Goodbye to Queen Anne's Lace

 I feel sad as some of my old favorites from the retiring catalog are pulled off my shelves and decisions made about keeping or passing them on for others to enjoy.  This Queen Anne's Lace stamp set is one that I've been waffling back and forth on.  So why not make another card with it to share with you?  And that's just what I did today.

Most times I've used this set, I've chosen shades of purple and/or blue.  Today I thought I'd stick with just plain white and green for the card, but I don't think it's at all boring.  The card base starts with Mint Macaron cardstock cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  Since I wanted to use one of the Basic Borders Dies to give it a fun edge, I trimmed off 1/4" from the front edge to give me the separation I wanted showing.  The card base was scored at the regular 4 1/4" and folded in half.

Using the stitched zig-zag edge die, I cut the right edge about 1/2" in from the edge.  This gave me the extra piece to use inside the card later.

The Basic White cardstock piece for the stamped images was cut at 3" x 5 1/4".  The Queen Anne's Lace flower was stamped first in Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  The stamp was cleaned and then re-inked with Smoky Slate ink.  Before stamping, it was off-stamped and then stamped down and to the left of the original flower.  The 2-step part of the set (the flowers) were inked with Mint Macaron, off-stamped, then stamped over the black stems.  Without re-inking, just huffing, they were stamped again over the Smoky Slate stems.  This gives a really nice shadowy image of another flower stem.  

I wanted just a touch of subtle bling added to the card, so I spattered the card with Wink of Stella.  Also dabbed a bit on each of the flowers.  No matter how many times I tried to capture it with my camera, it just didn't want to show up.  Talk about stubborn!  Sorry!!

This stamped layer was positioned on the card front and attached with adhesive.  I had a 1/4" strip of Silver Foil sitting amongst my table trinkets just waiting to be used.  Because of the colors on this card, I thought it would make a good accent across the stems.  It was trimmed to fit across and attached with adhesive.

I've been partial to the sentiments in this set because they have such fun fonts.  The 'hello friend' sentiment can be used for so many different reasons, so that's what I chose today.  It was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto a Basic White scrap.  It was punched out with the Double Oval Punch.  Then the scalloped part of the punch was used on a piece of Mint Macaron cardstock to make a pretty frame around the sentiment.  The two pieces were attached with adhesive.  Then Dimensionals were attached to the back to adhere to the card.

The card looked a little bare, so I added some sprigs from the new Natural Prints Die set.  I cutout two small Mint Macaron sprigs, and one taller one from Smoky Slate cardstock.  These were tucked behind the sentiment layer.

A layer of 5 1/4" x 4" Basic White cardstock was cut for the inside of the card.  The Queen Anne's Lace stem was inked up with Smoky Slate ink, off-stamped, then stamped onto the bottom left of the insert.  This layer was attached inside the card base using adhesive.

To finish off the card on the inside, remember that piece that was die-cut from the front edge?   I used MultiPurpose Liquid Glue to attach this tight along the right edge of the card base, so it covers the edge of the Basic White layer.   Isn't that a nice finished look?

Well, it was fun making another card with this set.  It really didn't help me decide whether it was going into the keep or share with others pile.  Still thinking on that...

Hope you're having fun looking through the new Annual Catalog that you have.  Don't forget there's still two more shopping days left for the retiring catalog.  Don't miss out on something you've been thinking about and figure you'll get to 'later'.  Oh, you don't do that?  Hmmm, unfortunately I do, so I guess that applies to me too.  Have fun stamping and creating your masterpieces.  It really is better than therapy.  Plus you end up with cards to share with your friends and family.  Don't forget to get some of those wonderful cards you're making into the mailbox soon!

Blessings and many hugs,

Sharon
 

Friendship Friday Revisited

Hi Ladies!  It's way late and I should be in bed sleeping.  For some reason, I'm wide away and thought it would be a good idea to make use of my time to do this instead of playing games on my computer.  Brilliant thinking, right?!  Since I did a regular post instead of my "Friendship Friday" offering, this can just be my second post of the day.  Otherwise I'd have to wait a whole week until next Friday to share these cards.  Not gonna happen!  These cards are all just too pretty to wait around another week.  This time, I have birthday cards to share!   Woo Hoo!  Who doesn't love birthdays?  And you, my friends, have sent me some truly gorgeous cards.  Thank you!!

created by - Sue Fabris  So pretty and delicate!  Love it!  You did a great job on those tulips.

created by - Jean Mazurek   I love the added fence, extra bird, and especially the trees cut from the DSP.  So special.

created by - Kathy Hintz  So spring-y looking.  The tulip DSP is a real hit here.  I like the color you put together.

created by - Barb Eisenman    Dragonfly and flowers, what's not to like?  I like the colors and pearls used here.  The fancy die-cuts for the sentiment really make the card stand out.

created by - Judy Bur   More of that lovely New Horizons DSP.  I like the fancy fold and the sentiment layers.  Stamping the greenery on it was an awesome touch.

created by - Connie Juengel    Love the purple Art Gallery flower with the hydrangea DSP.  I never thought of putting those together, but I love it.

created by - Shirley Krone     Always loved those floral border dies.  They make such a pretty edge.  And the daisies remind me that summer isn't far off.

created by - Jan Hollmann      She used some of my very favorite items - Arrange A Wreath dies and the Square Lattice Embossing Folder.  Miss those!  I like the multi-color prints on the flowers too.

A big thank you to all you wonderful ladies that filled my mailbox with these treasures.  There were more cards, but they weren't hand-made with love like these.  And an even better treasure were the letters and notes that accompanied these gorgeous cards.  I feel so very blessed to have you ladies as friends!

Hugs and blessings to you,

Sharon

Blue Honeybee Home Card

Hey there!  Hope you're doing well this Friday.  Had lots of fun going out to dinner and then back home to play games with family.  Have you ever played a game called Pit?  It's loud and crazy and the six of us had so much fun.  Guess who ended up with a negative score.  Uhhh, yes.  That would be me.  For some reason I just couldn't get anything to work right last night, but I still had a blast.   I so enjoyed spending my birthday with my favorite people!!

This card didn't quite work out like I thought it would, but I still like it anyway.  I think I'll need to revisit this idea again.  There's a window in the front flap, and another in the inside flap.  I like the double window, but I think I'd like to use a thinner rectangle die for the window.  And maybe wider cardstock too.  We'll see...

This card idea started out with a piece of Basic White cardstock that was cut to 5 1/2" x 11".  The scoring was at 4 1/4" and 8 1/2".  A 5 1/4" x 4" layer of the Heart & Home 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper was attached to the card front using adhesive.  Love that vintage-looking print!  Unfortunately, it is being retired.  Too bad, it has some lovely prints.  Since it's in the January - June Mini Catalog, you still have to June 30th to order this!  Yay!!

The Rectangle Stitched Framelits were used to die-cut the rectangle window in the front flap.  Then it was marked on the inside flap with a pencil so I'd know where to place the same Framelit for the inside cut to match up. 

While the card was closed to check on placement, the sentiment from the new Wisteria Wishes stamp set was used.  The two sentiments were stamped in Night of Navy ink one underneath the other.  Since it's a Photopolymer set, it's easy to get the stamps lined up the way you want.

The floral stem from the Honeybee Home set was stamped on the piece of Basic White cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  The coloring was done with Stampin' Blends:  So Saffron Light and Dark, Daffodil Delight Light, Soft Seafoam Light and Dark.  After coloring, it was die-cut using the coordinating dies from the Honeybee Blooms Die set.

These flowers were too pale by themselves, so two of the Meadow Dies were used.  The floral stem cut out a piece of Night of Navy CS, and the twig cut out Silver Foil.  Together, putting these behind the colored flowers was enough of a contrast to work.  The two Meadow stems were attached flat with adhesive, and the flowers used Mini Dimensionals to pop them up.  

About 6" of one of the gorgeous new ribbons was used to make a small bow.  These new ribbons are 1/8" wide Metallic Woven and come in the new 2022-2024 In Colors.  I used the Starry Sky color and think it works well with the Night of Navy on the card.  It was attached over the stems with a Mini Glue Dot.

Here you can see the inside of the card better.  I stamped the floral stem again, but this time with Night of Navy ink.  This is off to the side.  My thoughts are that I'd write a note on the left side of the card.  Guess it'll be just a short note because there's not much space.

When I was using the Meadow Dies, I also cut a butterfly in Night of Navy.  It was attached inside the window area for an accent using a Mini Glue Dot.

The very last addition was the three rhinestones.  I used my favorites of course - the 2021-2023 In Color Jewels.  These are the Pale Papaya color, but as you can see, they blend in very well with the yellows on the flowers.  Have I mentioned how much I'm going to miss these jewels?  I did stock up on another pack, just because I love them so much!

That's it for today's post.  Hope you like the idea and make something similar yourself.  I love the look of blue and yellow together and adding in the pretty vintage-looking DSP - it just makes me happy.  Thanks for stopping in again.  I'm trying to keep the posts coming on a regular basis.  Some days I do much better than others in that regard.  But hang with me, I've been playing with some new sets and those posts are coming soon.  Looking forward to sharing all my favorites with you!  Some of you have been sending me texts and/or emails to show me what you've been making.  I Love It!!  Send more when you can.  It's so fun to see what you're doing too!

If you're placing an order with me, please use the Host Code shown at the top of the blog posts.  It's greatly appreciated.  There are only a few days left to order from the old Annual Catalog.  It ends May 2nd to make way for the new.  You may order from the new 2022-2023 Annual Catalog on May 3rd!  Mark your calendars ladies!!  Woo Hoo!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Old, New, and In Between

 Hi friends,  Just been hanging out and not doing much of anything lately.  I don't know where my energy has gone, but I've been feeling kind of wrung out lately.  I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with an upcoming birthday and getting older.  Of course not!   I've been taking stock of my life and life in general.  Some things I'm happy with where things stand and other things are making me feel uncomfortable.  You know how that goes...   Anyway, I do have a card I want to share with you.  It uses a retiring stamp and die bundle, but also a new embossing folder that I really like.   Just like me - old, new, and everything in between.

I've always liked the Forever Blossoms stamp set.  It's so elegant but delicate too.  And when a stamp set comes with a coordinating die set (Cherry Blossoms) it's really a winner in my book.  The cherry blossoms are stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto a Basic White cardstock piece.  Then the fun begins with the coloring.  I used Stampin' Blends for this, of course.  They just make the coloring so effortless and it's fun layering on different colors to get the look you want.  For the flowers, I used Fresh Freesia Light and Dark, and Highland Heather Light and Dark.  The stems and leaves are colored with Pear Pizzazz Light and Dark, and bits added with Old Olive Dark.  I did the coloring on these before I die-cut them out.  I find it easier to work with this way.  (my bad - we have no Pear Pizzazz Blends.  I used Old Olive Light and Dark, and Mossy Meadow Light)

For the card base, I used Highland Heather cardstock cut to 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half.  The Highland Heather was a little darker than the flowers and really made them stand out.  I debated adding some tone-on-tone stamping on this layer, but decided I liked it plain instead.

The green layer tucked behind the flowers is Mossy Meadow.  This is not one of the colors from the leaves, but I loved the darkness behind the delicate flowers.  This layer is cut at 4 1/4" x 2 3/4".  The new Fern 3D Embossing Folder was used for texture.  So pretty.  I think this might become a new favorite of mine. 

To bring a greater definition between the Mossy Meadow and Highland Heather layers, I added a layer of Silver Foil cut at 4 1/2" x 3".  This layer also gives it some shine and really draws the eye to the design.  Mono Adhesive Liquid Glue was used to attached these together.  With any heavy embossing, I prefer to use the Liquid Glue to make sure it is really attached well.  I just hate for layers to pop off after it goes through the mail!

The cherry blossoms are attached directly to the Mossy Meadow layer.  These are also attached with Mono Adhesive Liquid Glue.  I left the design partly coming off the Mossy Meadow layer, because I like the look of not being totally contained in a space.

This whole layer was then attached to the card front using Dimensionals.  Love the pop this give to the card that is otherwise flat.

The sentiment is from the Forever Blossoms set too.  This was stamped onto Basic White using Gorgeous Grape ink.  I wanted to stick with the purple tones, but wanted it a bit darker.  This was punched out with the scalloped oval from the Double Oval Punch.  This is attached partially with adhesive on the left side and a Dimensional on the right side to keep it even.  Under the sentiment, three of the retiring 2021-2023 In Color Jewels in the Fresh Freesia color were added.  Don't know what I'm going to do without having these lovely jewels to tuck in everywhere.

The inside of the card has a layer of Basic White cardstock cut at 5 1/4" x 4".  The sentiment for the inside is also from the Forever Blossoms set and was stamped with Gorgeous Grape ink.  The loose flower in the set was stamped three times in the bottom corner using Highland Heather ink to finish it up.

I've used this set multiple times for anniversaries.  The sentiments and images really work well for both weddings and anniversaries.  Hope you like this idea.  As of right now, both the stamp set and dies are available, though I'm not sure how much longer that will be.  Either way, you only have until May 2nd to order this if you're interested.

Thanks for stopping in today.  I'm so sorry for the delay in getting this posted.  For those of you that are interested, my hubby is doing better at this time.  We've been running to doctors and clinics on a regular basis lately to get one thing or another checked out.  But if this is going to get him doing better and living many more years, it's all good!  Thank you for all your prayers and for the fun get well cards he has received.  And especially thanks for all the wonderful birthday cards that have been showing up in our mailbox for me.  You ladies are the best.  We appreciate you all so very much!

Blessings and lots of hugs,

Sharon

It's Friendship Friday Again

Yes, here we are and it's Friday already.  The time just seem to trickle through my fingers way too quickly now.  Is that what happens when you get older?  Or is it just me not keeping good track of the days?  I'm not sure.  Whatever it is, it seems to be my 'new normal'.  Anyway, it is Friday, and I have some really lovely Easter cards that I want to share with you.  So let's get started.

created by Jane Murphy - I love all the layering and the colors she put together.  The bits of gold showing everywhere make it so elegant.

 

created by Jan Hollmann - I love the embossing on the white layer, and all the added die-cut birds and leaves.  So pretty.  Nice contrast of all the white with the Highland Heather cardstock.

created by Connie Juengel - So pretty with the pink marble strip and the flower-embossed layer behind the darling bunny.  Love the watercoloring on the bunny and background too.  So adorable.

created by Judy Bur - love the tone-on-tone Soft Succulent colors on this card, and the cross behind that Bible verse.  Very special card Judy!

created by Barb Eisenman - just love this card, from the background layer to the cool cross die-cut, it's just gorgeous!  And there's a pretty butterfly with lots of die-cut flowers to match inside the card too.

created by Shirley Krone - so pretty!  This picture doesn't do it justice at all.  The lattice and leaves are a bright spring green and put against the dark wood-graining it's just lovely.  I like the added touches of purple sprigs to accent the leaves.

created by Phyllis Unthank - love the look of vanilla with copper.  So elegant looking with the embossed layer and the die-cut ovals.  Did you notice the cross die-cut on the stamped oval?  Very subtle.

created by Kathy Hintz - very simple and to the point.  You can't miss the message here!  Pretty lattice oval layer and gorgeous butterfly accent. 

created by Sue Fabris - how fun is this card?  Lots going on with the daffodil, bunny, and even a few tiny eggs thrown in for good measure.  Love the lacy die-cut edges with purple polka dot background.  So spring-y!

Hope you enjoyed these unique Easter cards as much as I did.  It was such a pleasure walking to the mailbox each day to see if there were any new treasures tucked in there.  It really made a bright spot in the day when my hubby wasn't feeling well.

If you can find the time, check back in tomorrow for more creativity and chit chat.  I'm working on tomorrow's post and not quite finished with it yet.  See you soon...

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Sending Sunshine Card

 Hello friends!  Hope your day is going well so far.  I just found out a good friend is in the hospital again and having a rough time of it.  Since I'm too far away to pop in to visit, I felt I needed to send her a cheery card.  That was the plan behind this card I'm sharing today.  It's bright and cheery and hopefully it will brighten her day when she receives it in the mail.

I did say bright, didn't I?  You can't get too much brighter than yellows and oranges, right?  The focus for the card was the lovely Flowering Fields Designer Series Paper that's shown in the January - June 2022 Mini Catalog.  This is just one of the many tulip prints in the paper pack.  And all these gorgeous tulip prints just make me happy.  So it was a good place to start.

The Flowering Fields DSP sheet was cut into 4" x 6" pieces.  This card is made with just one of those pieces.  The piece was then cut down to 3 3/4" x 5", making sure to save the pieces thar are trimmed off.  The large piece is attached to a piece of Mango Melody cardstock that's cut to 5 1/4" x 4".  It's attached with adhesive.  Then this is attached to a folded So Saffron card base.  These are both colors that are listed for the Flowering Fields DSP so you know they match up nicely.  The 1" x 4" piece of DSP, that you already trimmed off, is flipped over to the back side.   It's then attached across the card front near the middle using adhesive.

Moving on to the focal items on the card, I have a new stamp and die bundle that I used here.  It's the Sending Smiles stamp set and Sending Dies.  The dies from the set that I used are the two "Sending" layers.  The detailed die cut some Basic White cardstock.  The framing die cut some Mango Melody cardstock.  I used MultiPurpose Liquid Glue to attach the white onto the Mango Melody die cut.  Then added Mini Dimensionals behind the Mango Melody to pop up the wording and attached at an angle across the card front.

TIP - in case you lose the little dot for the i, just do what I did.  Add one of the small Classic Matte Dots in white where the dot would be.  Just a special added touch and no one knows it was to fix an oops.  Well, I guess you do now!   😀

The sentiment used here is from the Sending Smiles stamp set.  There are eight different sentiments included in the set that all work with the "sending" stamp and dies.  There are also flowers, stems, and leaves included in the set, so it has it all.  This time the sentiment was stamped in Mossy Meadow ink onto a 5/8" x 3 3/4" strip of Basic White cardstock.  It was popped up with Dimensionals then attached to the center of the contrast strip on the card front.  It's barely tucked in under the s on the die-cut words to sort of connect them.

As an accent to the sentiment strip, I took two more of those small white Classic Matte Dots and a Mango Melody Dark Blending Pen to color them.  Then they are attached to the ends of the sentiment strip.  Such a pretty touch.

Do you remember that last little strip of DSP that was cut off the 4" x 6" piece?  It's 1/4" x 5".  I added it to the right edge of a piece of 3 3/4" x 5" Basic White cardstock.  It's just a small addition, but it feels like a big impact when you see it finished.  This piece was then attached inside the card to write my own sentiment.  Or you could always stamp a sentiment of your choice if you didn't want to write, but you know I like to write notes.

That's it for today.  I need to get this note written and in the mail.  Thanks for stopping by to see what I've been creating lately.  It doesn't always need to be a total masterpiece.  Just something homemade by you to share with your loved ones and friends.  It really blesses the recipient - I know!

If you're still planning on ordering from the retired list, please do that soon.  Items are selling out and I really would hate to have you miss out on what you really want.  Have fun going over the retired list and check on all the items that are even discounted!  Can't miss there.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

More Happiness Abounds

 Hi there!  I mentioned that I'd be back again with another card using the Happiness Abounds stamp and die bundle, and here I am.  Did you get the feeling that this was something I kind of liked?  Well, that's a bit of an understatement.  I thoroughly enjoyed playing with this bundle the other day.  In fact, I'm having trouble pulling myself away from that and try out something else new.  I really need to give all my new stamps some love and attention, right?  But first, let's do just one more with this set.

At first glance, this card looks very similar to what I shared with you yesterday.  There are a few differences that I'll be happy to point out.  Let's start with the card base.  It is Gorgeous Grape to match some of the flowers in the DSP.  It is cut at 11" x 4 1/4", scored at 2 3/4" and 5 1/2".  It's folded in half, then the front is folded back on itself for your fun fold.  Easy peasy.

This card used the same Scalloped Contours Dies as the first two cards I shared but uses the largest die to cut out the Basic White cardstock piece.  Don't you like the pretty scalloped edges?  It sort of reminds me of Battenburg lace. 

The 3" x 4" piece of Hues of Happiness DSP is attached to the center of the white die-cut using adhesive.  For this card, I didn't need to trim it at all like I had to with the first two cards.  

It was time to go through that assortment of die-cut flowers from the DSP.  It's so much fun to just sift through this whole pile of colorful roses to find just the right pieces I needed.  I chose to use a mid-shade of Melon Mambo and a darker shade of Daffodil Delight for the roses.  I also went with the smaller rose sizes too.  Along with those, I chose two leaf clusters to fill in around them.  The yellow rose was attached with adhesive along with one leaf cluster.  The Melon Mambo rose and the other leaf cluster were attached with Dimensionals.

The sentiment is from the Happiness Abounds stamp set.  It's stamped on a skinny Basic White strip about 3/4" in width.  Friends was stamped with Gorgeous Grape ink to match the cardstock.  The right end was flagged then the left end was tucked under the roses.  A Fresh Freesia 3/8" Open Weave Ribbon was tied into a pretty bow, then attached with Mini Glue Dots.  Three of the 2021-2023 In Color Jewels (retiring) in Polished Pink were attached to the card front for some sparkly bling.

The inside of the card has another of the Scalloped Contours die-cuts for the sentiment.  I really liked how this dressed up the card and made it very feminine to match the front.  The ink is Gorgeous Grape to match the cardstock, and the sentiment and small flower are both from the Happiness Abounds set.

From this picture, you can see how the folded-back front layer is only attached to half of the Basic White layer.  I used three strips of Tear & Tape Adhesive just on the left half of the white layer to attach it.  It might have been a little overkill to use three strips, but I always worry that with handling the layer might come loose and I wouldn't want that to happen.

No matter which way you look at this card, it's just so dog-gone pretty.  Now, who should I send this off to?  Which one of my friends just needs to get this card in the mail?  I'll have to think on that for a bit.

Thanks for stopping by again to see what's new over here.  I appreciate your comments, so feel free to make one at the end of this post.  There's still time to purchase the retiring items that are on your list.  Some things are already sold out.  Hopefully what you want is still available.  Don't wait too long to place your order though.  If you need any help, just give me a call.  And please use the Host Code at the top of the post page.  I'd really appreciate it.  Now go get to some creating of your own!  And have FUN!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Sneak Peak Happiness Abounds

Hello friends!  Hope y'all had a very blessed Easter spent with family and friends.  We enjoyed a great day spent with some family, despite the ups and downs we've had lately with my hubby's health.  The doctor tried another procedure today, but it didn't work.  So it's back to deciding the next step for him to take.  We really take our health for granted until there's a problem.  Thanks to all of you that have been keeping him in your prayers.  You are a true blessing to us!  

Now on to the projects I'm sharing with you today.  I think most of you have your new catalogs in your hot little hands already.  These cards are a sneak peek of a new stamp bundle called Happiness Abounds, and a new DSP called Hues of Happiness.  Oh  My  Goodness  This is such a gorgeous new set!  And one of the awesome points of this is that the dies will cut out some of the flowers in the DSP.  Can I just say awesome?!

Here's the Happiness Abounds stamp set and coordinating Blossoming Happiness die set.  And you see all of those lovely flowers and leaves down there?  That's most of just 2 sheets of the Hues of Happiness DSP - one sheet in pinks and yellows, and one in purples and blues.  This is what's left after making 3 cards already!  It's just a gorgeous garden of roses.  The colors are so rich and beautiful.  I'm ready to go out and buy a big bouquet of roses in a glorious rainbow of colors like this!

To maximize the Designer Paper, I cut it into three 4" wide strips.  Then one of the strips was cut at 3" intervals to give me a nice amount to work with.  Looking at the two cards, it's hard to imagine they are made from the same strip of DSP.  A third card that sort of "marries" the two pieces together will be shared with you tomorrow.  

Both of these cards started out with the same idea of using the Scalloped Contours Dies to cut a piece of Basic White cardstock to frame up the DSP.  I used the 2nd largest die for this.  To get the DSP to fit just right, I needed to trim it down to 2 5/8".  This way the tiny stitching lines show all around the edges of the DSP.

The first card started out with a base of Melon Mambo which is one of the colors listed on the DSP.  It's cut to normal A2 size of 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half.  

 

The piece of DSP is attached to the die-cut frame using adhesive.  A strip of the White Glittered Ribbon is wrapped around this and attached in the back.  (I'm so happy this ribbon is carrying over to the next catalog!)  This is all attached to the center of the card front using Dimensionals.  

At this point I had fun going through all the die-cut roses to see which ones I'd like on the front of the card.  I chose he largest rose in the Melon Mambo shades, one of the smaller Daffodil Delight flowers, and three of the leaf clusters.  The large rose was attached to the card front with Dimensionals.  Then the leaves and yellow flower were all tucked in underneath the rose.  

A sentiment from the new Sending Smiles stamp set was stamped on a skinny strip of Basic White cardstock using Mellow Moss ink.  This was flagged on the right end, then tucked under the rose also.

A bow made from the White Glitter Ribbon was added to the card with Mini Glue Dots.  I actually added five 2021-2023 In Color Jewels to give it some extra sparkle.  Unfortunately, the jewels are retiring soon, but last I looked, they were still available if you needed a few more of these awesome jewels.

This next card started with a base of Coastal Cabana cardstock cut 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half.  I added a 1" x 4 1/4" strip of another print from the Hues of Happiness DSP to give a darker anchor to the side of the card.  I think it added a nice touch.  The 3"x 4" DSP piece was trimmed down again to fit the Scalloped Contours die-cut piece and attached with adhesive.  This was layered onto the card front using Dimensionals.

Now for the flowers, I chose one of the Fresh Freesia ones and two leaf clusters.  I also stamped one of the flowers from the Wildflower Path stamp set using Fresh Freesia ink, because I wanted a tinier flower to add.  This was cut out with Paper Snips. 

The sentiment is from the Wildflower Path stamp set also.  It's stamped with Night of Navy ink, then trimmed up close with the Paper Snips.  This was added to the left of the layer with the leaf clusters tucked underneath.  Both of the Fresh Freesia flowers were attached with Dimensionals.

Lastly three of the jewels from the 2021-2023 In Color Jewels were added.  For this card I chose to use the Soft Succulent jewels which blended nicely.

Whew!  What fun that was getting all those flowers die-cut and then playing with them.  I'll have another card tomorrow that starts out somewhat similarly, but has a fun fold added to the mix.  Did I happen to mention just how much I'm enjoying this new Happiness Abounds Bundle and coordinating DSP?  Oh yeah.  It's definitely going to be one of my very favorite things to use in the upcoming catalog.  Whether you use each part of the bundle by itself or put them all together on one card, I think it's all fabulous!  Just saying...

Hope you're as excited as I am about getting your favorite items from the new May 2022-April 2023 Annual Catalog.  There are some really wonderful new ideas, colors, and layouts to get your creative juices flowing and put you in a stamping mood.  I'm looking forward to hearing what's your favorite new item in the catalog!  I'm sure there's going to be something that is just perfect for you. 

If you need to pick up any retiring items from the catalog, please use the Host Code shown in the upper right corner.  Try to get your order in as quickly as possible.  There are a good number of items that are already sold out, but still many more that are available.  Good luck shopping and get them while you still can!!

Happy stamping and creating!

Sharon

Bold Baby Chick Easter Card

 Hey there!  So glad you stopped by.  Today's card is the last Easter card I'll be sharing with you this year.  I mentioned yesterday that I needed a few more cards, and this was one of them.  Thought I'd try a little something different from my usual pastel themes.  This one is really bold, bright and cheerful.  I might go ahead and make one or two more of these but change up the sentiment to be more general.  Wouldn't this card add a little sunshine and happiness when it arrives in the mail?  Let's get going and I'll give you the directions to create this card yourself.

The first thought for this card was to use the Art Gallery Designer Series Paper I had left over.  Yes, it is retired, but it just sort of screamed spring at me, so I gave it a try.  What a surprise!  I love it!  This card needed a card base of Poppy Parade to balance all the bold colors.  You know it's not my favorite color, but I find myself reaching for it more often lately.  It really is the right color for this card, isn't it?  The Poppy Parade cardstock was cut to 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half.

I wanted a couple of panels of DSP layered together instead of a full layer of DSP.  I cut 2 pieces of this overall print, one at 2" x 3 3/4", and the other at  2" x 4 3/4".  

I chose to use Mossy Meadow to match the DSP colors and to frame the two pieces of DSP.  These were cut at 2 1/4" x 4", and 2 1/4" x 5".  The printed designs were attached to the Mossy Meadow layers using adhesive.  At this point the two panels were attached to the folded card base using the MultiPurpose Liquid Glue to keep them nice and flat on the card, but firmly attached to the extra layers.  The larger panel was attached to the left side with the smaller one on the right side and overlapping the first panel.

Since I wanted to use the Easter Friends stamp for the card, it was time to find dies that would nicely frame the sentiment and baby chick image.  The Tasteful Labels Die set had two dies that would fit just right.  The first, longer die cut a piece of Thick Basic White cardstock.  The sentiment from the Easter Friends set was stamped with Poppy Parade ink.  This was set aside until ready to put together.

The medium sized die with the notched corners was cut from the same Thick Basic White cardstock.  First the baby chick was stamped using Daffodil Delight ink onto the center of the die-cut.  The Daffodil Delight Dark Blends was used to color in the beak and feet.   Mossy Meadow ink was used to add a little grass underfoot.  This uses the grassy stamp in the set, but only the top edges of the grass were actually stamped onto the cardstock.  The rest was just hanging off the bottom edge.

Now that everything was stamped and ready to place, the two pieces were attached with Dimensionals.  It needed some flashy bling to go with the boldness of the card now.   After looking through my stash of bling, I found the Artistry Blooms Adhesive-backed Sequins.  They have a pretty iridescent cast to them that showed up nicely, but they weren't too flashy to compete with everything else going on with the card.  They're lined up at the bottom right corner right along the edge.

And there you have it - another card idea to use up some of that gorgeous Designer Paper that you're just hoarding.  I can say that because I know what I'm talking about.  Have you seen my stash of DSP yet?  Oh my heavens!  But I do love looking at and going through the many colors and prints that I have stored away.  And here's proof that I do get them out and use them regularly.  I'm giving you a challenge to get your paper stash out and create something beautiful with it!!

In case you're wondering, both the Easter Friends stamp set and the Tasteful Labels Dies are retiring at the end of the month.  I will miss both of them, but especially the dies.  I've used them so often.  They were a kind of go-to set for me.  Looking forward to what will be new favorites of  mine in the new catalog.  If you don't have your new 2022-2023 Annual Catalog yet, you should be getting your copy very soon.  If yours hasn't arrived by the end of the month, give me a call so I can make sure you do get a copy.  You're going to love all the new colors, stamps, and accessories in there!!

And if there are any last-minute items you need that are retiring, please use the Host Code at the top of my blog when ordering.  I really appreciate it so much!

Happy stamping and creating!

Sharon

Last Minute Easter Card

 Hello everyone!  It's such a blessing being back here on my blog again.  For those of you that haven't heard yet, my husband had a doctor appointment last Thursday, and she sent him directly to the ER with high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat.  It's been a crazy time trying to figure out what the doctors wanted to do to relieve his problems and figuring out what would actually work on him.  Right now, he's home and just waiting to try another cardioversion next week.  Then on to plan B, or are we at C or D already?  Not really sure anymore!  But he's still here and that's all that matters.  So, if you've been waiting for me to post another idea, sorry for the long wait.  I really appreciate your patience.  Since I got way behind in my stamping, I needed to make just a few more Easter cards today.  I've got one to share with you today, and another one hopefully tomorrow.

This card really showcases the gorgeous Daffodil Afternoon Designer Series Paper that was available only during Sale-A-Bration earlier this year.  I know many of you were able to get that DSP, so I feel comfortable sharing this idea with you.  Of course, you can use this same cutting idea for any other package of 12" x 12" DSP.  This 12" x 12" sheet of DSP was cut at 5 1/4", then cut again at 4" twice.  This way you can get 6 pieces from one sheet of DSP.  Make sure you pay attention to the orientation of the print if it has one.  It makes a huge difference when cutting the paper.  The leftover piece was again cut at 4" twice and flipped to the back side.  Don't you love these two prints together?

This card starts out with Daffodil Delight cardstock for the card base.  This is one of the colors listed to match and it looks lovely together.  The Daffodil Delight was cut to 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half.  At this point, the floral print was attached to the card base using adhesive.   The leftover 1 1/2" strip of DSP was also attached with adhesive.  It sits just below the center of the card.  

The sentiment I chose to use for these cards is a brand new one from the upcoming Annual Catalog.  It's from the new Wisteria Wishes stamp set.  The words just fit how I've been feeling lately and were perfect!  The words make me think of Jesus and his disciples.  They spent several years learning from him, and yet did not understand what he was really trying to teach them.  So often, I need to remind myself to trust God to be in charge even when I don't understand why something is happening.  His ways are always better than mine.

I wanted the sentiment to be layered onto a green cardstock to match one of the greens in the DSP.   Pear Pizzazz was one of the matching colors listed, so I went with that.  Using the retiring Tasteful Labels Dies, I cut the back layer from a 2 1/4" piece of Pear Pizzazz cardstock.  Then using another die from the same set, I cut a piece of Basic White cardstock that the sentiment fit on.  The sentiment was stamped with Mossy Meadow ink, both the main sentiment on the white layer and the skinny Daffodil Delight strip that carries the other half of the sentiment. 

Playing with the pieces to check the layout, I realized something was needed between the two die-cut layers.  I have some Gold Fine Art Ribbon left that looked very nice here.  It gave the card a touch of glitz but is very understated.  Alas, this is also being retired.  I folded a 7" piece in half and attached it to the Pear Pizzazz layer.  Then added the Basic White layer with Mini Dimensionals over this.  All this was attached to the side of the card front with Dimensionals.

The last little detail was that tiny strip with the rest of the sentiment.  I trimmed it close with Paper Snips.  Then added Mini Dimensionals to it.  It was tucked underneath the die-cut labels.

One last little bit was adding a 2021-2023 In Color Jewel.  These are retiring too, and it just makes me sad.  I've used these jewels on so many different things because the blend with so many different colors.  The color of jewel used here is Pale Papaya, and there isn't any of that color used on this card.  But it still works like a charm.  I did pick up a few extra of these for my embellishment stash.  I know I'll be digging them out to use probably way too often!

If you're still planning on picking up a few of the retiring products, please do it sooner rather than later.  Already things are being sold out, and I don't want you to miss out on anything you've set your heart on.  And please use the Host Code shown at the top of the blog page.  I really appreciate it!

Thanks for stopping in again to see what's been going on.  My hope is that you've been inspired to make either one of these cards, or something similar.  It's an awesome way to showcase your favorite Designer Series Paper!

For those of you that have been praying for Rick's recovery and my peace of mind, there are no words to thank you enough.  Just knowing that my friends are praying is such a huge blessing.  I pray that God would bless you in return for the many blessings you have given me!

Easter Blessings!!

Sharon

Positive Thoughts for You

 Hi!  Hope you're all staying dry today.  We've got heavy rains along with lightning and thunder today.  So much for the sunshine we've been enjoying.  I've been watching the creek behind our house steadily rising, so that's proof we're getting lots of rain right now.  But even when it rains, I can always go down to my stamp room and create my own lovely weather.  I thought about doing something sunshine-y, but just wasn't in the mood.  I've been going through  all the retired stamps and dies I have and trying to decide which to keep for awhile longer.  Since I'm seeing so many favorites, I figured I needed to make up some cards using retired products to share one last time.  How's that sound?  Today's stamp set is Positive Thoughts along with Nature's Thoughts Dies.  I just love the words of this set and have used them oodles of times.  I think this one is going into my "keepers pile".

To stick with the retiring theme here, I chose to use the lovely Just Jade cardstock and ink pad.  This color is a gorgeous soft, clear green.  Love it!  But alas it is leaving at the end of the month too.

Start with a base of Basic White cardstock that's cut to 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half.  The Just Jade layer is cut to 5 1/8" x 3 7/8".  The Basic White layer with all the stamping is cut to 4 7/8" x 3 5/8".  The dimensions on these two layers are 1/8" smaller than my usual layering dimensions because I wanted the white base layer to have more of a border framing the layers.  Just my choice for this card.

Getting ready to stamp, I debated about adding a circular layer or just masking a circle and stamping on the inside.  I chose the 2nd option for this card.  First measure and cut a piece of computer paper the same dimension as the white layer.   Using the Layering Circle Dies (the 2nd largest plain circle), die-cut a circle from the computer paper.  Tape the top edge to the work surface and tuck the white cardstock under it for stamping.

Used a Blending Brush and the Just Jade ink to softly build up some color inside the die-cut circular opening.  It's important to remember to build up layers of color rather than starting out very dark and trying to blend out the color.  I always blend some on scrap paper before going to the area I'm adding color.  It gives you so much more control of the color you're adding.  Do Not Take Off The Mask Yet!!

After blending in the color, I inked up the leafy branch from the Positive Thoughts stamp set.  The Just Jade ink is pretty potent, so I off-stamped for the initial leaves in the middle of the circle.  The two sets of leaves on the sides were off-stamped 2-3 times to get them softer looking.  

When this is as you like it, remove the mask to finish the stamping.  The sentiment from the set was stamped with Basic Gray ink on the left side.

The white stamped layer was attached to the Just Jade layer using adhesive.  These were then attached to the folded card base using Dimensionals to give it some lift.  

I thought one of the butterflies from the set would be a perfect addition.  It was stamped with Basic Gray ink onto a Basic White scrap.  It was die-cut with the coordinating die.  The butterfly was bent up in the middle area to give the wings some lift.  It was attached with Mini Glue Dots.  

Of course, this card needed some bling since it was a fairly simple card.  I decided to use some of the 2021-2023 In Color Jewels in the Evening Evergreen color.  Oh no, I just realized those jewels are retiring also!  Oh dear, I think I need to check if there are any left because I really love these!  Because these jewels are iridescent, they blend with so many colors and make them very easy to use on any similar color.  I used a larger jewel near the sentiment, and two smaller jewels on the butterfly body.

Just one last look at this card.  Even though it looks rather detailed, it's very easy to make.  The biggest problem would be to decide what you want to stamp inside the circular mask.  Of course, you could easily change the die shape to give you a totally different look to the card also.

Hope you're enjoying a look at some of the stamps, dies, and also cardstock and ink colors that are leaving the line-up.  I'm so sorry to see these old favorites retiring.  But I'm excited to get my hands on the new colors and stamps that are coming in the new catalog.  You should be getting your catalog sometime this month.  If you don't get one, please contact me about it.

Important!  I just checked and this stamp set is no longer available.  Things are going fast!  I had checked yesterday for availability, and it was there.  Now it's gone.  If you like the idea, just use different stamps!  There are plenty that would work to make a very similar card.  So sorry!!

Thanks for checking in today.  Give this idea a try and let me know how your creation turns out.  Send me a picture if you can.  I'd love to see it!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon