Time for a Cuppa

That would be a cup of tea for all of us that aren't British.  I just always loved the phrase.  It sounds like a fun get together for something so common.  And I've always loved sets that incorporate cups, tea or coffee.  So of course, this stamp bundle was a must-have for me.  I already had some ideas of what I wanted to do with this set, and this is how the first one came out.

I thought these new In Colors would work very nicely together on this card.  I did get a little bonus extra while stamping the cup though.  For some reason, my new Parakeet Party ink pad tends to create bubbles when inking up a stamp.  For line art it's not really noticeable.  But when you come to thicker lines, it almost looks like an extra print in the stamp.  How strange is that?  But I liked it.  So after three tries, I figured that's the way it will be.  Now I'll have to make a few more cards with those green stripe cups.  Can't let those extra cups go to waste now, can we?

The card base starts out with the new Starry Night In Color.  It's a nice rich brighter dark blue.  Using a full piece of 8 1/2" x 11" cardstock, score in half going in both up and down and side to side directions.  Then cut diagonally from corner to corner for the card base.  If everything goes well, this is the look you'll end up with...

When the flaps are folded in on the card, you should have a diagonal gate-fold card.  (Or whatever it's being called right now).

The Parakeet Party cardstock layer is cut at 4" x 5 1/4".  Then carefully cut this diagonally to match the front of the card.    The Tea Boutique DSP layer is cut at 3 3/4" x 5", and again cut diagonally to match with the rest.  It's very important to pay attention to the direction of the diagonal cuts.  It really makes a difference to matching it all up.  After cutting all the layers,  attach them together using adhesive.  I used the MultiPurpose Liquid Glue for my card.  For this card, I really liked the diagonal checks on the DSP.  I thought it was perfect for the rest of the design.

The scalloped white layer that is stamped on is the middle rectangle from the Scalloped Contour Dies.  The greenery that fits inside the teacup was stamped right at the middle line of this using Parakeet Party ink.  The flowers that go with the greenery were stamped with Orchid Oasis ink in between the tips of leaves.  

The striped teacup was stamped with Parakeet Party ink onto a scrap of Basic White cardstock.  I also stamped the outline for the tea tag.  The sentiment "sweet" inside the tag was stamped with Orchid Oasis ink.  Both the teacup and tag were die-cut with the coordinating Teacup Dies.  The teacup was attached to the layer with adhesive, and the tag was attached with a Dimenisonal.  

Figure out where the stamped white layer will be fitting on your card front.  Carefully mark where the tape needs to go so it is only on one half of the card front so it can still open.  At this point, I used two strips of Tear & Tape on the back to make sure it's very secure.  

Three of the Orchid Oasis dots (2022-2024 In Color Matte Decorative Dots) were added to the design.  Two tiny ones were added to the larger flower centers, and one larger dot was added near the bottom of the design.  

A bow made from the Orchid Oasis 1/8" Metallic Woven Ribbon was attached to the top of the tea tag using a Mini Glue Dot to hold it in place.  You've got to see how pretty this ribbon is.  You can even maneuver the ribbon to make it a little wider and more sheer.  Fun!  The front is now complete.  It's time to tackle the inside of the card.

The inside layer of Basic White was cut at 4" x 5 1/4".  Check picture #2 to see images of the inside of the card.  I stamped another sentiment from the Cup of Tea stamp set using Orchid Oasis ink.  There is a small leaf spray that I stamped to the side of this with Parakeet Party ink.  The teacup with leaves was also stamped in green near the bottom.  Along the right edge, I layered a 1/4" strip of the same diagonal print using adhesive.  After looking at this layer, I went back with a Parakeet Party Stampin' Blends to add extra color to all the open leaves.

Looking at the finished card when it was open, I didn't like the back of the white layer showing so much.  I chose another print from the same Tea Boutique DSP and the next smaller die from the Scalloped Contour Dies and cut a nice rectangle.  This was added with adhesive to the inside as shown.  I think this gives the inside of the card a much nicer finished look.

There you have it.  The first creation using the Cup of Tea set and matching dies, and of course, the coordinating DSP.  So much fun wrapped up in that bunch of goodies.  Hope you like this idea and give it a try.  The most important part of the whole card is getting those diagonal cuts done right.  Then everything else just falls into place like it should.

Thanks for stopping in again.  If you're ordering, please use the Host Code at the top of my blog page if your order is under $150.  If your order is over that amount, make sure you get the Host Rewards for your order.  If you're unsure how to do this, give me a call and I'll be happy to help you out.  Now, get out there and do some creating.  I think I hear your stamps calling you.  Thanks again!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon