Nature's Symphony Take 2

Hello friends.  I mentioned yesterday that I'd be back today to share the next card made with the Nature's Symphony stamp and die bundle.  Did I say I really love these?  Well, I do and I've really enjoyed creating with them.  Since I had out all the materials yesterday, it made sense to go ahead and make another one.  I mean, the larger frame from the Gallery Blooms dies and extra leaves from the Nature Walk DSP were already cut and waiting, so why not?

I just love everything about this card!  I started again with a card base of Mossy Meadow cardstock.  It looked so nice with the leaves, why change a good thing?

Then check out the changes made to the larger Gallery Blooms die-cut frame that was left over from yesterday's card.  It was embossed with the Timber 3D Embossing Folder which was retired a while back.  I wanted the tight woodgrain design on this frame, and this was perfect.

This time, I wanted more color on the Crumb Cake frame.  Using a Blending Brush, first Crumb Cake ink was added.  Then a light layer of Pecan Pie ink was added to give it a little more color.

Looking for a background for the inside of the frame, I found leftover pieces of the Woven Textures DSP and this one looked just right.  It measures about 5 1/8" x 3 3/4" so it fits nicely behind the frame with no problem.  The subtle linen weave print has just enough visual interest but it's not overpowering.  After attaching the two pieces together with adhesive, they were added to the card front with adhesive too.

Now let's discuss these leaves.  Oh, my goodness!  I cut a strip of the Nature Walk DSP that fit the leafy die. Three different leafy branches were cut from this strip.  Each one of the die cuts have a different mix of these same colors.  One branch was for yesterday's card, the other two were for today's card.  The darker branch was cut apart to tuck in around the lighter branch.  This gave me so much more contrast to play with on the design.

Again, the leaves were attached inside the frame with touches of Tombow Liquid Glue along the stems and a small touch on the base of some leaves.

The sentiment is from the Sentimental Framing stamp set.  It's stamped on Basic White cardstock with Pecan Pie ink.  It was 'fussy cut' around it so it would have a smaller size shape when attached to the 'wood' layer.

The layer it is on is from the Nature's Symphony dies.  It looks like a plank of wood with cool woodgrain cuts in the design.  After die-cutting a Crumb Cake piece, a Blending Brush was used to add some Pecan Pie ink to help define the detail and darken it a little.

This was added to the card front with Dimensionals.  Then the sentiment was added with rolled up Mini Glue Dots.  This gave it just a little added height instead of absolutely flat.

The final touch for this design was adding the Brushed Brass Butterflies to this lovely nature-inspired card.   Don't the butterflies look like they belong there tucked amid the foliage?

I just wanted to share this photo again of the two cards side-by-side.  I love how they have a similar look but are still very different.  Now I'm wondering what else I can create with this set.  I love sets with a nature theme, and this one has some added goodies with four nice sentiments and some very different dies that coordinate.  Very interesting!

Thanks for stopping here and spending some time with me.  I certainly appreciate it!  My hope is that something catches your eye and inspires you to be creative.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Nature's Symphony First Try

Hello, my stamping friends!  I've been so stuck on making blue cards lately that I've started to bore myself.  Ho hum.  I decided it was time to play with a new set I've gotten recently but haven't used yet.  It's the Nature's Symphony stamp and die bundle that so intrigued me.  For this nature inspired card, I really felt greens should be my main color today.  Have you seen the gorgeous new DSP called Nature Walk yet?  It's on page 39 in the January - May Mini Catalog and you really need to check it out.  This is going to be one of my favorites for sure!  Let's get creating and see what we make.

My first idea was to use this mottled DSP print for my leaves, and the design came together from that start.  After cutting the leaves with the die in the Nature's Symphony die set, Mossy Meadow cardstock was chosen for the card base.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored at 4 1/4" then folded in half.

The double frame die in the Gallery Blooms set was used to cut Crumb Cake cardstock.  This matches the color in the DSP print so nicely.  The frame I used here is the smaller, inner frame on the die. The larger die-cut frame would be used in my next card.  Since I was keeping this card design on the simple side, I didn't do any embossing or stamping on the frame but left it as is.  I thought the plain simplicity made the leaves really stand out as the focus.

The frame was attached to the center of the card front using adhesive.  Tombow Liquid Glue was used sparingly on the stems of the leaves and just a little on the leaf base to hold in place.  I wanted the leaves to be a little loose from the card base to look more natural.  The stem was tucked right above the inner frame with the leaves fanning out and over the frame.  Several leaves were slightly finger-curled at the tips to help them stand apart from the frame.

The sentiment is from the More Messages stamp and die bundle.  FYI - these are on the Last Chance list so get it while you can!  This time I stamped the sentiments with Pecan Pie ink and cut with the matching die in the bundle.  And just like that you've got 19 sentiments all ready to use when you need them.  Easy peasy.

Before adding the sentiment to the card front, a large floppy bow was made from Linen Thread.  This was attached behind the sentiment with a Mini Glue Dot in the top left area.  

Then Dimensionals were added behind the sentiment label, and it was attached near the bottom of the frame.

The last touch was adding some bronze dots to finish off the design.  The darker metallic look seemed to work nicely with the natural look of all the other components of the design.

Just a little teaser here.  This shows the next card I worked on with more of the same components as the original.  Come back tomorrow for another installment on the Nature's Symphony bundle.  I hope you love these ideas as much as I do!

Don't forget that Bonus Days are going on this month.  There's still two more weeks to earn your Bonus Days coupon or two (or more!)  For every $50 you spend this month, you receive a coupon worth $5.00 to redeem in February with your next purchase.  Woo Hoo!  And don't forget to hang on to those coupon codes.  You'll need those numbers.  That's the only way you can cash them in!!

Thanks for stopping in today to see what's happening here.  Come back for the 2nd installment tomorrow.  So happy to have you visit.  Please be sure to add a comment and let me know what you think of my designs.  Thank you!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

 

Bee Mine Valentine Card

Hey y'all!   We're having another batch of misty, rainy and cold days, so I thought we need to surround ourselves with a bit of cheery fun.  How does that sound?  I've been working on getting the Valentine cards ready for the shut-ins.  Our little group won't be putting them together.  Instead, the "Groovy Grans" group from church will be putting them together at our meeting in the beginning of February.  Since most of these ladies say they are not crafty in the least, the cards need to be fairly simple with easy instructions.  They are doing this for the outreach segment of the meeting.  Thank goodness there are enough ladies that meet with me each month that now understand basic cardmaking, so they can be divided among the four worktables and keep an eye on what's happening.  Hoo-wee!  Last year was really "interesting" so say the least.  I'm hoping this year will go a little smoother!!

Here's the card the ladies at the first table will be putting together.  This card just makes me happy, so I'm hoping it will bring a smile and some cheer to each person that receives this one.

For the design, start with a Basic White cardstock piece that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored and folded in half.  The first layer is Strawberry Slush that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  This is embossed with the new Lovely Stripes Embossing Folder.  I love the dotted stripes in the design that really make it special.  After embossing, it's layered onto the white card base using Tombow Liquid Adhesive.  This is the adhesive I always use when attaching embossed layers as it gives a minute of "wiggle time" and holds very securely.

Next is the large heart that is die-cut using the largest heart die in the new Endless Love bundle.  Isn't the cut circle detail surrounding the heart cute?  The DSP used is from Most Adored Designer Series Paper that's been retired for a while.  I was just looking for a cute pink print, so find one you like.  (If you don't have a pink print you like, the Made with Love DSP in the new mini catalog has several prints that would work out nicely.)  This die-cut was attached to the card front with adhesive, so it lies flat.

Now, on to that darling bee.  It comes from the Bee My Valentine set and matching punch that is still available.  I thought he turned out so darn cute!  First, the bee is stamped with Daffodil Delight ink.  Then the stripes are added with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  There are four different faces so there are lots of choices for your little bee.  The wings for the bee were stamped with Basic Gray ink.  After stamping, I used the coordinating punch to punch the two sections of the bee.  Adhesive was applied on the top of the bee and his wings were attached.  Then three Dimensional were added to the bee and he was attached to the card front.

The sentiment is also from the Bee My Valentine set.  It's stamped with Strawberry Slush ink onto a 1/2" strip of Basic White cardstock.  The ends were flagged to make a label about 2 1/4" long.  This was attached to the heart using Dimensionals.

For the final touch, I added Adhesive-backed Heart Sequins to the heart design.  These are retired, but I thought they were the perfect finishing touch for our bee-utiful Valentine card.  I have to admit, when these heart sequins were going to be retired, I order six packages just because I liked them so much.  So, I think I'll be using these lovely little bits of bling for a good long while yet.

Well, there you have the first of four Valentine cards for the shut-in members at church.  Remember, I need to keep them very easy for the ladies to put together so I hope it's not too boring for you.  Of course, I find it inspiring to see what others make even when the idea is very simple.  There's always inspiration to be found in color combos and layouts too.

Have fun stamping and creating,

Sharon

Product of the Month Plus Extras

Hello friends!  Coming to you from a very damp and chilly South Carolina today.  A gray and rainy 48 degrees feels way colder than it really is.  A good day to stay inside and get another post done.  Right?  Maybe that's why I've been making cards lately that have a lot of blue and gray going on.  Must be something to do with the weather!  I've been trying to figure out how I wanted to present these card ideas in a coherent fashion and here goes.  Instead of breaking this down into several different posts, I've got a main card idea plus 2 extras.  Hope this all makes sense to you as it unfolds.  The main focus on today's post is using the Product of the Month from last December.  I just checked and it's still available at this time.  You need to purchase $75 worth of merchandise to be eligible to buy the True Blue Designer Series Paper Product of the Month which is available only while supplies last.  That means it's not too late to get one of these DSP packs for $5!  Since it is still available, I thought I'd share a couple of card designs I made using this lovely paper.

This is the first card I made with the True Blue DSP.  I love the prints on this piece, so I was looking for a layout that features both sides of the DSP.  This card does it so well.  Since the DSP has a combo of Night of Navy, Balmy Blue, and Basic White, I chose Night of Navy for the card base.  It measures 5 1/2" x 5 1/4" and it's scored at 4 1/4" which gives you a front flap that's only 1" wide.

Next, a piece of the True Blue DSP was cut that measures 5 1/2" x a scant 4 1/4" so it fits inside the folded flap.  Put adhesive inside the flap but not quite to the score line then attach the DSP to this.  Make sure you line up the outer edge with the back of the card so they're even.

I wrapped a Frayed Edge White Ribbon around this and tied into a loose-ish knot.  I really like how the white ribbon stands out against the navy and enhances the design.

The Basic White label on the front of the card was die-cut with the smaller label in the Peace on Earth die set.  I thought the shape and size worked well here.

The sentiment comes from the Hope You Know stamp set.  It's stamped with Night of Navy ink right near the top.  

Both the larger and smaller greenery dies used here are from the Charming Day dies.  They blend in with the print on the DSP but aren't quite the same.  They are cut from Night of Navy cardstock and Balmy Blue cardstock to match the card.  After cutting, they are attached to the label.  The navy one is flat with just adhesive.  The Balmy Blue one has adhesive on the bottom of the stem area and has Mini Dimensionals under the 3 top leaves to hold in place.

The label was then attached to the card front using Dimensionals.

For a little added bling, three Iridescent Pearls were added to the design.

With this fun fold design, I mentioned you can see both sides of the paper.  This is the inside of the card.  Yes, the ribbon goes right around the layers and ties in front.  This way you can enjoy it both inside and out.

The inside layer is Basic White that is cut at 5 1/4" x 4".  The sentiment is from the Comforting Thoughts set and is stamped in Night of Navy ink.

The little branch in the bottom corner is from the Charming Day set and is stamped in Balmy Blue ink.  Isn't it a nice touch?

Ok, this is the first card I'm sharing.  Next is a card using the same layout but using different colors and DSP.

Here you can see them together.  The upper card uses Cloud Cover for a card base and a print from the Peaceful Garden DSP.

I don't remember what cut the white label.  It was just in my stash of left-over die-cut pieces.  It fit the card, so I used it.  The sentiment on this one is from the Friendly Foliage stamp set.  It's stamped with Secret Sea ink.  

I'm not sure where the die for the Cloud Cover branch is from, but the Secret Sea leaf is from the Charming Day dies.

The ribbon is a sheer Secret Sea ribbon that is currently available.  The touch of bling on the card is from the Iridescent Pearls just like the other card.  The inside is the same except for the ink colors used.

This last card reverts back to the True Blue DSP.  The card base is Balmy Blue that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" scored and folded in half.

The Night of Navy layer measures 4 3/4" x 3 1/2".  The three DSP prints measure as follows:

2 1/4" x 3",  7/8" x 3",  and 1 3/8" x 3 1/4"

These three prints were attached to the navy layer with adhesive.  As you can see, it was a little off and I should have used "green glue" to have that extra wiggle time to get it where I wanted it.

After glueing these pieces on the navy layer, I wrapped a Balmy Blue/white ribbon around this and tied it into a knot in the center.  

A Basic White circle die-cut and stamps from the Unbounded Love set was used to stamp the sentiment with Night of Navy ink.  This was attached right at the knot in the ribbon with Dimensionals.

For bling on this card, I used the white dots from the Moody Palette Glossy Dots that will be a new Online Exclusive item on January 6th.

I hope you liked these ideas I've shared.  There is a template for cutting DSP for a card front along with a fun fold that's so easy to use but really makes the pretty DSP prints take center stage.  Give these ideas a try with other Designer Series Papers that you have in that pile you're hiding 😏 and see what lovely cards you can make.

Thanks for taking the time to stop in today.  Let me know what you think of these ideas.  I love to hear from you.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Lovely Arrangements Sneak Peek

Hey everyone!  Is it time to start counting down the hours until the new year yet?  It's getting very close, but not quite there yet.  The new 2026 Jan - April Mini Catalog still has a few days left until January 6 when it goes live.  Have you gotten your catalog yet?  If not and you're one of my customers, let me know please so I can get one to you.  Today's card features one of the new Online Exclusive items that will be available in January.  So, let's take a sneak peek at the Lovely Arrangements stamp and die bundle.  It's a great basic set with nine sentiments that are very generic and two flowers and one leaf cluster to round out the set.  And wait until you check out the dies.  There are two really fun dies that I'm sure will be showing up in all kinds of places.

I've been focusing on getting cards ready to make for the shut-ins at church.  For some reason, I seem to be drawn to a blue and white theme this month for all the designs.  That just seems to be really cheerful to me right now, so that's what I'm doing.  I saw a card that Alisa Tilsner made that ended up being the inspiration for this card.  Of course, I made a multitude of changes from her original card so thought you'd like to see my version.  Thank you, Alisa, for getting my mojo working with your lovely inspiring idea.

The card base here is Basic White that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.  Next is a layer of Basic White that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  This layer is embossed with the newish Beautiful Pattern Embossing Folder.  I love the raised dot design that seems to enhance so many cards.  After embossing, this layer was attached to the Basic White card base using "green glue".

Since I was going for a blue and white with a pop of color theme, I looked around in my piles of DSP to find something that worked.  Countryside Inn DSP has lots of blue and white prints to choose from.  You can barely tell the print on the two 1/2" x 4" strips that I added to the card base.  These have a tone-on-tone navy stripe that was subtle but still gave some extra interest to the design.  They are attached with "green glue".

The larger piece of navy DSP print measures 5" x 2 1/2".  Make sure if your pattern is directional here that you pay attention to how you cut it.   Before attaching this to the card front, a little bit of pizzazz was added to it.  I mentioned a couple really fun extra dies in the set.  There is a die with four rows of six dots each that are all attached together.  I cut a strip that was only about 2 dots wide.  One row of the dots was attached behind the navy DSP print using adhesive so there was only 1 row of dots for the design.  Then this layer was attached to the card front with "green glue".

Next the two full flowers and 1 half flower were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored.  I used Daffodil Delight Light & Dark Blending Pens on the flowers.  Instead of carefully blending in the colors, I went with a 'messy coloring' technique.  You scribble in the flower centers with the darker color and add quick strokes from the center out on the petals.  Then you go back and just make strokes out from the center again with the lighter color.  If needed, add another layer of dark color on the flower centers - which I did.

The flowers were die-cut with the coordinating dies in the set.  Then leaves were die-cut from Granny Apple Green cardstock with two different leaf dies.

While doing the die-cutting, I also used the larger label die in the set to cut a Basic White label.  Then stamped one of the sentiments from the set on the label with Night of Navy ink.

Now it was time to finish adding all the bits and pieces to the card front.  Two of the flowers were attached flat with adhesive.  And the lowest flower was added with a Dimensional in the center to pop it up.  The leaves were tucked in around the flowers to finish the design.  I love the look of navy and white with that pop of yellow.  So cheerful!

The sentiment label was added to the card using Dimensionals.

For the added bling on the design, I used three of the Holographic Dots.  They really do a good job of enhancing the yellows and greens on this card.

Hope you liked this sneak peek showing one of the new items that will be available in the Online Exclusive area of the Stampin'Up! website.  There are so many lovely new items, but this one in particular was calling out to me!

One other important piece of news for you today.  Do you remember Bonus Days last year?  Well, they are coming back in January.  From January 6th through February 2nd, for every $50 you spend, you will earn a coupon worth $5.  The coupons must be redeemed anytime between February 3rd through the 28th.  Make sure you don't lose those coupons as you'll need the code on them to redeem them.  Woo Hoo!  Start getting your lists ready and have fun shopping on January 6th!

FYI - you still earn Rewards on your orders during this time also!

If I don't get another post in before the end of the year - have a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

New Greenery Lane

Greetings my stamping friends!   I hope you had a fabulous Christmas with family and friends.  Are you ready to get back to creating yet?  If you are, I've got something fun for you.  If you liked the Extraordinary Flora bundle and coordinating Washi Tape that are in the Annual Catalog, I think you're going to love this new Greenery Lane bundle that you'll find in the new January - April 2026 Mini Catalog.  Do you have your catalog yet?  If you do, you'll find these goodies on pages 56 and 57.  You can start ordering your favorites from this catalog on January 6th - just a few more days.  Today my card idea focuses on the Greenery Lane Washi Tape, but I also use the Greenery Lane stamps and dies.  Oh, so much fun!  Let's get started.

The very first thing I did with this card is play with the Washi Tape.  I placed a section of the Washi Tape onto Basic White cardstock to give it some rigidity.  Then these layers were cut with the coordinating dies in the Greenery Lane bundle.  The different leaves in the Washi Tape are all in shades ranging from Cloud Cover to Garden Green with shades of Lost Lagoon added in for interest.  There are four different leafy stems in these green shades along with tiny star-type flowers in Cloud Cover color that make up the Washi Tape.  Considering the soft, misty colors here, this is right up my alley!  And I can think of a couple of you ladies out there that would love this.

After die-cutting a small pile of greenery, it was time to plan out this card.  For those of you that don't know, I've been a demonstrator for over 28 years now.  That means I've seen (and owned!) a lot of different stamp sets and other products over the years.  Add to that fact is the problem I have of keeping way too many retired items that I'm sure I'll need and use in the future.  Many moons ago, we had packages of die-cut labels called Hugs.  Yes, they are adorable. There were also smaller labels called kisses too and I have a pile of those left too.  So, the white scalloped rectangle label on this card is one of those Hugs.  It is about 2 1/4" x 4" if you don't happen to have these ancient die-cut labels and want to cut your own label for this card.  😁

The sentiment is from the Greenery Lane bundle and is stamped with Secret Sea ink over on the right-hand side of the label.  I also used the Secret Sea Blending Pen to spatter ink over this layer.  I also used Wink of Stella to add another layer of spattering for a little shine then set it aside of dry.

While that was drying, I cut a piece of Cloud Cover cardstock that measured 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" for the card base.  I spaced out the tiny flowers from the stamp set onto a block, then stamped them around the edges of the cardstock using Cloud Cover ink.  This adds interest without too much added color.

Then a layer of Secret Sea cardstock was cut to measure 3 1/2" x 4 1/2".  On this piece, the large leafy branch from the set was stamped with Secret Sea.  When you have the finished card in your hands, this is quite obvious even though it doesn't show up much in the pictures.  The edge of my scissors was used to rough up the edges of this layer for interest.  Then the Secret Sea layer is attached to the center of the Cloud Cover base using adhesive.

To make the greenery cluster on the front of the card, first the darkest and largest leaf stem was added on the left side of the label.  This was attached with adhesive and is about 1/2" or so higher than the label.  Four more stems were layered up here making sure there was a mix of lighter and darker leaves that blended well.   A couple of the stems were trimmed a small amount so they wouldn't show under the ribbon.

The ribbon is the Secret Sea Bordered Open Weave Ribbon that is tied into a smallish bow.  It is attached over the stems with a couple of Mini Glue Dots.

This layer was attached to the card front using Dimensionals for definition.

Three of the new Moody Palette Glossy Dots were added to the design for the touch of bling.  Aren't they a pretty and soft addition to the design?

The inside of the card is stamped with a sentiment from the Happy Thoughts stamp set.  It's stamped with Secret Sea ink.  I realize this is a retired stamp set, but the sentiment is so nice I tend to grab it fairly often.

The large leafy stem from the Greenery Lane set was partially stamped in the corner using Cloud Cover ink.  A scattering of the tiny flowers in the set was stamped among the leaves.  They were stamped with Secret Sea.

That's it for today's sneak peek from the new Mini Catalog that will be current starting January 6th.  If you are interested in my opinion at all, I think you'll like working with this bundle.  And the pretty leaves in the Washi Tape will give you lots of opportunities for creativity.  You will find yourself tucking them in and around all kinds of different flowers when designing.  Give it a try.  I really think you'll like it!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Merry Christmas!

Dear family and stamping friends.  My sincere wish for you this Christmas season is that you find peace and happiness in knowing and following our precious Savior Jesus Christ this year.  I can easily predict that there will be hardships and heartaches in the coming year.  There always is.  He came to us as a baby in Bethlehem, but He didn't just stay there.  He grew up and lived through all the kinds of troubles that we have in our lives also.  He had to suffer and die to pay the price for our many sins.  But you can rest secure in the knowledge that Jesus has overcome the world and is sitting on His throne in heaven.  He is worthy of all the praise in the Christmas carols, but worthy of our constant praise for His holy life, death, and resurrection!   Hallelujah!  and Amen!

May your Christmas be blessed with His Love and Light!  Wishing you blessings and peace in the coming year.  I'll be back to stamping tomorrow.  But today we celebrate!

Sharon