicking up again and that's never easy to cope with as far as I'm concerned.  But life goes on and I do what I can manage.  I did spend a little time working on today's card.  It's actually taken three days to get it where I wanted it.  This morning I made another change after scutinizing the card again.  I'm happier with this latest "improvement" and I think it's time to share it with you.  I'll post the before picture at the end and you can let me know what you think - before, after, or scrap it.

This is the latest incarnation of the card.  I'm still a little iffy about it, but I'll give you the details on how it was made.  The idea started with the Bloom Boutique Specialty Designer Series Paper which I absolutely love.  The print with tiny white flowers on the Peaceful Pine background was used for this card.  It was cut with the frame die in the Forever Florals Dies to create the greenery frame.

I thought I'd like the print on a white background, but it just looked too busy for me.  So next I thought of creating a frame to go over it with just a small amount of the leaves showing through.  A 5 1/4" x 4" piece of Peaceful Pine was cut.  Then the center was die-cut with one of the Branching Out frame dies.  

I liked the look of these two together, but I didn't really care for it on the white background.  After trying a few possibilities, I settled on using Lemon Lolly for the card base.  The two die-cut layers were attached together with "green glue".  Then they were attached to the card base with the same glue.

Using dies from the same set, one each of the two different flower clusters were die-cut from Basic White cardstock.  The leafy stem was cut from Peaceful Pine cardstock.  It seemed to get lost on the card.   So, using Basic White cardstock and a Blending Brush, Peaceful Pine ink was swirled onto the cardstock until I had a slightly lighter green to work with.  Three more of the leaves were die-cut from this paper.

At this point, I used one of the sentiments to stamp on the Lemon Lolly cardstock inside the frame.  Peaceful Pine ink was used.  As you can see on this card, I wasn't happy with it, and I changed it this morning.

The die-cut leaves were arranged in opposite corners and attached with adhesive.  Then the flower clusters were attached with tiny bits of Dimensionals.  

A double strand of White Baker's Twine was used to make a small bow.  This was tucked in under the flowers and attached with a Mini Glue Dot.

Three of the pretty 2026-2028 In Color Butterflies were sprinkled across the card front.  These are the Peaceful Pine color.

And that's what the card looked like until this morning when I die-cut one of the labels in the set from Basic White cardstock.  The same sentiment was stamped on it with Peaceful Pine ink.  

It was then attached with Dimensionals right over the stamped words.  One of the butterflies had been pried off and reattached onto the label.  Much happier with this version.  The white label seemed to help balance the card better.

I did say I would share the before card also.   So, keep scrolling.  It's right there.

Okay, now I need some feedback.  Was I right to add the white label?  Or should I have left it as is?  Please let me know your thoughts on the matter.

Just wanted to remind you that everything I used to make this card is in the new May - August 2026 Catalog.  The catalog will go live on May 5th - yay!  I can't wait until you can get these products too and have time to play and create with them!  I hope you love all these items as much as I do.  Especially the new In Colors.  They are fabulous and the little butterflies are just darling.  You'll want to add them everywhere!

Okay, that's four of the new In Colors that I've shared so far.  Just one more to go.  I've got a pretty card and also a card layout to share with you to showcase the Barely Blush color.  I think you'll like it.

Hope you're inspired to get out your stamps and paper a go create something special.  And then don't forget to drop it in the mail to make someone happy.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Today's Color is Golden Glow

Hey there!  Staying with my one color at a time theme, today's color focus will be on Golden Glow.  I know it's a long way from fall, but this will be absolutely perfect for pairing with Pumpkin Pie and other fall colors.  But who can wait that long?  I need to play with it now.  So, I've made two distinctly different cards featuring Golden Glow that can be used right now.  Come along while I share what was used to make these cards.

Here's the first card that has Fragrant Layers bundle as the main images.  Don't the flowers look summery?  To make this card, I started with a Basic White cardstock base that is cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.

There is a layer of Golden Glow cardstock that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  This has the flower spray from Fragrant Layers die-cut from the center of the rectangle to use later.

Then a layer of my favorite DSP - Bloom Boutique was added.  I can't wait until this is available to everyone on May 5th.  I think my pack of this DSP will be gone very shortly and I'll need more.  These delicate prints just seem to go with everything!  The piece was cut to measure 5 1/4" x 3 3/4".  It's attached to the Golden Glow cardstock piece with adhesive.  Then these were layered onto the card base with adhesive also.

Going back to the flower spray die-cut piece, it needed some added color to define the petals, so they didn't look so flat.  First, I added some detail lines using the Stampin' Blends Golden Glow Light.  I was surprised that they totally blended into the cardstock color, and you really couldn't see them.  I switched to the Dark version and added a layer of strokes to add color.  And then even a 2nd layer to get more definition.  One of the flowers was trimmed from the spray and used in the top corner for an accent.

The leaves from the Fragrant Layers set were die-cut from Peaceful Pine.  There are three different leaf dies and I cut three of each.  You never know what you need until you're in the middle of putting the design together.  They weren't all needed so there are a few extras for the next time.

Next came the sentiment for the card.  I wanted to use one from the You Are Remarkable set which is retired.  This fits on the smallest Branching Out die that was used to cut a Basic White label.  This is one of my favorite shapes and I thought it would work out well here.  They are on the Last Chance List and well worth the investment if you don't have them already.  

The sentiment was stamped with Peaceful Pine ink a little higher than the center of the label.  The tiny bee in the set was also stamped on the label using the new Basic Black Hybrid ink pad.  The body was colored with the Golden Glow Light Stampin' Blends.  The wings have a wash of Wink of Stella added for sparkle.  

One of the flowers from the die-cut spray was trimmed from it.  Then the spray of flowers was attached to the side of the label.  The extra flower was added at the top corner of the label.  An assortment of leaves were tucked in around the flowers in the design.  Then the label was attached to the center of the card front using Dimensionals.  I made sure each of the large flowers had a Dimensional under the center opening.

At this point I decided to spatter the entire card front with Wink of Stella for a bit of added sparkle and glitz.  Then three of the 2026-2028 In Color Dots were added as the centers for the large flowers.  And why not add a couple of bees from the Tiny Bee Trinkets to expand on the idea.

The sentiments inside the card are from the Peaceful Moments set.  They are stamped with Peaceful Pine ink.  A 1/2" x 5 1/4" strip of Golden Glow is added down the right edge of the card.  And one of the extra leaves was tucked in on the bottom corner for an accent.

Are you ready to see the 2nd card?  It's a very simple monochromatic idea that I think turned out just right.

Again, I started with a Basic White cardstock base.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is folded in half.

The Golden Glow layer measures 5 1/4" x 4".  The Basic White layer measures 5" x 3 3/4".  This has one of the Elements of Text stamped in the center.  This is a retired set, but it's so versatile I decided to hang on to it.  Golden Glow ink was used for the stamping.  To soften up the stamping a little, a Blending Brush and Daffodil Delight ink was very lightly blended over and around the image.  This very softly and subtly makes the design area larger and covers more of the layer.

The white stamped layer was attached to the Golden Glow layer with adhesive.  Then a length of Gold/White 3/8" Ribbon was wrapped around the center and attached in the back.  Then these layers were attached to the card base with Dimensionals.

Two of the circle dies from the Stylish Shapes die set were used for the labels.  The 3rd largest circle was used to die-cut the Golden Glow cardstock and the 4th largest cut the Basic White circle.

On the white circle, happy birthday was stamped with Pecan Pie ink.  I wanted it to be just a smidgeon darker than the Golden Glow ink.  The sentiment is from Cutest Crew and so is the little flower cluster.  This was stamped with Golden Glow ink.  Daffodil Delight Light Blends colored the small flowers, Pecan Pie Dark dotted the centers, and Granny Apple Green colored in the leaves.

The white circle is attached to the Golden Glow circle with adhesive.  Before attaching this in the center of the card, a 5 1/2" length of the same ribbon was folded in half and attached in the correct area.  Then the focal piece was attached with Dimensionals.

As a pretty accent, three of the 2026-2028 In Color Butterflies were added.  I thought they were the perfect finish.

And that's it for the new Golden Glow 2026-2028 In Color focus.  Hope you like both of these ideas.  Both are very pretty in person, but different.  The first one is much more colorful and almost dramatic.  The second one is so very subtle and understated.  I'm sure you know someone that would just love getting one of these cards in the mail.  I love sending out happy mail to brighten someone's day.  And I especially love getting happy mail too!  Don't you?

Just a quick heads up.  Stampin' Up! is giving out double rewards for 3 days only - April 15 - 17!  With the Last Chance List filled with so many items retiring now to get ready for the new catalog going live, it's the perfect time to stock up on items you use all the time or a stamp set you've been meaning to order.  Any order over $20 qualifies for the double rewards!   So have fun shopping!  And then have even more fun stamping and creating when your new goodies come in the mail.  Contact me if you have any questions at sharoncarr50@gmail.com.  Thanks.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon