Botanical Layers Card

 Hi Friends!  This is hopefully going to be a short and sweet post.  I just got back in town from visiting my sister in North Carolina for several days.  And after doing the laundry and repacking, we'll be heading down to steamy Florida for a week to watch our grandson Carson's baseball team play in a big tournament over the 4th of July week.  Woo Hoo!!  But obviously, that means I'm not getting much stamping done in my free time.  More like, what free time??  This is a card that I made before my last trip but didn't get a chance to post yet.  It's made with the new Botanical Layers stamp set.  I seem to be a sucker for greenery lately and thought this set would be fun to use.  I had planned to use the coordinating Lovely Layers Vellum on this card, but plans changed as I went along.  And... I'm quite happy with the outcome.  I'll get around to those Lovely Layer Vellum papers another time around.

The card started out with the idea of stamping on a Mint Macaron layer with vellum over it on a white card.  As you can see, part of the idea survived, but the rest hit the "get to later" pile.  The stamped layer measures 4 1/4" x 3".  First several branches were stamped with Mint Macaron ink and spread out across the layer.  Next the same branches were stamped three times with Shaded Spruce ink.  They were positioned a little lower and spread out farther than the first stamping.  

The tiniest flower in the Botanical Layers set was stamped multiple times along the branches for flowers growing.  Flirty Flamingo ink was used for the flowers.  When stamping the flowers, the stamp was inked up and then stamped two - three times before reinking to get different depths of color.

White Baker's Twine from the Baker's Twine Essentials Pack was wrapped around this layer three times and tied into a bow.  The sentiment comes from the Botanical Layer set.  It's stamped with Shaded Spruce ink onto a Basic White cardstock strip. It's cut with a die from the Beautiful Shapes Die set.  This die has an added bonus of some uneven embossed lines outlining it for interest.  It's added to the layer with Dimensionals both above and below the White Baker's Twine.

Instead of a total white card for the rest of it, I changed it to a Mint Macaron card base that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored and folded in half.  This way I'd have two Mint Macaron layers sandwiching a layer of white. I liked that so much better.

The white layer is Basic White cardstock that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  This layer is embossed with the Fern 3D Embossing Folder.  I thought the ferns would be a good match with the greenery in the design.  The white layer was attached to the Mint Macaron card base using Multi Purpose Liquid Glue. 

The original stamped layer of Mint Macaron was attached to the center of the card front using Dimensionals.  

The inside of the card was made next.  This is a layer of Basic White cut to 5 1/4" x 4".  On the bottom right corner, I carried the design into the inside of the card.  The same Branches were stamped once with Mint Macaron ink.  Then without reinking, was stamped again angled a little more to the left.  This gave a much lighter branch but filled in the area nicely.  I thought it would be better this way using just one color, than adding some branches that were in Shaded Spruce ink.  Since this is on white cardstock instead of the Mint Macaron, the softer look seemed better to me.

Lastly, there were some Brushed Brass Butterflies flying around the branches that thought it would be a lovely garden to visit.  So three of them are added to the finished card.

Hope you like this sweet and simple card idea.  It's so very soft and pretty in person.  Not every card needs to have loads of layers, special folds, and tons of bling.  Sometimes sweet and simple fits the need.  Now I need to figure out who would like me to share this card with them.  Could it be you?  Let me know if it's time for me to be sharing a card with you.  I'm trying to get cards out to all of you when I can.  And I just love getting cards back in the mail from you too!

Just a reminder that the new July - December Mini Catalog goes live on July 1st!  Yay!  That's just a few more days you have to wait.  But if there's still those last-minute items in the retiring Mini Catalog you need before they're no longer available, you have a few more days to get your order in.  If you do any last-minute ordering, please use the Host Code shown at the top of my blog page.  There will be a new Host Code starting July 1st so check back for that!

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I'm so glad you're taking time to visit.  And your comments are greatly appreciated too.

Happy stamping and creating!

Sharon

Vintage Nature's Prints

Hello Friend!  Hope you're having a fabulous Monday.  So far this has been a very productive day.  Hubby has been playing with the electrical stuff again, but we're all good and everything has power that's supposed to.  Yay!  It's been a while since the last post.  If you're one of those who have been praying for Rick's health, the procedure last Friday went well, and he came home from the hospital on Saturday.  Yay!  Health-wise, things are looking good right now and I thank God for it all!  But that, along with Father's Day, has kept me away from posting anything for awhile.  

While meandering around Pinterest the last week or two, I saw a good number of 'vintage-looking' ideas that I want to try making again.  It's been a while since I've made this kind of card and thought it was time to try again.  It's the idea of working more in the muted tones - usually browns, and many times with some collage type stamping in the background too.  I used the Nature's Prints stamp set and the matching Natural Prints dies.   So far, I've stamped this set in greens and blues.  Now it was time to try it in browns.  Here's what I came up with...

I love the tone-on-tone look of this and was very pleased how it turned out.  Just what I planned, (well mostly), and you know that doesn't usually happen!

It all starts with a card base of Soft Suede cardstock cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored in half and folded.  At this point, I figured the next layer would be Early Espresso, with Very Vanilla cardstock on top of that.  So that's how I cut it.  

First I stamped on the Very Vanilla piece using Crumb Cake and the fern stamp.  This was stamped in around the outside edges.  I switched to the 'berry branch' stamp and used Soft Suede ink.  This was also stamped along the edges.   Then I added Crumb Cake ink around he edges with a Blending Brush.  This gave a nice soft color, but it needed more.  

This piece was embossed with the Timeworn Type 3D Embossing Folder to give added texture and interest to the layer.   After embossing, there was another layer of Crumb Cake ink added with the Blending Brush along the edges, and even a touch of Soft Suede ink brushed onto the corners.  It was good to go.

Time to work on the sentiment.  This sentiment is one of four that are part of the Nature's Prints set.  It was stamped with Early Espresso ink onto Very Vanilla.  It was die-cut using the sentiment label from the Natural Prints Dies.  The die gives a nice, embossed edge all around it.  Part of the 'berry branch' was stamped to the left side using Crumb Cake ink to fill in.

At this time, I decided a layer of gold paper would perk up the whole card which was getting pretty dark.  The Very Vanilla layer was cut down a bit to 3 3/4" x 5".  The Early Espresso layer was trimmed to  3 7/8" x 5 1/8".  And a gold layer was cut to 4" x 5 1/4".  Before layering it all up, I did a little die-cutting in both the gold and Early Espresso layers.  On the Early Espresso layer, I cut three of the longer stems and one of the short stems.  The gold layer has one long stem and also a sentiment label cut.  I just cut the ends of the label off to place under the sentiment so just the very end of the gold shows on each side.

The layers were all attached together with adhesive.  A piece of the crocheted trim (retired) that's Very Vanilla looked nice with this.  A 6" piece was banded across the card and attached in the back.  The layers were then attached to the Soft Suede card base using Dimensionals.

The sentiment was attached over the trim using Dimensionals.  The stems were all attached to the card under the sentiment layer on the left side.  The gold one was tucked in between all the browns.

The inside of the card needed to match with the front design, so the fern was stamped twice with Crumb Cake ink.  The 'berry branch' was stamped twice with Soft Suede ink.  Then to carry the vintage look even more, the edges of the Very Vanilla layer were brushed with Crumb Cake on all edges and Soft Suede just on the bottom right corner where the stamping is.  Altogether it worked just fine. 

Do you ever get done making a card and then wish you had done just one more thing?  Looking at the "finished" card, I decided it needed some speckles added with the Early Espresso marker flicked on the card front.  So that was added and the card was finally pronounced finished.  Yay!

Hope you like this idea.  I think it came out quite nicely and is just what I wanted.  It's nice to go back to ideas I've used in the past and give them a redo with new stamps, dies, or whatever.

If you're placing an order soon, please use the Host Code shown at the top of my blog page.  I really appreciate it!  Hope you've gotten your new holiday mini catalog and Sale-a-Bration brochure by now.  If you don't have it yet, it should be coming soon.  If you don't get it by July 6th, let me know so I can send another one out to you.  Thanks for everything, especially your patience with me.  You're the very best!!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Shaker Card - Take Two

A very blessed Sunday to you!  Hope you were able to get out and worship this morning.  Hey, guess what!?  I actually sat down and played with that shaker card mishap and came up with a crazy idea for it.  Maybe I was thinking shaker cards too much and my brain went a little silly, but I think the idea is fun and different.  Hope you like it.

Did I mention it's a little different?  But isn't it fun?  Since I had the piece of Design A Daydream DSP still on my table from the last card, I checked, and this was the backside.  It's a little wild for my tastes, but all the dotty circles reminded me of the Effervescent Elements in the bottle.  So why not put the two together?  The card base is Pool Party, which is one of the colors that match this DSP print.  It's cut at 11" x 4 1/4" and scored at 5 1/2" for a side-close card.  The layer of Design A Daydream is cut at 5 1/4" x 4".  It's attached with adhesive.

This card starts out with the left-over piece of So Saffron cut with the middle-sized Scalloped Contours Dies.  It was run through the embossing machine with the Tasteful Textiles Embossing Folder which is now retired.  I love the bit of texture this gives to the piece.

The bottle shape was then punched out with the Vintage Bottle Punch.  One of the Vintage Shaker Bottle Domes was attached behind the So Saffron layer.  It was filled less than halfway with the Effervescent Elements.  Take the sticker cover off the back and lay a 1 1/2" x 2 3/4" piece of Pool Party cardstock on this to seal it up.  (This is where I made the mistake the first time around by not inserting the stems in before closing up.) 

Linen Thread was wrapped around the So Saffron layer three times, and then it's tied into a larger bow to look like it's holding the bottle in place.  The whole piece is then attached to the card front with Dimensionals to give it some lift.

The little cork for the bottle was inked up with Crumb Cake ink and then Soft Suede ink was added to the side.  It was stamped on a Basic White scrap and then fussy cut with Paper Snips.  It was attached to the So Saffron layer with a Mini Dimensional.

The sentiment used is from the Bottled Happiness stamp set.  It was stamped with Blackberry Bliss ink which is another color listed for this DSP pack.  It was die-cut with the smallest of the Scalloped Contours Dies.  I love how the edges mimic the whole bubbly effect of the DPS and bottle.  This was attached with Dimensionals on three corners and just adhesive where it overlaps the So Saffron layer, so it lays flat.

The last little bits to add were the individual pieces of the Effervescent Elements pouring out of the bottle.  I used a small dot of the retired Shimmery Crystal Effects to hold each bead.  After placing them, it was set aside to dry for a couple of hours.  I'm hoping these little beads will stay in place through the mail.  Right now, they feel pretty secure.

Ok, that's four cards in the Bottled Happiness Series, and I think that's enough for now.  I need to move on to something else, so you won't get bored with what I'm sharing with you.  There are just too many fun new stamps for me to play with to get sidetracked with any one set.  Time to move on and share the love with another set.  Not sure what I'll pick next.  Do you have any ideas that you'd like to see?  Or a new set you just purchased that you're looking for ideas using it?  Leave me a comment and I'll see if I can oblige.  

If you're placing an order soon, please consider using the Host Code shown at the top of my blog post.  It is truly appreciated.  And thank you for taking the time to see what's happening in my stamping world.  Just a note - your catalogs will be coming soon.  Sue will have most of them.  The others will be mailed individually.  Thank you for your patience!  

Blessings and many, many hugs to you!

Sharon

Bottled Happiness Shaker Card

Hi there!  I'm back again with another card in the Bottled Happiness Series.  This time I thought I'd try a shaker card since there is a bottle punch that coordinates with this set.  And of course, Stampin'Up! has provided the cute little bottle-shaped shaker domes for us, and don't forget the little beads to go inside too.  Shaker cards are usually not my thing at all, but I thought these would be fun.  Besides, I wanted to see what those Effervescent Elements really looked like.  Yeah, I know - just nosey.  But I'm glad I decided to give this a try.  It took two tries to get this the way I envisioned it, but it was worth the effort to finally get it the way I wanted.

My idea was to have the greenery partially outside the bottle, but the ends showing tucked inside the bottle.  They were stamped with Granny Apple Green and fussy cut.  Then they were cut across the middle and ready to go.  So, the first problem I ran into, was forgetting to get the piece of greenery between the bottle and background before attaching it.  There was no way I was going to pry those apart and not get beads everywhere, so that piece was set aside for another project someday.  Second try, I remembered to tuck in the greenery beforehand and it worked just fine.  Now on to the card basics...

Granny Apple Green cardstock is the base for this card.  It's cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored, and folded in half.  I used another print from the Design A Daydream Designer Series Paper that is a Host Reward pick.  Have to say, these prints are right up my alley.  Just love them!!  This print was cut at 5" x 3 3/4" and is backed with a Basic White layer that is 5 1/4" x 4".  I liked how the white framed the print and makes it pop from the Granny Apple Green base.  I used the Rectangle Stitched Dies to cut the Basic White cardstock piece that has the bottle image punched out from it.

After getting the greenery stems attached to the bottle and laying in a goodly amount of the Effervescent Elements, I actually used a small scrap of the background print to back my shaker bottle.  This way the background can be seen through the bottle, and the whole shaker layering would be put on the card straight.  But lining up the print made bottle a little higher than I had planned.   To take care of that problem, I stamped and cut a few more stems of greenery and attached it to the bottom of the card with Mini Glue Dots.  The trimmed greenery was also attached above the lip of the bottle onto the white layer with some Mini Glue Dots to hold the stems down flat.

The sentiment used here also comes from the Bottled Happiness set.  It was stamped with Granny Apple Green ink onto Basic White cardstock.  It was die-cut with a Rectangle Stitched Die with the wording close to one end.  The die-cut piece was much longer than I needed.  After cutting it once, I laid the die over it again with the end closer to the other edge of the words to cut it the right size.  This is the way you can use these dies to get the size you need for your project.

I added a larger bow to the neck of the bottle using a double strand of Linen Thread.  It's attached with a Mini Glue Dot to the bottle.  After looking at the finished card, I thought it needed another tiny bow holding the stems of greenery at the bottom.  So I added a small single bow of Linen Thread there.

I wanted to add just a small touch of bling but wanted it to compliment the Effervescent Elements in the bottle.  The Iridescent Pearls were the perfect touch to mimic the beads.  Three were added around the greenery.

The inside of the card has a layer of Basic White cardstock.  Wording from the Peaceful Moments stamp set went really nice with the front sentiment.  The words are stamped with Granny Apple Green ink.  I also stamped the greenery stem several times in the bottom corner for an accent.

After trimming up the DSP that was used on the front of the card, I had a skinny 1/8" piece that was perfect as an accent along the bottom of the white cardstock.  I like how the pink and white DSP gives it a nicely finished look.

Here's a last look at this finished shaker card.  I tend to run into little glitches when I make shaker cards.  (That's why I don't make them very often!!)  I'm really happy with how it all came together this time.  And it was worth the time figuring out all the little touches and tricks to make it work.  But I still have that shaker bottle piece that I originally messed up.  Maybe it would be a good idea to work on it right away while I'm still enamored with this shaker card idea.  What do you think?  Back to the drawing board, or should I say the stamping table??

Thanks for stopping by again to take a look at what I've been stamping lately.  I really appreciate you coming by and also for any comments you take the time to leave for me.  I love to stamp, but it's much more fun when I can share my ideas with friends.  I really miss our show & tell time between church services.  It was always fun to see what everyone else was making too.

If you will be placing an order soon, please be sure to use the current Host Code shown at the top of my blog post.  It is greatly appreciated!  See you soon.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Blue Fun Fold Card

Hello again!  I'm back today with another card in the Bottled Happiness series of ideas.  For some unknown reason, I've been drawn to the idea of the gorgeous colors of glass with this set - the dark blues and greens, maybe even browns.  Of course, I'm sure I'll definitely have some that are clear sooner or later.  But for right now, I'm leaning towards the dark colors.  For this card, I had the idea of one color of glass showing through another glass color.  Hope you think this worked out well.

The color of cardstock was chosen to match my blue glass bottle.  It's the new 2022-2024 In Color called Starry Sky.  Isn't it a gorgeous rich blue color?  It's cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", then scored at 4 1/4".  The front of the card was marked at 2 3/4" at the edge and was cut back to the score line.  This cuts off the top front on the card and gives me a piece that measures 2 3/4" x 4 1/4" that is used upright on the face of the card.

To cover the front piece that's still there, I cut a piece of the blue and white Sun Prints Designer Series Paper at 2 1/2" x 4".  These are some beautiful prints and it will be interesting to create with them.  This piece was attached to the front flap using adhesive.

Next a piece of Basic White cardstock was cut to go on the Starry Sky piece that was already cut off.  It's cut at 2 1/2" x 4".   I decided to use the tall bottle and a sentiment from the Bottled Happiness set.  Both of these stamps were placed on the Stamparatus and then inked with Starry Sky and stamped on the Basic White piece.  The shorter bottle was stamped on Vellum with Sahara Sand ink.  After drying, it was fussy cut with Paper Snips.  Using the Stamparatus again, the green stem was stamped in place with Pear Pizzazz ink.  Then the vellum bottle was attached over this.  The stamped panel was attached to the cut-off Starry Sky piece using adhesive.  Then it was all attached to the front panel.  Remember to put adhesive only under the bottom half where the front flap is!  This next picture shows the inside view of the card.

For the inside of the card, there's a piece of Basic White cardstock cut at 5 1/4" x 4".  The large expanse of white bothered me, so I used a Blending Brush and Sahara Sand ink, along with the Adorning Design Decorative Masks, to faintly add a design around the edge of the top half of the card.

The sentiment from the Flowers of Friendship was stamped onto a label using Pear Pizzazz ink.  Using a Blending Brush, a very small amount of Starry Sky ink was brushed around the edge.  This made it stand out from the white background and defined it better.  The sentiment was attached inside the card with adhesive making sure it was covered completely by the front panel.

I still had a small piece of the DSP cut and sitting on my table, since I had miscut the piece I needed in the beginning.  Oh well, it was either throw it out or find a place to use it.  So, on the left inside of the card, it's layered on Basic White then attached to the card.  It's just a way to bring the design more to the inside of the card.  It also breaks up all the blue on the that side of the card.  And I didn't have to throw out any of that cute DSP!

I thought the card needed something more to dress it up.  Really didn't care for either rhinestones or sequins on this design.  I tried a bow made from the 1/8" Metallic Woven Ribbon in the Parakeet Party color.  This seemed to be just the accent I was looking for.  It adds a little shine and adds to the green stem in the bottle.  A win-win situation all around!

That's two down in my Bottled Happiness series of ideas.  Not sure where I'm headed for the next idea, but it will be fun to figure it out.  I hope you stay with me on this adventure.

Thanks for stopping in again to see what's going on.  I hope you're enjoying these series of cards I've been doing.  It's making me use my new stamps and get comfortable with them instead of putting them on a shelf and forgetting I have them.  Of course, I'm sure you don't ever do that, do you?  As ideas, you can make card exactly like these, or take the idea and put it with your own supplies and see what you come up with.  It's always fun to create, and sometimes it a real adventure too when things don't work out just the way you thought they would.  But that's where we learn and grow in this process of creating!  You never know what masterpiece is just around the corner for you to make.  Have fun each and every step of the way and I'll be here cheering you on!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

 

A Little Bottled Happiness

Hello friend!  Happy Wednesday to you.  Hope you're enjoying some beautiful summer weather wherever you are.  It's been lovely here with temps in the mid 80's and sunny with a little breeze to cool you off.  Just perfect as far as I'm concerned.  Hubby thinks it's a little too warm, but I'm lovin' it!   I told you I'd move on from my beloved geraniums, and so I have.  Thought I'd play with the Bottled Happiness set next to see what I could create.  For my first attempt with a new set, I usually go with a very straight-forward project just to get a feel for the stamp set.  This time is no different.  It's a very simple card, but I love how it all works together so nicely.

To make this card, start out with a card base of Fresh Freesia cardstock cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half.  I'd just gotten the new Host Reward huge Designer Paper pack called Design a Daydream.  Oh, my, goodness!  It's fabulous, and there's so much of it to play with!  Woo Hoo!  Sorry, I seem to have gotten a little carried away there.  The soft Old Olive diagonal checked paper is from this paper pack and lends a nice background interest without getting too overpowering.  It's cut to 5 1/4" x 4" and attached to the card front with adhesive.

The next step is stamping the images onto Basic White cardstock which is cut at 4 1/2" x 3".  The bottle was stamped first with Garden Green ink for the more solid image. This gave me such a nice green glass color! Next was stamping the outline image with Mossy Meadow ink.  Let me insert a note of caution here.  After mine was all stamped, I noticed it lists a bit to the right.  Maybe you didn't notice it, but it's so obvious to me now.  Make sure your bottle is straight when stamping!!  The Stamparatus would be a great help here, which I didn't think to use, silly me.

Next the flowers in the bouquet were stamped using Fresh Freesia ink.  It was pretty simple to line up the greenery to fit around the flowers since you can see through the stamp.  Love those photopolymer stamps!  The greenery was stamped with Old Olive ink as I wanted it to be a little different than the bottle color.

I used a Water Brush and a touch of Old Olive ink to lightly wash in a background base for the bottle.  It's very faint, but I like the look.  

This was layered onto a 4 3/4" x 3 1/4" piece of Old Olive cardstock using adhesive.  It was then centered on the card front and attached with Dimensionals for lift.

The sentiment is part of the same Bottled Happiness stamp set.  It was stamped with Old Olive ink onto Basic White.  Then was die-cut using the small tag from the Teacup Dies set.  To help it stand out a little from the white background, the edges were lightly touched to the Fresh Freesia ink pad.  This was attached to the card front with Dimensionals also.  A tiny bow was made from Linen Thread.  It was attached with a Mini Glue Dot that I rolled in my fingers to make it tiny enough to hide behind the center of the bow.

To fancy up the bottle, a bow was made from the 3/8" Open Weave Ribbon in the Fresh Freesia color.  I love how sheer this is and makes such a pretty accent bow.  It was attached to the neck of the bottle using a Mini Glue Dot.

I dug out an oldie that I'd used recently for cards I made for the boy's teachers - Shimmery Crystal Effects.  I sure wish we still carried this.  It's a wonderful way to add a drop of shine where needed.  And it also sets up and feels like a pearl or rhinestone when dry.  For this card, I added drops to the flower centers.  After doing this, it was set aside to dry so my fingers didn't accidentally smear it around.  Oh yeah, been there and done that more than once.  Isn't that the best way to learn a lesson?

So that's it for the first card using the Bottled Happiness set.  I really like how it turned out with the softer colors and that lovely piece of Design a Daydream DSP.  Honestly, when it's your turn to be hostess, check into getting this DSP with your Host Rewards.  It's well worth it.

That's it for today's installment of the new series of posts featuring the Bottled Happiness Bundle.  Now I've got to get creating so I've got something new to share with you!  If you're ordering anytime soon, please check to see what the current Host Code is at the top of the blog post, and please use it!  It's very appreciated!  Thank you for stopping by today.  Please feel free to share your comments, good or bad, about my creations. I do appreciate your feedback.  It helps to know that you're out there, and even what you might like me to share with you!  Now get stamping!! 

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Layout Idea with 2 Versions

 Good Sunday friend!  Hope your day has been relaxing and refreshing so far.  Today I thought I'd do things a little differently for you.  Instead of focusing on a particular stamp set, it's going to be a layout that's easy to do and works with so many different stamps and papers.  Then you can use this idea over and over again and still have your cards look different.  Let's get going...

For this post, I'll be giving you the dimensions for layering before getting into the card itself.  You'll need to cut one each of these layers for your card.

card base - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"   

color layer - 5" x 3 1/2"       

dark color - 3 3/4" x 2 1/2"  

top layer - 3 1/4" x 2 3/4"  

For this card, I stamped the branchy stamp from the True Beauty set in each of the four corners, so it's not too plain when the other layers are added.  I stamped Fresh Freesia ink onto Fresh Freesia cardstock on this card.  This layer was added to the card base with adhesive.

I did the stamping on the white layer next.  The sentiment comes from the Botanical Layers stamp set.  That is stamped in Fresh Freesia ink in the top corner.  The same branchy stamp that was used on the other layer was stamped here with Sahara Sand ink.  It was stamped twice (without re-inking) to fill in the background a bit.  The white layer was then attached over the Garden Green layer with adhesive.  This was attached to the center of the card front using Dimensionals.

Next, I stamped the two leaves from the True Beauty set in Garden Green ink onto a piece of Basic White.  Also stamped a rose from the same set using Fresh Freesia ink onto the Basic White piece.  Both of these were die-cut using the coordinating Organic Beauty die set.  They were arranged on the white layer as desired.  The leaves were attached with adhesive partially off the white layer.  The rose was attached with Dimensionals to pop. 

A bow made from the 3/8" Open Weave Ribbon in Fresh Freesia was added to the corner.  It's attached with a Mini Glue Dot.  

Three of the 2021-2023 In Color Opal Rounds were added to the design for a touch of subtle bling.

You can see how easy it is to use this card recipe.  Now each card you make with these directions can look very different by changing the colors used and the stamps and dies too.  The possibilities are almost endless.

This card uses the same recipe, but changes the colors and stamps used like I mentioned.  The stamp set used here is Art Gallery for the floral images and Eden's Garden for the sentiment.  The colors are Very Vanilla, Calypso Coral and Old Olive for the cardstock.  Ink colors used are Pale Papaya, Calypso Coral, and Old Olive.  The ribbon in the Pale Papaya version of the same ribbon used on the first card.  I also changed the position of the ribbon.  For bling, I used some iridescent peachy sequins from a few years back.

Hope you like this different way of sharing ideas.  I've used this layout recipe many times over the years, even for Christmas cards.  Every time I bring it out again, I remember how much I liked it before!  Thanks for stopping by to share some time with me.  It's always great to have you here visiting.

If you're thinking of placing an order soon, please consider using the Host Code shown at the top of the blog post.  You know I really appreciate all you're doing to keep me in business.  BTW, I'll be receiving the new July - December Mini Catalogs in the mail in about another week and will be sending them on to you.  You can start looking for them in the mail near the end of the month.  I can't wait to get my hot little hands on my very own copy.  I really love to spend time going over each and every page to see what's new and how it's used by the concept artists.  Exciting!

Have a very blessed Sunday!

Sharon

Even More Geraniums

Hello again!  Glad you've stopped by to catch the latest installment in the Geranium Series.  In fact, I have two different cards to share today.  Both of them used parts of the geranium stamps instead of putting all the parts together.  Just more options for you.

I've got to be honest with you about this card.  It's been taken apart and fiddled with two different times.  Finally, I think I'm satisfied with the end results.  Sometimes, a card needs some tweaking, and I can't figure out just what it is that needs changing, omitting, or adding.  Do you ever have that problem?  Wish you were here hanging out with me and could help me at those times.  I really miss that!

Let's give you the particulars for the card.  The idea was to have many overlapping layers and textures building up to the focal image.  I started out with a Very Vanilla base cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half. The first layer is So Saffron that's cut at 5 1/4" x 4".  This is attached to the card base with adhesive.  Next is a layer of Pumpkin Pie that's cut at 2 1/4" x 4 3/4".  This was embossed with the Subtle Embossing Folder (retired) before attaching to the left side of the card front using MultiPurpose Liquid Glue.

The next layer here is Very Vanilla that's cut with the middle rectangle die in the Scalloped Contours Dies.  Continuing with the idea of lots of texture, this piece was embossing with the Tasteful Textures 3D Embossing Folder before adhering to the card front with Multi Purpose Liquid Glue.

The next layer is Pear Pizzazz.  I'm not positive what I used to die-cut the piece with, because it was already cut in my extra pieces.  I think it was probably the Layering Squares Dies (retired), but I'm not positive.  The piece is about 2 1/4" square.  It's been embossed with the Tasteful Textures 3D Embossing Folder also.  Then it was popped on the card front with Dimensionals.

The geranium flowers were stamped with So Saffron for the solid ones and Pumpkin Pie for the details.  The flowerpot was stamped with Crumb Cake for both the solid and detail stamps.  Both pieces were die-cut with the Geraniums Die set.  They were popped up onto the Pear Pizzazz piece using Dimensionals.  A double bow of Linen Thread was attached to the flowerpot using a Mini Glue Dot.  This made a nice accent.

The sentiment used is from the Lovely You stamp set.  I love the fonts and sentiments in the set and use them often.  This time it was stamped on a 1/2" strip of Crushed Curry using Early Espresso ink to stay with the warmer colors of the card.  The ends were finished with the Banners Pick A Punch before attaching.  A skinny 1/4" strip of Early Espresso cardstock was added right above the sentiment to give the card design some dark contrast.  This is where I was running into trouble.  All the colors on the card were too mid-tone with nothing for a contrast.  I think that little pop of color helped.  What do you think?

Three of the Brushed Brass Butterflies were added "just because"!

Here's the other card I want to share today.  It uses the stems and leaves with no flower this time.  It reminded me of waiting for the first blooms to open on my geranium.  Oh, the anticipation!  This card is done all in Soft Succulent and Basic Black.  The black layer with the pretty edge is the largest rectangle die from the Scalloped Contours Die set.  I do seem to use that set quite often.

The sentiment is from the Potted Geranium set and the die to cut it out is from the coordinating die set.  Love the little plant stake in the flowerpot too.  The flowerpot and stake were stamped with Sahara Sand this time.  

The background design is some retired white on white DSP that was colored with a Blending Brush and Soft Succulent ink in an ombre fashion fading out to almost no color at the top. 

Hope you liked the two very different cards made with the Potted Geraniums Bundle.  Did I mention that I really, really like this set?  This now makes four cards using the set.  Maybe I need to move on to something else and give this one a rest.  What do you think?  Needless to say, I will be revisiting this set again sometime soon.

Thanks for sharing some time with me.  If you're planning on ordering soon, please be sure to use the Host Code shown at the top of the blog page.  I really appreciate you so much.  Have a lovely day.

Happy stamping and creating!

Sharon

More Geraniums

 Hi there! Hope you like geraniums a lot, because I've definitely been having fun with the Potted Geranium stamp set and Geraniums dies.  This bundle is so much fun to use.  Today's card is using both the stamped images and coordinating dies to make the lovely focal piece.  Again, I've gone for a red and green palette, but changed it to Granny Apple Green and Melon Mambo.  This color combo reminds me of the colors of the geraniums that were on my front porch.

I love how all the pieces of this card come together for one sweet look!  This card starts with a card base of Thick Basic White cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half.  The green layer is Granny Apple Green cardstock cut at 5 1/4" x 4".  There is a strip of Hues of Happiness Designer Series Paper across the middle of the green layer that's cut 1 1/2" x 4".  I love this Designer Paper with all the lovely roses on it.  The full sheet of this design has a rainbow of tiny flowers like this covering it all.  So cute and the colors blended exactly with what I had in mind.

The leaves, flowers, and flowerpot were all stamped on a piece of Basic White cardstock.  Starting with the detail leaf stamp, I used Mossy Meadow ink.  Then used Granny Apple Green ink over this to fill in the leaves.  The flowers started with the detail stamp and Melon Mambo ink.  The fill-in stamp also used Melon Mambo ink but was off-stamped before stamping on the white.  The more solid flowerpot image was inked with Sahara Sand ink, then off-stamped before stamping on the white.  The shading stamp for the flowerpot was stamped full strength with Sahara Sand ink.  All these pieces were die-cut with the coordinating dies.

Now we get to put it all together.  I planned to just layer the geranium pieces onto a plain piece of Basic White cardstock, but then realized I already had one of these Scalloped Contour rectangles already cut and it would be a great size for my design.  This is the size that's cut by the middle rectangle die.  First I attached the different pieces together with a little adhesive on the back to hold them together.  Then I attached Dimensionals behind the images to further hold them together.  Then attached it all to the scalloped rectangle piece.

Before attaching this all to the card front, I decided there needed to be a strip of Melon Mambo cardstock to anchor the piece a little better.  I was just going to use a plain strip, but then remembered the Basic Borders Dies.  I loved the scalloped and stitched border and it seemed to fit nicely. I carefully cut a piece that's about 1/2" wide to fit right under the printed DSP.

The rectangle piece was attached to the card using Dimensionals.  The last item needed was a sentiment.  The friendship and caring one I chose is also from the Potted Geranium set.  This was stamped on a 1/2" strip of Basic White cardstock using Melon Mambo ink, then trimmed close to the words.   It was attached at the bottom of the card using Dimensionals.

The final touch is always the bling.  For this card, I used the Iridescent Pearls Basic Jewels that are new in this catalog.  Oh, so pretty.  Just a subtle touch that is so much prettier in person than in the picture.

Well, this is the 2nd in my Geranium Series or whatever you want to call it.  Still loving these geraniums!!  Think I'll try one next that uses only part of the images.  Stick around to see how that one turns out.

Thanks for stopping by again.  I hope you like the ideas that I share with you.  Please let me know what you think.  If you'd like to order any of the items I've used here, please use the Host Code shown at the top of the blog post.  It's much appreciated.  Enjoy your day and find some time to do something fun - like stamping of course!  

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon