Happiness Abounds Fun Fold Card

Hello friends!  Yikes!  It's still freezing cold weather around here.  Definitely winter!  So I'm still going to poke my head in the sand, keep stamping flowers, and wish for spring.  What about you?  Are you a warm weather person or do you love the cold weather and play at winter sports?  I used to love downhill skiing, but I gave that up years ago.  Now I have trouble staying warm enough to want to spend much time outside.  But I can stamp in any weather, and that's what I've been doing!  

I still had thoughts of the Hues of Happiness DSP that I used on my last card rolling around in my mind.  I wanted to play with that a little more, so I got out the Happiness Abounds stamp set and went to work.  I actually made a fun fold card for this.  It's not a new fold, but a card layout that I've used before that's nice and simple.  Besides I like the look of it!  So, we're going to use it again here.

The card starts with a Basic White Thick card base that measures 4 1/4" x 9".  This is scored at 5 1/2" so it's a regular size card when finished.  I next started with the Hues of Happiness DSP print that is covered with flowers in a rainbow of colors.  So pretty!  This is cut to 3" x 3 3/4" for the left side.   To contrast, I chose the "painted" backside of another print that has pinks, roses, and yellow/gold brushstrokes.  This piece measures 1 1/2" x 3 3/4" and is for the right side of the card.  Now, I need to be perfectly honest here and tell you I made a mistake in cutting the smaller piece.  You can see I cut it 1/4" too skinny, but I didn't have any more of that paper.  Boo hoo!  Since the card was almost finished by the time I noticed the problem, I went with the paper I did have.  So sorry!

Next, I decided on Melon Mambo for the framing layers.  These were cut to measure 3 1/4" x 4" for the left side, and 1 3/4" x 4" for the right side.  Now would be a good time to attach the layers together and then attach them to your card base to make sure you measured your pieces better than I did!  😁 

I die-cut several flowers from the DSP with the coordinating dies.  I didn't have enough leaves from the DSP, so I stamped the leaves with Granny Apple Green ink and also die-cut them.  The sentiment layer is a die-cut from the Labels Aglow Dies in the July - December Mini Catalog.  (only a few days left to order this!)  It's die-cut from Basic White and I used Melon Mambo ink to stamp the sentiment which is from the Artistically Inked set.  

Then I played around with all the pieces that I had ready.   I was struggling to get it where I liked it because the extra flowers just kept getting lost on the flowered print no matter how I positioned them.  Then I had an ah-ha moment!  I added a layer of vellum over the flower print and voila!  It worked out just as I had hoped.  Some sequins were added to finish off the look.

I had so much fun making this card and my card stash was a little on the low side.  So why not use this same fun fold and make a couple more cards that I needed.  So, here's a few more pictures for ideas on using this fun fold with whatever DSP you have sitting around.

Sentiment - Framed Florets

DSP - Fitting Florets

Die-cut pieces - Framed Florets

Bling - Festive Pearls

Flower stamps - Artistically Inked

Sentiment - Celebrating You

DSP - Expressions in Ink

Gold branches - Tree Rings Hybrid Embossing Folder

Sentiment Label - Labels Aglow Die

Bling - small gold rhinestones

Flowers & Leaves - Artistically Inked

Sentiment - Framed Florets

DSP - Expressions in Ink

Bling - iridescent sequins

Hope you have gotten some inspiration from today's post.  Rethink some of your favorite layouts and recycle them into something fresh and new by using different DSP or stamps.  Even color combos change the look of something that you do all the time.  

Looking forward to making many more posts in the new year!  Hope you'll come back often to see what's been happening here and visit on a regular basis.  Can you believe this year is pretty much over and done with?  In many ways it's been a rough one.  But God is still blessing us every day and God willing, I'll continue to walk with Him in the coming year.  I pray for God to bless you with His love and grace and fill you with His peace in the new year!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon