Quick Retirement Card

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Sunflower Fields with Template

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Radiant Sunflowers Bundle Sneak Peek

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

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

Stampin'Blends were used for this part:

Sunflower petals - Daffodil Delight Light & Dark

Sunflower centers - Pecan Pie Light & Dark

Flower - Daffodil Delight Dark, Timid Tiger Light

Leaves - Old Olive Light & Dark

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Quick Card Featuring Fall DSP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Fun For Fall Card

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

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

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

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

Hay - Golden Glow Light

Twine - Crumb Cake Light

Beaks - Daffodil Delight Dark

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

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

Corn stalks - Old Olive cardstock (cut 4 times)

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

Fence - Crumb Cake cardstock (cut 3 sections)

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Forever Florals with Arches

Hello stamping friends!  It's back to school time here already.  I keep thinking this summer was so short and hot we really didn't do anything.  But that doesn't make any difference.  School started this past week anyway, and football season is underway.  Normally I really wouldn't care much for football.  I hate to admit it's the one sport that really never made a whole lot of sense to me.  But since my youngest grandson is playing again this year, I'm trying to figure it out.  Wish me luck in this venture!!  That said, it is time for another post sharing what I've been stamping lately.  I've been playing with the Everyday Arches dies on different projects lately.  The shape is easy to work with and can be used in different ways on my projects.  Today's card starts with the arch shape and pairs it with the Forever Florals stamps and dies to create a soft card that makes me smile.  I think anyone would be happy to receive this card in their mailbox.

The base for the card is the lovely Hydrangea Hue which is one of my all-time favorites.  A layer of the denim-looking print in the Paper Medley Designer Series Paper was cut to match.   The measurements are 3 7/8" x 5 1/8".  There needed to be a little more definition between this layer and the card base.  

A layer of 2026-2028 In Color Pearlized Specialty Paper was added.  This measures 4" x 5 1/4".  This creates a very skinny frame around the denim print that shines nicely when the light hits it just right.  It's surprising just how much this skinny layer adds to the overall design.  (If I would have been thinking ahead, I would have die-cut a smaller layer from the inside of this pearlized paper to use later on another project.)

The layers were all attached together with adhesive between them.  This keeps them flat and the rest of the card stands out more.

Next was die-cutting the Basic White arched layer.  The 5th largest Everyday Arches die was used for this.  After cutting, one of the sentiments in the Forever Florals set was stamped near the top with Hydrangea Hue ink.  I really like the four sentiments included in the set and have used them often.

The Forever Florals die set has two different sizes of just tiny flower dies.  Both sizes were used to die-cut Basic White cardstock.  Then they were used again with 2026-2028 In Color Pearlized Specialty Paper to cut several pieces.  There is also a multi-leaf stem in the die set.  This was used to die-cut 3 stems in Peaceful Pine and 2 cut from Soft Sea Foam cardstocks.  All these pieces were arranged and adhered to the bottom of the arch.

The arch was placed onto the card base, but it looked too plain.  It just needed something to break up the large amount of background.  The Lily of the Valley set has a die that makes this pretty trellis look.  It's die-cut from Basic White Thick cardstock.  After cutting, it was attached as shown flat onto the card front.  The arch was added to this using Dimensionals to hold in place.

A few of the 2026-2028 In Color Butterflies in Hydrangea Hue were scattered on the design for a little extra interest.

That's it for today's card.  Seems like I ended up pulling in bits of different sets to create this card.  Sometimes you just need something a little extra to make a design work.  Hope you give this idea a try.  This Hydrangea Hue color makes up into such pretty cards.

It's still August and Stampin'Up! still has its selected cardstock and Designer Series Paper sale going on.  Visit the store to see what is on sale.  Getting ready for Christmas card making, I just ordered several 12" x 12" Two-Tone Cardstock colors that were on sale.  Can hardly wait to get started on some of the ideas I have rolling around in this brain of mine.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Violets Fun Fold Idea

Hello friends.  I've been flitting around making cards for so many people having shoulder, knee, hip replacements lately.  Are we becoming a country of bionic people??  There is definitely a rash of them going on.  Why is everyone scheduling them now?  Something going on that I don't know about?  I have no idea, but it's been keeping me busy making and sending out cards.  I've been trying to send a card that reflects that person as much as possible, so they've all been one-of-a-kind.  One of the cards used the Framed Violets set and turned out really pretty so I thought I'd share it with you.

Because I wanted to use the Violets Dreams Designer Series Paper, the first order of business was to find an image the I could die-cut from the pretty prints.  The 5th largest die from the Everyday Arches die set was used to cut the image.  From this, the colors on the card were chosen.

The card base is Fresh Freesia that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 2 1/8" and 4 1/4" to make the z-fold.

I chose the back side of the print which is a lovely soft stripe as the inner layer.  This measures 5 1/4" x 4".  It's attached with adhesive on the inside of the card.

Couldn't really find a print I wanted for the front fold-back section.  I ended up using this checked vellum print from the Berry Botanical Vellum that was a previous Product of the Month from a couple of months back.  I'm so glad I had some of this left, because it's the perfect contrast for the rest of the card.  It measures 1 7/8" x 5 1/4" and is attached with adhesive.

Two pieces of Basic White cardstock were die-cut with the 4th largest die from the Everyday Arches set.  One of them was used to back the DSP print that was already cut and one was saved for the inside of the card.

One of the white pieces and the DSP print piece were adhered together with adhesive.  Then they were positioned on the card front.  Dimensionals were used to attach this.  Make sure they are added only to the left side of the arch so there is no problem opening the card.

The sentiment chosen for the card is from the Prayers & Promises stamp set.  This simple sentiment was stamped on a 1/2" strip of Basic White cardstock.  Petunia Pop ink was used for this because it's a little darker than the Fresh Freesia, but it still blends nicely with the colors.  Then the edges were trimmed with paper snips to finish.  The final length is 2 1/2" long and it's attached with Dimensionals.

A Fresh Freesia 1/4" Satin Ribbon was tied into a bow and attached near the top of the front layers with Mini Glue Dots.

So far, I don't think this design needs any bling added.  I may change my mind when I write a note inside and I'm ready to mail it.  What do you think?  Any suggestions?

Back to the inside of the card.  Using the 2nd white arched piece I cut, another of the sentiments in the Prayers & Promises was stamped on this.  Petunia Pop ink was used again for this sentiment.

In the bottom corner of this white layer, a single violet was stamped as an accent.  This time I did use Fresh Freesia because it is a little lighter.

After the stamping, the layer was attached inside the card, making sure it won't show.   

TIP - Put adhesive on the back of this layer.  Open the card with the top flap folded back.  This way you can easily see the edge.  Lay the sentiment layer over this face down and line up the edges.  Then close the card.  The inside layer will be attached in just the right place.

One last look.  I just love the soft colors and the fun fold on this card.  Because the main image was die-cut from a DSP print, this card was made in no time at all.  Still pretty, but so easy to make up several of these for when needed.

FYI - Have you heard that Stampin'Up! is having a sale on selected Designer Series Papers and Cardstock?  This is going on August 4th - 31st.  You can click here to see what's available.  There are even some Two-Tone Cardstocks in the sale!  Stock up on some of your favorites or use this opportunity to try something new!

Another piece of information for you - there is a new Product of the Month also.  Check here to see how pretty this is!  It's going to be perfect for some of my fall-themed cards.  I'm sure you'll love it too!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon