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

Scalloped Wishes Card

Hello my friends.  I just got word that a dear friend who has cancer was just sent home from the hospital with hospice care.  It's just breaking my heart that I'm so far away and can't just pop over and sit with her a while.  I just sent out a thinking of you card, and now it's time to start making another sympathy card.  Argh.  My very least favorite type of card to make.  I thought I had enough, but you know how it is.  Somehow, I never seem to have one that's just right when needed.  But it is necessary, so let's get on with it.

It's funny that I had planned on using the new Crisp Cantaloupe 2026-2028 In Color for my next post.  And this is a color she would love, so it's what I'm using for her sympathy card when the time comes.  I told her what I was doing, and she said it would be perfect because her daughter would love it too.  Plus her funeral will be a celebration of her life, so no somber colors she said. 

I started with a card base of Basic White Thick cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.  Then a layer of Crisp Cantaloupe was cut at 5 1/4" x 4".

A layer of the Bloom Boutique Designer Series Paper (available May 5th) was cut at 5" x 3 3/4".  This paper pack is so pretty with all the touches of gold foil throughout.  So special.  This was attached to the Crisp Cantaloupe layer with "green glue" and then both were attached to the folded white card base.

First, the large scalloped oval stamp was stamped with Crisp Cantaloupe onto matching cardstock.  Then I moved to die-cutting the scalloped layers for the focal point.  The larger oval from the Scalloped Wishes die set cut the stamped piece of Crisp Cantaloupe cardstock.  Then the larger detailed scalloped oval from the set cut the lacy scallops that are shown layered onto it.  It was attached with touches of "green glue" around the inner edge.  You can see the stamped image just a bit behind the lacy layer.

Then this same die was used to cut a Basic White layer.  The inner part was used and the lacy part kept for future reference.  While die-cutting, two different leafy dies from the set were used to cut Peaceful Pine cardstock for an accent on the oval.

The sentiments in the Prayers & Promises set have been getting a real work-out around here lately.  So often they are just what I want to say.  This time it was stamped with Peaceful Pine ink on the white oval.  Then this was inserted into the lacy oval.

The two leafy stems are attached to the bottom of the oval with touches of "green glue" to hold in place.  Then the labels were attached to the center of the card front with Dimensionals.

For an accent, two lengths of Gold Twisted Thread (retired) were tied into a small bow.  The ends were slightly untwisted to give them a softer look.  Then the bow was attached over the ends of the leaves with a Mini Glue Dot to hold it.

These new 2026-2028 In Color Butterflies seemed like the perfect final touch for this card.  I might have them all used up before the catalog even starts!  Yup, I think they're great!

The inside of the card has another sentiment from the Prayers & Promises stamp set.  This is also stamped with Peaceful Pine ink.  I just love the wording of this sentiment!

Just a 1/8" strip of DSP that I had trimmed off my layer ended up gracing the inside of the card.  And that's it.  Now I can put this card aside until it's needed.

This isn't quite what I had in mind for sharing this warm and lovely new In Color, but I guess it worked out.  I think this would be a very pretty birthday card after changing the sentiment.  Give it a try if you're in the mood for a little taste of Crisp Cantaloupe.

Thanks for sharing some of your precious time with me today.  Hope you can come back for more of the new 2026-2028 In Colors in action.  Remember the new catalog with be starting May 5th so start thinking about what you want on your wish list.  Make sure you add these gorgeous new In Colors.  They are beautiful!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

One New In Color at a Time

Hello friends!  I'm so excited about the five new In Colors that are coming soon.  I couldn't have come up with anything better if they'd asked me personally to choose new colors.  Which they certainly did not!  As far as I'm concerned, they all are just yummy and will be so much fun to use.  Today's cards were made focusing on the new Hydrangea Hue color.  It's a pretty blue that leans a little towards periwinkle blue.  Plus, I used a new Online Exclusive bundle and a new May-August 2026 Catalog bundle that you might not have seen yet.  Oh my, so many goodies to choose from and it was so hard to decide what I wanted to use first.  So, you're getting a mish-mash of new, some old, embossed backgrounds, and much more with this post.  Let's get started, shall we?

Isn't this Hydrangea Hue color just gorgeous?  It's used here in ink, cardstock, ribbon, and even the tiny butterflies.  I'm almost on Hydrangea Hue overload here!  But I love it.  Let me give you a quick rundown on making this card.

Start with a Basic White cardstock base that is cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.  Next is a layer of Hydrangea Hue that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  Then a layer of Basic White is cut at 5" x 3 3/4".  This is embossed with the Lovely Stripes Embossing Folder.  This gives such a pretty and tactile design that is very versatile.  There's only one problem I have with this embossing folder.  I have a hard time deciding which side of the embossed cardstock that I want to use!  Such a tough problem!

Did you notice the interesting die-cut labels?  They are from the Forever Florals Bundle that is a new Online Exclusive item, and it's going to be one of my favorites for all the cards I send out.  Love the sentiments (which I did not use on this card).  Anyway, the larger label was cut from the center of the Hydrangea Hue layer before the layers were added to the card base.  After die-cutting the label, the layers were attached to the card base using 'green glue'.

The smaller label was cut from Basic White.  For this card, a sentiment from the Notes of Spring set that was a Product of the Month in March was used.  As of today, it's still available.  If you haven't gotten this yet, just place a $75 order before tax and shipping and you can get this for $5 in the US.  The sentiments alone make it worth getting and the animals in the set are just adorable.

Moving on, the flower stem stamped on the label is from a new set called Forever Florals.  The leaves are stamped with the new Peaceful Pine In Color ink pad.  Gorgeous color!  The flowers were stamped on a Basic White piece with Hydrangea Hue ink then die-cut.  

The flowers were attached to the stem with touches of "green glue".  Then the labels were attached to the card front with several Dimensionals.

The design needed a few more touches.  The Hydrangea Hue ribbon was tied into a bow and added at the bottom corner of the labels.  It's attached with two Mini Glue Dots to hold it securely.  There are three of the new 2026-2028 In Color Butterflies.  These are such an adorable added touch to the design.  They come in all five In Colors plus white and two different sizes.  You can bet these will be showing up on many of my cards in the future!

While making this first card, I was cutting two of everything so I could make another card.  But I started making changes as soon as I had this one done.  Keep on reading for the next version using even more new goodies.

Here we go.  Similar with lots of changes.

First change was the embossing folder.  This time it's the Eyelet 3D embossing folder.  Love this design on the card.

Next change was turning the Forever Florals labels on its  side to be wider instead of taller.

Then check out the beautiful Lily of the Valley sentiment and image from the new bundle coming in the next catalog starting in May.  There are six sentiments in the set which will fit many needs.  And then the lovely lily of the valley images in the set.  Oh my, one of my favorite flowers ever!

The sentiment was stamped with Hydrangea Hue ink onto the label.  The flower was stamped with the new Basic Black Hybrid stamp pad onto a Basic White scrap piece.  This left a nice clear image.  I used the new Stampin' Blends in Hydrangea Hue to add a shadow on the little bells and Peaceful Pine both Light and Dark on the leaves.  Love these colors together.

Before putting the pieces together, the white label was spattered with Wink of Stella for a slight shine.  Then more Wink of Stella was brushed on each of the bells and set aside to dry thoroughly.

Thought it would be interesting to add both a strip of ribbon and a smaller strip of cardstock to the side of the card as an accent.  The ribbon is just under 4 1/2" in length and the Peaceful Pine is 3 3/4" long.  They are each attached with adhesive.

Then the labels were attached over them using Dimensionals.

The lily of the valley was die-cut with the matching die.  Then it's attached to the right edge with Mini Dimensionals.  I wish the shimmer on the card would show up better in the pics.  Guess you'll have to take my word for it that it's lovely.

The final touch to the design was adding three of the 2026-2028 In Color Dots.  I was so pleased when I saw these in person.  I can never tell how thick these embellishments are in the pictures.  These have a nice low profile, so it won't require extra postage for mailing.  That is a big plus in my book with all the cards I mail for the shut-ins at church.

Here's one last look at these cards that focused on the new favorite 2026-2028 In Color - Hydrangea Hue.  I hope you love it as much as I do.  And both of the bundles I used here - Forever Florals and Lily of the Valley - are fabulous and easy to use.  So happy with my new items for creating!  (Doing a little happy dance here!)  Next, I need to move on to another one of the new In Colors.  Did I mention that I just love them all?  I really do!

If you're one of my customers, you should be receiving a copy of the new May-August 2026 Catalog in the mail soon.  If you don't have it by the end of the month, please get in touch so I can send one out to you.  It will be interesting to see how the new catalog timeline works out.  There will be three new catalogs each year.  No big annual catalog and no mini catalogs.  Just these three mid-size catalogs - one every four months.  And don't forget the Online Exclusives.  Did you know that new items are added every couple of months?  There will be more new items coming in May.  Make sure you check it often to see if there's anything new.

Thanks for stopping in today.  Hope you're as excited by these new In Colors and stamp sets.  There will be more ideas coming soon.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Help Me Grow Card

Oh, my goodness.  I had so much fun playing with the new Help Me Grow bundle yesterday!  I hope y'all love this card as much as I do.  You know the feelings of how sometimes things just don't gel right and you can't figure out what is wrong versus when it all comes together easily and you're surprised by the outcome.  I've had both before, but I've been leaning towards the frustrating feeling a lot lately.  Things just haven't look as good as I pictured it in my mind.  But the last couple of days, I feel like I've been on a creative high.  I had no card idea in mind when I sat down to create.  Just wanted to get a feel for the new Help Me Grow set.  You know, do a little coloring on cardstock and playing around with the dies.  I didn't even get around to doing any stamping!  But let me share what I did.

This is it!  I wish you could see this in person.  The photo just doesn't do it justice but let me walk you through the process.

I started with a half piece of Basic White cardstock, a couple of Blending Brushes, and several ink colors.  I wanted some pastel leaves, so I started with blending Soft Seafoam ink over the cardstock.  There were some lighter areas and some I tried to darken as much as possible with this pale color.  Then some swirls of Pool Party were blended in.  Lastly were areas of Old Olive which were kept a little light.  Then I took the leaf cluster die from the Help Me Grow set and started cutting leaves until I had a half dozen of the multicolored leaves to use.  After cutting them, some ink was added to a few of the leaves for a little more color.

Then I moved on to the flowerpot die cut.  It's cut from Crumb Cake cardstock to start.  Using Blending Brushes and Cajun Craze ink, color was blended on with the darkest area in the left bottom corner and working out from there.  It really changes the Crumb Cake color.  It's darkened a little with Pecan Pie ink on the left side and bottom corner.

I love old clay pots with the water marks and dirt to give it character.  So, this was speckled with an Early Espresso marker.  Then with a Water Painter and Craft White Ink, splatters of white were added.  Then with the Water Painter wet with white ink & water, some was dabbed in the corner.

Next was playing around with the leaves and clay pot together.  It needed a darker contrast in among the leaves, so two of the same leaves were die-cut from Old Olive cardstock.  I also cut the trio of separate leaves from Old Olive too.  A touch of Old Olive ink was blended onto some of these leaves to darken and define them more.

Next, I moved to the flower dies.  I cut yellows, pinks, reds, lavenders, and Calypso Coral.  I ended up with a whole pile of different colors to play with.

Now it was time to figure out what the card was going to look like.  I found a 2" strip of a peach/coral print in the Painterly Pears DSP.  It made me think of creating a shabby chic look for the card.  This weathered wood piece is from the Country Woods DSP and paired up nicely with the peachy print.

A Calypso Coral piece of cardstock that measures 11" x 4 1/4" was used for the card base to contrast with the wood piece.  It's scored and folded at 5 1/2".  The wood piece is attached to the card base with adhesive.  Then the peachy print was attached down the center of the card front.

To make the blooming flower pot, adhesive was added to the backside of the pot under the slit.  This way I could place the stems inside the pot and get them placed properly.  I started with the two Old Olive stems in the back.  Then added the blended stems in the front.  A couple of the leaves were taken off the bottom of the stems and were later tucked into the design where needed.

Six of the Calypso Coral flowers were used for the design.  The centers were colored in with a Cajun Craze marker.  They were tucked into the leaves and attached with a Mini Glue Dot behind each one.  I loved the brightness of the flowers peeking out from the leaves.

At this point, the whole flower cluster and pot were attached to the card front using Dimensionals.  In a few areas, I tucked the extra leaves in with a Mini Glue Dot.  Also added a couple Mini Glue Dots behind a few leaves to hold it more securely because most of the leaves were only held by their stems in the back.

The sentiment comes from the Storybook Friends stamp set.  It just seemed to fit perfectly.  It's stamped with Early Espresso ink onto a 1/2" Basic White strip.  It's trimmed to fit and attached with Mini Dimensionals.

Final look at the Help Me Grow creation.  There's no bling at all.  Is that awful?  There is usually some sort of bling on every card I make.  But this time, I just liked it as it was.  

If you're looking for the Help Me Grow bundle, you can find it in the Online Exclusives store.  And if you're looking for a demonstrator, I'd be happy to help you.

Now I need to go back and try using the rest of the set that I didn't even try yet.  Those garden tools especially are calling to me.  This is just the perfect time of year to play with this set.  Bring a little bit of springtime inside to your cardmaking.

Hope you enjoyed hearing how I created this card and will give it a try with your own twist added.  I'm sure you'll have fun making it.  I'd love to hear what you create.  I think the possibilities are pretty endless.

Thanks for sharing your time with me today.  Hope you are inspired to get out your stamps and assorted stamping "toys" and have a good therapy session.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Charming Day in Pastels

Hey friends!  Hope your day has been filled with sunshine and warm breezes.  Talk about a perfect spring day!  You really have to get out and enjoy it a little when it's this lovely outside.  It's been so busy around here with getting cards ready for Easter for family, friends, and all the cards for the shut-ins also.  I think the last batch is now finished and ready to go in the mail tomorrow.  Whew!  That was done, but I was still in a pastel mood for my card making.  This time I wanted to work with the Lovely & Beautiful 12" x 12" Specialty Designer Series Paper.  It's so-o-o-o pretty!  Instead of choosing one of the prints to use, this time I used two of them - doubly pretty!  Are you ready to see it and maybe make a card or two for your stash?

See, isn't it just lovely?  The larger print makes a very nice background, and the Petal Pink and white print creates an interesting layer when it's embossed.  Are you ready to give this a try?

Start with a Petal Pink card base that is cut to measure 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.  The bolder print layer measures 5 1/4" x 4".  This is attached to the Petal Pink base using adhesive.

Next the Petal Pink and white print from the pack is cut at 4" x 2 3/4".  It's embossed with the Eyelet 3D Embossing Folder to give it texture.  I did use a sanding block very lightly over the pattern so more of the white core shows through and enhances the look of the embossed pattern.

To define that layer, I added a small mat of Calypso Coral cardstock behind it.  This measures 4 1/8" x 2 7/8" and the embossed layer is adhered to it with "green glue"

A piece of Gold/White 3/8" Ribbon about 5 1/2" long was wrapped at the left side of this layer.  The ends are attached in the back.  Then the layer is attached to the center of the card base using Dimensionals.

Now it's time to create this lovely floral focal point.  The small flower and the small leaf cluster from the Charming Day set were stamped on Basic White cardstock with Old Olive ink.  

The flower was colored with Stampin' Blends.  Petal Pink Light & Dark, Calypso Coral Light, Daffodil Delight Dark, and touches of Crumb Cake in the flower center.

The leaves are a combination of Granny Apple Green Light & Dark with a few light touches of Old Olive Light added.  Then the pieces were die-cut with the matching dies.

The sentiment is from the Textured Notes stamp set.  This was stamped with Old Olive ink onto a Basic White piece.  Then the coordinating die from the set was used to die-cut the sentiment.

At this point, the sentiment was attached to the focal layer with adhesive.  The flower piece was attached with Dimensionals.  The small leaf cluster was tucked in under the flower.

For the final touch, a trio of peachy gems from the 2024-2026 In Color Shimmer Gems were added to the design.  There you have it, a simple card with lots of interest and texture that kicks it up a notch or two.  I just love the finished look of the card and think I'll make another couple cards but change the sentiments to work for birthdays and anniversaries.  They would be a great addition to my stash of finished cards.  I seem to always think I have enough cards on hand, but I never do!  I can never have too many.  Well, at least so far, I've never had too many.  You never know.  😏

Thanks for sharing some time with me today.  Did you enjoy this card?  I hope so.  It's one of my favorites lately.  I'm having fun mixing the Charming Day set with the Lovely & Beautiful DSP.  What a great combo together!  Leave a comment and let me know what you think of this idea.  Is it too pastel for you, or just right?  Maybe I should try this same layout and stamp set but use darker, richer colors and see what I get.  Just thinking...

If you're one of my customers, make sure you've opted in to receive info from Stampin'Up! so I can send you one of the new catalogs.  Yes, it's that time of year and there will be lots of changes.  There will be three catalogs during the year instead of the larger Annual Catalog and the smaller mini catalogs.  I can hardly wait to see what all the new products will be!  Like new In Colors that will be fabulous!!  And lots more fun items that will help you reach your creative potential.  Stay tuned.  But don't stop stamping while you're waiting!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Springtime Scenes Ladybug

Hello, my stamping friends!  I've taken a small break from making piles of Easter cards to play with a new bundle I recently received - Springtime Scenes.  Yes, that's what I'm playing with again.  It is really wonderful!  The stamps are pretty useful with grasses, assorted leaves, a flower, and a darling ladybug along with five interesting sentiments.  And let's not forget the awesome dies that coordinate with the images and expand the possibilities.  Like I said, it's pretty wonderful.  Today's card was designed with my great-niece in mind.  She's going through major medical issues from the aftermath of a brain tumor.  I needed something to make her smile as she faces the beginning of her chemo treatment.  So, what's not to like about sweet little ladybugs?  Don't they bring a smile to your face?  Let me tell you how I made this card.

Actually, I figured if I was making one, I might as well make two, so I'd have an extra on hand.  I didn't want it to be too in your face red, so I started with Strawberry Slush Two-Tone Cardstock for a softer reddish tone.  The piece measures 5" x 3 3/4".  It was embossed with the coordinating Ladybug Picnic 3D Embossing Folder with the darker side up.  After embossing, it was lightly sanded to enhance the ladybugs all over the design.

I haven't used the Two-Tone Cardstock too often yet.  I've just been 'getting my feet wet' so to speak just buying what colors I really love and getting a feel for possibilities to use this cardstock.  I will tell you that so far, I'm impressed with the quality of the cardstock and the fun of having more color coordination when creating a design.  I'm loving the light and dark versions of the same color.  Very helpful!

A 1" strip of the Two-Tone Strawberry Slush cardstock was cut.  Then it was cut into 5" lengths to fit across the card.  It's attached with the light side showing to give the design an anchor across the card to build the scene.

Let's get all the design pieces ready next.  The ladybugs were stamped on the leftover part of that 1" strip.  It's stamped on the dark side with Memento Tuxedo Black ink to get the outlines.  Then a Basic Black Blends was used to color in the dots and head section.  Then die-cut with the matching dies.

Next, the large leaves were stamped with Garden Green ink onto Garden Green cardstock.  Then die-cut with matching dies.  The leafy branches were die-cut from Two-Tone Old Olive cardstock.  The light side of the cardstock is what I used for contrast.

There are tiny flower dies in this set, but they seemed a little small for what I was envisioning.  Instead, several flowers were die-cut from Daffodil Delight cardstock using the flower cluster die in the Fragrant Layers Die set.  They have a lot of detail on them and are a great size to tuck in around a design for a little pop of color.

Lastly, we needed the sentiment label. This is another little bonus from the Springtime Scenes Die set.  So useful and a great size.  A label was cut from Basic White cardstock.  Then a sentiment from this same set was stamped with Secret Sea ink.

I decided to go with a Basic White Thick cardstock base for the card.  This measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored in half at 4 1/4" and folded.  To frame the Strawberry Slush layer, a layer of Secret Sea cardstock was added.  This measures 5 1/8" x 3 7/8" to give it a nice thin frame.  These layers were all attached with Tombow Liquid Glue to give me a little 'wiggle time' to get the layers lined up just right.

When arranging all the elements of the design, the sentiment label, one dark green leaf, and the ladybug were all attached with Dimensionals.  The other large leaf and two leafy branches were attached with adhesive.  Each of the flowers were added with a Mini Glue Dot to hold in place.  

For a bit of sparkle, Rhinestone Basic Jewels were tucked in around the design.  These are just a nice basic embellishment to have on hand.  I was surprised how much they drew my eye around the design.

Here's a last look at this darling design.  I just love this new Springtime Scenes stamp set.  If you compare this card to my previous post, you get a good idea of how versatile this bundle can be.  And this is just the beginning.  I'm sure I'll be grabbing this set often to create something fun and beautiful.  Hope you're inspired to give this set a try soon.

Thanks for stopping by and spending a bit of your time with me.  I hope you leave a comment and let me know what you think of the card and overall design.  I love to hear your feedback!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon