Sneak Peak - Spoiler Alert!

Ok, if you're one of those people that never want to know anything ahead of time, just pass this post up and go on your merry way.  I've got a lovely suite of stamps, dies, DSP, and more that you can't order just yet.  You have to wait just a few more days if you decide you need these lovelies.  You'll be able to get your hot little hands on them on March 2nd.  Now see, that's not so long to wait, is it?  So let's see what the surprise is!  Drum roll please.....

Isn't this simply gorgeous?!?  It's amazing that Stampin'Up! comes up with such gorgeous designer paper time after time.  We've had some really beautiful paper recently, but in my humble opinion, this new set of 6 x 6 papers called Butterfly Bijou is absolutely the very best so far.  And this designer paper is just a small part of the new Butterfly Bouquet Suite which is awesome!

This is the very first card I've made using the new Butterfly Brilliance bundle.  The watercolor splotchy background is one of the pretty paper designs, but so is the butterfly accent!  One of the paper designs is just these gorgeous large butterflies.  I would have willingly cut them out to have them, but SU! made a butterfly die that lays out over this paper and cuts out 6 beautiful butterflies at a time.  On this dsp, there are 2 pink, 2 blueish, and 2 golden butterflies, so you have lots to play with. 

Can you believe it took only 8 minutes to make this card, because basically the card designed itself just using the designer papers.  Yes, even with die-cutting the butterflies and sentiment layer, that's all the time it took.  So if you're in a time crunch and need a card right now, this is a real go-to collection.

I started with a card base of Coastal Cabana.  Cut a layer of the Butterfly Bijou dsp that was 5" x 3 3/4" and attached it to a Basic White  cardstock layer cut at 5 1/4" x 4".  This was attached to the card base using Dimensionals to give it a pop.

Next the sentiment layer was cut using Tasteful Label dies on Basic White cardstock.  The words I chose to use come from the Garden Wishes stamp set.  The words were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink off to the side.  This was attached to the card front using Dimensionals again.  Then the fun really begins...

The Brilliant Wings dies have 12 dies to the set and one of them is the 6 butterflies attached together that fit perfectly with the butterflies on one of the dsp designs.  So with one cut, you have 6 gorgeous butterflies to play with.  I chose to use the largest of the butterflies in this lovely golden color palette to contrast with the blue/greens in the designer paper.  The butterfly was attached using Dimensionals.  The top wing tip actually has two Dimensionals stacked to give it more lift.  This butterfly is beautiful on it's own, but I gave it a few strokes of Wink of Stella to make it even more delicate looking.  I think it shows enough on this picture to give you an idea.  It's really eye-popping in real life.

I added 3 of the Opal Rounds to the card to give it some extra bling without adding to the colors.  The iridescence of them seemed to be just what it needed.  Still very simple, but beautiful!

Since I had an extra strip of the dsp left over after cutting the top layer, it was added to the inside edge of the card.  And then I realized I had 5 more die-cut butterflies from that one piece of designer paper.  So... after looking them over, I decided to stick with the golden yellow accent color and added the small butterfly inside the card to finish.

Can't tell you how excited about this new Butterfly Bouquet collection I am!  Everything coordinates so well and the colors are just yummy - sort of a 'bright pastel' look.  I can't wait to share more ideas with you using this collection.  You know there'll certainly be more!  So many ideas just flitting around in my brain like little butterflies.    'giggle' 

Here's the information about this entire collection.  Go ahead, start drooling now!

Ok, ladies.  Ready, set, shop on March 2nd (if you're like me)!  Keep looking until the end of the post to see all the parts of this collection.  I made the pictures larger so you could actually see them.  There's a lot of goodies in there!

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you were inspired by maybe the colors, layout, or all the beautiful butterflies.  Enjoy your day.  Hopefully you have a little time set aside to get stamping and be creative.

Happy hugs,

Sharon

Grace's Garden

 Hi y'all.  Just practicing up on that Southern lingo I need to learn very soon.  Looks like the actual move will be made next week.  Yippee!  The logistics of this move are enough to drive me crazy - and I'm not even the one doing all the logistical planning.  I think I might be driving my dear husband just a little teensy bit crazy by now!  So glad he puts up with me all the time.  That must be love, right?

Ok, today's card is one that has clean lines and is done quickly.  I just love the simplistic look with no bling or doodads, but it really isn't plain.  It's made using Grace's Garden stamp set and the matching Garden Gateway dies.

The cardstock used is 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" Balmy Blue folded in half for the card base.  The next layer is 4 7/8" x 3 5/8" Basic Black cardstock, and the last is a 4 3/4" x 3 1/2" layer of Shimmery White cardstock.  Unfortunately none of the pictures I took could adequately show how pretty the Shimmery White cardstock looks on this card.  It's just lovely.

First off, I started with Balmy Blue and Garden Green inks and my Blending Brushes to get a soft background for the scene.  The colors were smoothed on in the center of the Shimmery White cardstock meeting in the middle to get a horizon line to work with.  It's amazing how nicely these brushes get such a soft color, but you can build the color up with more layers.  Just like magic!

Next I stamped the gate, kitty, and bird on Basic White cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  I colored each piece with Stampin' Blends:  kitty - Light and Dark Smoky Slate, gate - Light Smoky Slate on edges, and bird - Light and Dark Balmy Blue.  After that each piece was die cut using the Garden Gateway Dies set.  When playing around with the pieces getting the layout where I wanted, I realized it needed some grasses to anchor the gate to the scene.  There are none in the Grace's Garden set, so I was on a hunt to find the needed grasses.  I found some that were the perfect size in the My Meadow stamp set.  (Don't you love how so many sets seem to have interchangeable parts that play well with others?)  Anyway, I stamped some grasses using Garden Green ink behind the corners of the gate, then stamped a few more  right over it after adhering the gate to the card.  This way it looks like it growing right around the gate posts.

The gate was attached using adhesive so it is flat to the card, but both the kitty and bird were popped up with Mini Dimensionals to make them stand out a bit more.

Oh, I almost forgot!  That little hello on the bottom was stamped with one of the four sentiments found in the Grace's Garden stamp set.  This is such a sweet set.  I used very few of the pieces and ended up with an almost minimalist look.  With the Shimmery White cardstock that was used, I didn't think it needed any extra bling or other embellishments.  

Hope you liked my card today.  Just wanted to say hello...  

I look forward to hearing from you, so be sure to post a comment.  It's nice to hear what you're thinking about.

Sharon

Just a little reminder about the end on Sale-a-bration.  Sunday, February 28th is the last day to get any free items you've been thinking about.  Don't want you to miss out.  If you'd like to place an order this month, please think about using the Host Code shown here.  As a thank you, I'll be sending out a little goodie to anyone that places an order with me this month.

 

Thinking of You with Flowers

Hi again!  Can you believe this gorgeous weather we have today?  It's bright and sunny and 43 degrees the last time I checked.  Things are looking up for an actual move.  We've been waiting for the weather to change from the constant freezing and snow every other day or so.  Looks like it has finally happened.

Today's card features the Pretty Perennials stamp set found in the January - June Mini Catalog again.  Love, love, love it.  But then, I really like flowers of just about any kind.  I needed to get busy making thank you cards for the lovely people that ordered from me in February, so wanted to share the batch I made yesterday.  

As you can see, those lovely flowers are the pretty accent here.  I keep going back to them time after time.  This time I paired them up with the gorgeous Paper Blooms Designer Series Paper that is free during Sale-a-bration this month.  Yes, there are just a few more days to get your hands on this pretty paper.  February 28th is coming up really fast, and then all the free items won't be available any longer.  

For my card, I chose to use a mixture of the prints instead of focusing on just one.  (couldn't decide which one to use, so...)  Each strip of the Designer Paper is 5 1/4" x 1".  This way you can really get a good look at each of them on the card.  It is a problem when you like all of the designs and don't want to cover up any of them!

The base of my card is Rococo Rose, my favorite of the 2019-2021 In Colors.  Well, it's my favorite today anyway.  These colors are right in my range of happy colors to work with.  I'm so sorry this batch of In Colors will retire on May 3rd.  I'll have to make sure I get my ink refills and extra cardstock ordered before they are out-of-stock!  

The strips of Designer Paper were attached with adhesive with a bit of the Rococo Rose cardstock showing around them as a frame.  The largest flower from the Pretty Perennials was stamped with Blushing Bride ink.  The small flower is done in Seaside Spray.  The centers on all the flowers were stamped with Night of Navy ink.  All the leaves were stamped with Old Olive ink.  After the stamping was complete, I die-cut them all out with the matching Perennial Petals dies.  

The set I chose to use for the sentiment is the Happy Thoughts set also from the January - June Mini Catalog.  I debated about using the Thank You from the set, but instead used the Thinking of You because for this card, I preferred the font on this sentiment.  It was stamped in Night of Navy ink onto a die-cut Stitched Shapes oval.  Then was layered onto a Night of Navy piece of cardstock that was die-cut with the Stitched So Sweetly die set.  Both of these die sets have the stitched edges that I like so much.

The die-cut pieces were then arranged on the card front and popped up with Dimensionals.  I would have liked a sprinkling of rhinestones on the card to finish, but I have no idea where they are.  (Looked but couldn't find them!)  So I added a tiny bow of the Mossy Meadow Braided Trim attached with a Mini Glue Dot.  It was the only ribbon that I could find and I think it works ok here.

All righty.  That's it for today's post.  If you have any questions about what I did, or why, leave me a comment and I'll be happy to get back with you with an answer.  That is providing I know the answer!  The way things are going around here right now, I'm not sure I have any answers about anything!  

Happy stamping!  It's a good way to keep your sanity.  haha

Sharon

Oh So Ombre'

Quick, before Sale-a-bration is over, if you haven't gotten the free Oh So Ombre' Designer Series Paper yet, you really, really should!  The colors are beautiful and you get this cute little white "bubble" print on some, with the plain ombre' look on others.  The choice of colors are Granny Apple Green, Rococo Rose, Bermuda Bay, or the one I chose for today's card - Blackberry Bliss.  Any which one you choose to use is just gorgeous!  And while you're at it, be sure you don't overlook the A Touch of Ink stamp set which is also one of the Sale-a-bration freebies.  So I guess the card I'm sharing today is all about the MONEY, or Freebies that is!  he he  And what's not to like about free?

First off, when you look at the card today, your eye is probably drawn to the golden butterfly.  This is from the A Touch of Ink stamp set.  I stamped it on Basic White cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  It is a 2-step stamp and I stamped the inner color with Daffodil Delight ink.  After it was fussy cut out and laid out on the Oh So Ombre' paper, it looked too "flat" to me.  One of the things I've been doing lately with my Stampin' Blends is layer them right over stamped and/or watercolored images.   Because they are an alcohol ink, they don't interfere with any water-based ink already on the image.  How interesting is that?!    I added some Mango Melody Dark and Light Stampin' Blends right on top of the Daffodil Delight stamped area!  Then a little Light Smoky Slate Blends was added to the body.  Now it looked so much better.

Setting that aside, I decided that I wanted the opening cut out with a heart shape to go along with the sentiment I'd be using from the Lots of Heart stamp set.  There's a die set that goes with this to make a bundle (10% off) that was the perfect size that I had in mind.    It's called Many Hearts Dies, and the name says it all.  There are 3 different heart borders and multiple individual hearts to choose from, along with flowers, leaves, and a cute little bird to complete the set.   It had the perfect heart size to cut out a window and stamp flowers inside.  

The flower bouquet from Art Gallery stamp set was the perfect size and shape to fit here.  The stamp was inked with the Blackberry Bliss and Shaded Spruce markers, huffed on, then stamped onto Basic White cardstock.  This is a perfect time to use the Stamp-a-ratus to get the flowers perfectly lined up in the heart-shaped opening.  It's so easy to re-stamp too when the first image isn't quite crisp enough.  Hmmm, wonder when that ever happens!

The layer of Oh So Ombre' DSP with the heart cut out, was layered onto the folded Thick Basic White card base using many Dimensionals to keep it nice and raised.  The sentiment from the Lots of Heart set can be used for so many different reasons, so it was perfect for this card that I don't have a reason for yet.  But at least it'll be ready whenever I need it!  The sentiment was stamped with the Blackberry Bliss ink pad onto a Basic White 4" x 3/4" strip of cardstock.  The ends were shaped nicely using the Lovely Label Pick-a-Punch.  

An accent of retired Daffodil Delight enamel dots was used to balance the butterfly color.  Perfect touch.  After I had the card finished, or so I thought, it just begged for something else.  I'm sorry the touches of Wink of Stella feathered in from the wing tips don't show in the pictures.  It's very light and subtle, sort of dry-brushed on the edges.  It was just the touch needed to make the butterfly look even more delicate.

Well, that's it for today's card creation.  Hope you check the Sale-a-bration items out before time runs out on you.  There are so many  lovely items to choose from while there's still time.  I hope you don't miss out on the Oh So Ombre' Designer Papers especially.  They really are wonderful to work with and are so very pretty.  

Just a quick reminder to use the Host Code for February if you'd like to order.  Everyone that orders from me this month will get a little goodie from me in March as a thank you 'cuz I love you ladies!  

Hope you're all staying nice and warm.  Here in Michigan we've got a little cold and snowy weather hanging around.  I don't know about you, but I'm so ready for spring weather!  Anyway, when you're stamping, it's always sunny and happy weather.  So let's do a lot of stamping!

Inky Hugs from Sharon

  

Big Deal

Hi my favorite stamping friends!  This will be just a short post, at least that's the plan.  My newest downline just signed up her first downline.  Woo hoo!  Isn't that exciting?  I can remember signing up my first downline and how overwhelmed I was at the prospect of helping someone else get started in this business.  Whew!  But my downline Susan is so friendly, cheerful and willing to share with others that I don't think she'll have any problems at all.  Go get 'em Susan!

To cheer her on, I sent out cards to both her and her new downline (also named Susan!).  I love one of the sentiments from the Whale Done stamp set, so that's what I used for both of their cards.  I thought it worked perfectly with what I wanted to say.  Unfortunately I had already written and put in the mail one of the card designs before I thought about actually taking a picture to share. Oh well, I'm working on remembering to do that.

This card was so much fun to make using a technique that I often forget about using, but it adds a subtle dimension to the embossing.  The embossing was done using the Seabed 3D Embossing Folder.  The fun part was brayering ink onto the inside of the folder before adding the cardstock and then running it through the Stampin' Cut and Embossing Machine.  The ink transfers to the cardstock around the design and makes it stand out more.  For this lovely embossed layer, I used Granny Apple Green cardstock that is 5 1/4" x 4" and I brayered on Pacific Point ink.  That gives it just enough color to make the embossing stand out without changing the color too much.

The card base is Pool Party, the skinny strip is Night of Navy, and the layer behind the sentiment is Pacific Point.  The sentiment was stamped with Pacific Point ink.  The itty bitty fishes are a combination of Pool Party, Granny Apple Green, and Pacific Point inks.  All of them were off-stamped before stamping onto the Basic White layer.   These colors were chosen because they coordinate with the gorgeous  6" x 6" Whale of a Time Designer Series Paper.  It's easy to figure out colors to put together on a card when you use the DSP colors for your guide.  Stampin' Up! artists already do the work of combining the best colors for us!

The last item needed was a bit of bling.  That was provided by using a few of the sequins from the Whale of a Time Sequins.  They match nicely with all the colors of the DSP and are different sizes, colors, and even a tiny seashell shape.  Yes, I do appreciate it when everything matches and comes together so easily.

Oh, in case you're wondering, the cards were made before all my color cardstock was packed away.  I think my dear hubby is such a sweetheart because he went out into the garage in the freezing cold weather, checked around, and found 2 boxes of 8 1/2" x 11" color cardstock that haven't made it down to South Carolina yet.  They don't have all the current Stampin' Up! colors in them, but there's at least some choices!!!  Yay!  Now isn't he just the best?  

Reminders:  Sale-a-bration will be over on February 28th, so get those orders in if you want your freebies.  If you would like to order from me, please use the Host Code  XYUVH9UP  for the month of February.  Well, I told you this would be short so I'd better stop typing!  Again, congratulations to Susan and Susan and their new adventures in Stampin' Up!  Let the fun begin!

Happy stamping,

Sharon

Sweet Strawberries

I was flitting around the internet the other day and came across a post from Andrea Walford in Canada.  She's a very creative artist especially when it comes to the use of colors.  I'm always blown away by the blending of colors and the choices of color combos.  Using anything she makes as a jumping off place for my own creations is always a challenge to step out of my cozy little stamping box.  This time she had strawberries mixed with pink colors.  I always think more bold with bright reds and greens for backgrounds for strawberries.  So I had to give the idea a try.

For making this card, I started with the Sweet Strawberry stamp set from the January-June Mini Catalog.  This is one of the first items I ordered from this catalog and thought I'd be using it continually.  Then I realized I had packed my colored cardstock and was stumped about what to use with these stamps without using Real Red  and/or Garden Green cardstock.  Boy, talk about getting into a creative rut.  What ever made me think I needed Real Red to use this set??

After playing with the Valentine card (previous post) and using the Blending Brushes to create a colored background layer, and then seeing what Andrea Walford had done, I knew I wanted to go that route with this card too.  Instead of just blending color on the edges and leaving the center white, this time I reversed it and just blended Blushing Bride to the center of the card.  This draws your eye to the focal image and that's just what I wanted anyway!  With this light of a color, I was surprised by how many layers of coloring it took to get the color build-up I wanted.  The light color took about 5 layers to get this look.  With darker colors it goes much quicker but you have to be careful to keep a light touch. 

The card base used for this was Blushing Bride, 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" folded in half.  The Basic White layer is cut at 5 1/4" x 4".  I used Memento Tuxedo Black ink on a smaller piece of white cardstock to stamp 2 strawberries and 2 stems for the strawberries.  The strawberries were colored in using Light and Dark Poppy Parade and Dark Flirty Flamingo Stampin' Blends.  The stems were colored using Light and Dark Shaded Spruce Stampin' Blends.  I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it is to play around with the colors putting one over the other and going over it and blending in still another color or two.  Yet they all work together so nicely!  I hope you can see this a little in the pictures.  Take my word for it, Stampin' Blends is a definite must-have in any stamping stash.

There is a Strawberry Builder Punch that is part of the Sweet Strawberry Bundle which I have.  (Who doesn't like to save 10% by buying Bundles?)  But this time around I didn't use the punch for the berries or the stems.  I didn't want the white edge surrounding each piece when you punch them.  So these were fussy cut with my Paper Snips.  Yes, I know I usually prefer to die-cut or punch, but sometimes you just need a different look.

After I had my pieces cut out, I started laying them out on my card to see how I wanted the background image stamped.  This was also stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink as I was planning on using blends again.  After I colored the leaves the same as the stems earlier, it looked sort of "flat" to me.  I went back and added a little Dark Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blends to them for a little more contrast.  The flower centers have a little Dark Daffodil Delight added.  Then as as extra touch, just a dusting of Wink of Stella to the petals.

The 1" strip of green plaid paper is from the Berry Delightful Designer Paper that is one of the Free items along with the wonderful Berry Blessings stamp set during Sale-a-bration.  Both the stamps and the papers are truly amazing and I wish they were in the regular catalog, but they're not.  (very sad face)  The only way you can get this bundle is by purchasing $100 dollars (before shipping and tax) during Sale-bration.  And remember Sale-a-bration ends on the 28th of February, so you need to act soon.

Ok, back to the card...  The sentiment is from the Sweet Strawberry set that we've been using here.  There are 5 little sentiments in a fun font that are part of the set, so there's lots to choose from.  I had a scrap of Basic White cardstock that was a little less than 3/4" wide.  I stamped the sentiment with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, then got out my trusty Lovely Labels Pick a Punch to fancy up the ends.  To finish up the card, this was layered over the green plaid DSP using Dimensionals.  The right side strawberry was attach using Dimensionals, then the left strawberry has two stacked Dimensionals underneath to pop in up even higher.  It also covers the left edge of the green plaid DSP to tidy it all up.

There you have it.  A couple of yummylious strawberries in the middle of a snowy winter day to brighten your outlook.  Hope you enjoyed this card idea and might want to give it a try.  If you'd like to order from me this month, please use the Host Code shown here.   I love my customers and appreciate you so much.  So I'll be sending out some lovely goodies to anyone who has ordered from me this month as a little thank you. 

Stay warm and safe and healthy out there.  And get out your stamps to add some creativity to your day.  Stamping and creating always makes me happy!  Yes, I do get grumpy when I don't get a creative fix for several days.  Just ask my dear hubby!   I'm glad it only takes some creating to make me happy again.  Hope it makes you happy too.  Please leave a comment for me to let me know what you think of the ideas I share with you.  That makes me happy too!!

Sharon

Lots of Love Valentine

Another Valentine's Day is here again.  Are you ready?  Can't believe so much time has flown by already this year.  I hope all of you are celebrating with lots of hearts, and love, and of course chocolate! That's one thing that hasn't changed.  I do love me some luscious dark chocolate.  Nothing like it.  Well, maybe sharing handmade valentines with your favorite peeps rates right up there near the top.  So the last several days I've been working on valentines for my friends.  It's been interesting because I have no red or pink cardstock that is unpacked and available.  Hmmm....  Guess it's time to get creative with what I do have.

It's amazing what you find when you pack to move.  I found a partial pack of Real Red and Flirty Flamingo die-cut heart doilies.  I don't really have any idea about how long they've been hanging around, but that was just what I needed to get started. The doilies put me in mind of the pretty Flower & Field Designer Paper that's Free during Sale-a-bration this month.  The paper didn't mention Real Red as one of the colors it coordinates with, but sure seems to work for me!  

Ok two parts down, and it's time to decide on the cardstock to use.  With no red or any pinks in my arsenal of colors, I thought about using the Blending Brushes to give color to a layer and leave the card base Basic White.  I thought about using Real Red to give a blush around the edge of the layer, but it was too dark for the look I was going for.  You know me - I love my pastels!  So I opted for the Flirty Flamingo ink.  Oh Yes!  I'm amazed at what a pale color you can get using the Blending Brushes.  What you see on the card is actually 2 layers of ink blending on the edges.  So pretty in real life.  The color is on the edges blending in to nothing in the center.  How cool!  That was soooo much fun.   I really need to play with these again soon!

The card still needed more contrast to make it all pop.  I have the True Love Designer Paper with all those lovely black and white images to choose from.  A 1" strip was cut from one of the designs and then cut to fit the pinkish layer we just worked on.  This was attached with adhesive.  Then the pinkish layer was attached to the folded Basic White card base.  

The heart was cut from the pretty Flower and Field Designer Paper using one of the hearts from the Many Hearts Dies.  It doesn't quite match up with the heart doily, but still works together nicely.  The red heart doily was attached to the card front using Dimensionals.  Then the flower print heart was added to the doily with one Dimensional in the center.  I like it just floating there.

The sentiment comes from the Lots of Heart stamp set.  I stamped it in the center of a 3/4" x 4" piece of Basic White using Real Red ink.  It needed a little more romance to it, so I punched the ends with the Lovely Labels Pick a Punch.  This gave it a little more of a lacy look to go along with the doily.  It was then attached to the card front using Dimensionals.

That's about it.  I was happy to come up with a Valentine's Day card using what I had on hand.  If you see something you like but don't have all the right colors, stamps, or punches etc, don't give up!  Just play around with what you have on hand and come up with your very own creation.

Just a little reminder that if you'd like to place an order with me, please use the Host Code shown here for all February orders.  I love my ladies and appreciate you so much.  So I'll be sending a little goodie to anyone that places an order in February as a thank you. 

Happy Valentine's Day y'all!

Sharon

Hey Birthday Chick!

Oh my!  I'm so excited that Stampin'Up! has brought back the Hey Chick stamp set from a few years ago.  They've also brought out a coordinating stamp set called Hey Birthday Chick. And then to make it even better - wait for it now..... drumroll please.  They've made dies for each of the stamp sets!! Woo Hoo!  There will be info at the bottom of this post so you can see how you can get both the sets and the dies.  Oh my goodness, can you feel the excitement?

Isn't this chick just the cutest?  I so want to giggle when I look at her and her wild hairdo. (yep, looks kind of wild and crazy like mine!)  One of my good friends is having a birthday next week.  We go way back and I can't begin to tell you all the hours we've spent laughing together.  She is just the greatest!  I needed to make a card that would be fun like her.  And I hope this card will make her laugh along with me.

This card also uses some fabulous Oh So Ombre Designer Series Paper from the Sale-a-bration flyer.  So YES, it's free when you place a $50 order.  And as you can see, the print side is adorable with these little white circles and the flip side is just plain ombre.  Hmmm, it's too pretty to be called 'just plain ombre', but you get the idea.  There's a nice gradiation of color from light to dark so it's fun to play with.  The color I used here is Bermuda Bay, but there is also Blackberry Bliss, Granny Apple Green and Rococo Rose.  I've already got an idea in the works for using another of these colors real soon.

Back to the details of this card here.  I started with a base of Pool Party cardstock.  I attached a layer of the awesome Oh So Ombre DSP cut at 5 1/8" x 3 7/8" so a little more of the Pool Party would show.  The next step was to die-cut a Basic White oval from the Stitched Shapes die set.  I used the biggest oval in the set.  Love having that stitched detail on this.

Next up was stamping this cute chickie using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Coloring on this little chick was done with Stampin' Blends of course.  The alcohol markers are so easy to not only color, but shade and add details too.  The chick was colored using So Saffron Light and Dark, Mango Melody Light and Dark, and Pumpkin Pie Light.  The cupcake needed to be chocolate so I used Cinnamon Cider Light and Dark.  That gave the cupcake a really great chocolaty color.  The frosting is Pool Party Dark and Bermuda Bay Light.  Candle is Bermuda Bay Light and Dark, and the flame is So Saffron Light.

The die-cut Happy Birthday is cut from the plain side of the Oh So Ombre DSP using the die from the Birthday Chicks Dies.  I first glued a strip of the ombre dsp to a scrap of Basic White Thick cardstock then die-cut as usual.  This gives the light-weight dsp a bit more rigidity to stand out on the card.  I  only wanted it to stand out slightly from the card front, so I just rolled some glue dots to attach it.  That gives a little lift, but not as much as Dimensionals.

Since I had to get the card in the mail, I started writing inside before I remembered to take a picture.  Oooopsie!  For the inside I chose another Sale-a-bration Free set called Approaching Perfection.  It's all about birthdays, and it's not the sweet mushy kind either.  I think she'll appreciate this, especially since we've been known to joke about our ages.  Oh yeah, I am a few years older!  hehe

Just a quick reminder that Sale-a-bration will be ending soon.  Dog-gone it!  The sale is only going to last until the very end of February.  So now is the time to order if you want to pick up on these fun and free items!

If you'd like to place an order now and don't have your own personal demonstrator, please consider ordering from me.  Just put my name in as your demonstrator and use this month's Host Code.  As a thank you I'll be sending out a little goodie for everyone that orders from me this month.  Yes, I really do appreciate my loyal customers!

Thanks for stopping by and spending some time with me.  Hopefully I've given you an incentive to do some stamping today.  Stamping always make me happy.  Hope it makes you happy too!

Sharon

I promised I would share with you the info for ordering these cute sets, and here it is.  Just click on this flyer to take you directly to ordering.  Can't get any easier than that.

Pretty "Pretty Perennials"

Well, I think I've found my new favorite stamp set from the January-June Mini Catalog.  And it's not the one I expected!  How funny is that?  When I saw the January-June Mini Catalog for the very first time, I picked out what I thought would be my new favorite go-to stamp set.  I sure was in for a big surprise.   I have hardly touched that stamp set (not telling what it is yet!), but I invariably keep grabbing the new Pretty Perennials set.  Yes, I'll admit I'm a flower junkie when it comes to new stamps.  They work perfectly for so many different reasons (and seasons too).  And the flowers in the Pretty Perennials set are so simple to use!

This is the 2nd version of this card idea.  The first time around I had used all pastel colors like Petal Pink, So Saffron, Seaside Spray, and Soft Seafoam.  The cards went out to some of my friends with a challenge to play around with some floral style stamps and make a "One Sheet Wonder" type of card.  This is where you use a sheet of lovely Designer Paper and make a bunch of cards from it.  This card had a twist though.  Instead of Designer Paper, you choose a stamp set and colors and you stamp your own designer paper!  This way you can make it in whatever colors you prefer and make as many cards as you want to also.

So far I've heard back from 3 of my friends that have made their own version of my card, and it's so fun to see what they've done with the idea!  After I get permission from the ladies, I'll share their ideas with you.

So let's see what was used to make these cards and the 'recipe'  that I used.  The stamp set for this batch of cards was Pretty Perennials along with the very versatile Happy Thoughts stamp set.  If you're looking for just one sentiment stamp set that covers the basics, this one fits the bill very nicely.  It has a birthday, thank you, congratulations, and thinking of you along with inside-the-card sentiments that are quite nice.  Can't go wrong with this one!

I started by trimming down a piece of Basic White cardstock to 10" x 7 1/2".   For the stamping, I started with the largest flower and Calypso Coral ink.  The first flower was a little off the very center of the paper and all the others are scattered about 1 1/2" away from the first and then out from there.  Try not to get them all lined up like little soldiers - randomly works so much better!

The next step is to stamp the large leaves for each flower using Granny Apple Green ink.  I mostly did two leaves per flower, but added a couple extra where needed.  

Next up was the smaller solid flower using Mango Melody ink.  I stamped these partially filling in open spaces.  These flowers needed the little solid, double leaf.  These were also stamped with Granny Apple Green ink.

The final flower to fill in the open areas was the open petal flower.  These are so cute and airy so I was able to use the darker Bermuda Bay ink without it being too overpowering.  Of course, it then needed the little open double leaves to match.  Again I used the Granny Apple Green ink for them.  I had ideas of using a different color green ink for the smaller leaves, but didn't like how it turned out, so just stuck with what worked.

At this point, I cut the stamped white cardstock to 5" x 3 3/4" so I had 4 card fronts from one piece of white cardstock.  As you can see, I layered these onto coordinating colors of cardstock, either Granny Apple Green, Bermuda Bay, or Mango Melody.  These each measured 5 1/4" x 4".  Then they were layered onto folded Basic White card bases.

The sentiments were stamped on Basic White cardstock that were punched out using the Tailored Tag punch.  For this batch of cards I used the Thinking of You sentiment for all of them stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  The sentiments were kind of lost on the card fronts, so I used the handy Blending Brush and Granny Apple Green ink to lightly color the edges of the tags.  These Blending Brushes are a delight to use.  It's so easy to get just a small amount of color highlighting the tag and keeping the whole look very soft.

I had scraps of the same coordinating cardstocks that I had used to layer, so thought they would make great accents on the cards.  As you can see, I liked the look of changing up the accents with the layered cardstock to give it some added color and contrast.  The ends were banner trimmed and tucked under the Tailored Tag sentiments that were attached with Dimensionals.

With having most of my stamping supplies packed away, I had to improvise on some glitzy accents.  After digging around, out came some retired enamel dots that were Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive color.  Not the same colors, but don't they go well with the colors used on these cards?  

Two reminders for you:  First, Sale-a-bration will end on February 28th, and that's creeping up quickly.  For every $50 you spend before shipping and tax, you can choose one of the Free Sale-a-bration items.   If you want to get your freebies, now is the time to get your order in before items are sold-out.  I'd hate for you to miss out on getting something you've got your heart set on!

Secondly, if you are placing an order this month with me, please use the Host Code listed here.  I'll be sending out something for everyone that orders from me this month.  I can't begin to tell you how much you ordering means to me.  I truly appreciate each and every one of you ladies!  Thanks from the bottom of my heart!!

Happy stamping, friends.  Hope you give this idea a try.  If you do, please send me a text with a picture.  I'd love to see what you've made.  Thanks...

Sharon

Sand & Sea Suite

 Are you tired of winter yet?  I thought today would be a great day to share this card with a seashell theme.  We just had a snow storm roll through last night with really cold temperatures.  And while it is pretty outside, I'm really ready for some warmer weather.  Hence the seashells today!

This card was made with the Sand & Sea Suite, in particular the Friends Are Like Seashells stamp set and the Sand & Sea 12" x 12" Designer Paper.  These are both available now in the January - June Mini Catalog.  Just by purchasing the Friends Are Like Seashells Bundle of stamps and coordinating dies for $54 makes you eligible to choose 1 item from the Sale-a-bration catalog.  This offer is only available until the end of February, so if you're interested now is the time to act.

The idea for this card comes from the many posts I've been seeing on Pinterest and many blogs that are highlighting the 'split card' technique.  If you're like me, you have all this lovely Designer Paper on hand.  You want to use it, but what is the best way to cut it to get the most out of it?  Normally if you are cutting  your paper to make a layer on your card front, you would probably cut it to 5 1/4" x 4".  You would end up making 6 cards from one sheet of Designer Paper.  The 'split card' idea uses a piece of only 4" x 4", giving you 9 pieces to make into cards.  When you are making multiple cards at a time, this is definitely a plus.

For this card, I cut diagonally from about 1" from bottom left edge to about 1" from top right edge.  The pieces were then "split" and layered onto a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of Basic White cardstock.  In the open area of white cardstock that shows through, the sentiment was stamped using Rococco Rose ink for a slightly darker look.  This was then layered onto the folded Flirty Flamingo card base.

The larger shell was stamped with Flirty Flamingo ink and die-cut.  The sand dollar, starfish, and sea grass were all stamped using Crumb Cake ink.  Accents were added to them using Flirty Flamingo Light Blends.  These were also cut out.

Attaching these to the card was done with Mini Glue Dots for 3 of the items.  It kept them a bit looser from the card front.  I used Dimensionals for the larger seashell so it hovers above them a bit and gives it more visual appeal.

The final touch was the embellishment.  I had thought about using pearls because we're talking underseas here, but they really didn't work as well as I'd hoped.  So this is the first time I tried using the Opal Rounds that are part of this Suite.  Oh my, are they ever lovely!  They are like a clear droplet of water with iridescent glitter inside.  Just perfect.  I added three and that was it.  Such a pretty card!  

I added a layer of Basic White cardstock inside with a birthday sentiment inside stamped again with the Rococco Rose ink.  I also stamped a couple of shells in the bottom corner using Flirty Flamingo ink that was off-stamped to keep them nice and light.  Add a few stamped shells to the envelope to match and it's ready to get in the mail.  One more birthday card ready to go.

Time for a new Host Code for the month of February.  If you'd like to place an order under $150, please use this Host Code.  If you want lots of goodies and your order is over $150, please contact me so we can make sure to get you all your free rewards.  Don't forget that Sale-a-bration only goes through the end of February.  If there's something in the Sale-a-bration flyer that you are wanting, please do it soon before items are sold out and no longer available.

Happy stamping!  Hope you give this "split card" idea a try soon.  It's a wonderful way to s-t-r-e-t-c-h that gorgeous Designer Paper.  I've used this idea with many different Designer Paper sets, and I haven't been disappointed yet!  Thanks for stopping by today.  Leave me a comment so I know you've been here.  You know I just love hearing from you my friends!

Virtual Hugs from Sharon