Playing in the Rain

Hello, hello!  It's almost time to say goodbye to so many of my favorite stamps and designer papers.  So today I'm sharing a card that focuses mostly on some DSP but uses the stamps and dies that coordinate as well.  The whole Rain or Shine Suite of products in the Mini Catalog are just too cute and fun to use.  I know the Rain or Shine Specialty DSP will not be available when the new Catalog comes out and it makes me sad.  It's been enjoyable to just die-cut some of those sweet animal images from the DSP and plop them on a card and it's almost finished!  Just that fast.  When you need something cute in a huge hurry, it doesn't get much quicker than that.

I love how quick this came together, but it's still adorable.  Start with a Balmy Blue card base that measures 11" x 4 1/4".  It's scored at 5 1/2" and folded in half.  The raindrops are from the Playing in the Rain stamp set.  They were stamped with Balmy Blue ink spaced out on the card front.

The Basic White cardstock for the focal point was cut with the Stitched Rectangles Die set that is in the Annual Catalog on page 174.  The rectangle size I used is about 2 5/8" x 4".  The same raindrops were stamped on the top half of this using the same Balmy Blue ink.  The sentiment is from the Nested Friends set page 25 in the Mini Catalog.  It's stamped with Memento Black ink.

The fox and turtle were both die cut from the Rain or Shine DSP with the coordinating dies.  Truthfully, the turtle is not fully there.  It was at the edge of the DSP and the edge of his shell was cut off, but I figured I could use it anyway and it wouldn't be a problem.  I think he looks just fine peeking out from the side of the layer.  In fact, if I didn't mention it, you probably wouldn't even notice.

Before adding the animals, a retired Balmy Blue ribbon was wrapped around the white layer and tied into a bow off to the side.  Then the turtle was tucked behind the top corner.  Both the white layer and the turtle were attached with Dimensionals.  Then Dimensionals were also used to attach the fox with the umbrella to pop it up on the white layer.

I just wanted to point out the glossy accents on the turtle and fox.  The turtle shell and daisy are glossy.  The hat and raincoat on the fox are also glossy. These are just fun touches to make the card special.  

Thank you for checking in again to see what's new.  This is just a fun card idea for you.  Hope it's just what you need.  Just wanted to remind you that the retiring list will be coming out soon and the new catalogs will be arriving soon after.  Keep watching the mail for your copy of the new Annual Catalog.  They'll be mailed out about the middle of April.  

Don't forget to order any of your ink refills you need now!  Stampin'Up! is doing a Color Refresh this year and we don't have all the information yet.  I know the In Colors usually retire each year.  So, if you need any of those refills, please order them now so you are able to get them.  It's good to be prepared.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Paper Pumpkin Easter Lilies

Hello Friend!  I don't know about you, but one of the things I enjoy seeing at Easter time are the lovely lilies that are in full bloom.  I think they are just gorgeous.  Stampin'Up! hasn't had a lily stamp set for a while, so I was very excited with my new Paper Pumpkin Kit that came last week.  First of all, there were two stamp sets included instead of the usual one.  And since the second set has a pretty lily stamp, I was simply thrilled.  Of course, I had to make something as soon as possible.  I finished it up this afternoon and here it is!

I love the softly serene look to the finished card.  I kept it fairly simple because I wanted the lilies to stand out, and I think they do.  The card base is cut from Soft Succulent cardstock and measures 11" x 4 1/4".  It's scored at 5 1/2" and folded in half.

The next step was deciding what shape I wanted to stamp the lilies on.  The Stitched So Sweetly dies were used here.  Yes, I know they're retired, but the size and shape worked so nicely.  The largest rectangle was chosen to cut the Basic White cardstock piece.

The lilies were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink near the top of the die-cut shape.  The planter was stamped with Gray Granite ink onto a scrap of white.  The leaves were water-colored with Soft Succulent ink.  The planter is painted the same Gray Granite as the outline.  

After the water-colored images dried, all the images received a wash of Wink of Stella.  I think you can see this better on the next picture. The golden stamens were touched in after this.  I used the Daffodil Delight Dark Blends for this and just dotted them in.  The planter was also cut out at this point.

After trying to decide on an accent strip of some kind to fill in the card more, but not detract from the lilies, I decided on the leafy border die from the Delicate Edges Die set.  They are on page 170 of the Annual Catalog.  All of these dies are lovely, but I felt the leaves worked with the design the best.  It is cut from the Fine Shimmer Paper on page 86 in the January - April Mini Catalog.  This specialty paper comes in three colors - Soft Succulent, Fresh Freesia, and Gold.  If you haven't gotten these gorgeous papers yet, you don't know what you're missing!  The shimmer is very fine, and nothing will rub off.  And the colors!!  What can I say?  I think they were made with me in mind!  lol  The leafy die-cut does a lovely job as a subtle accent that draws your eye to the card, but it's not over-powering at all.  When die-cutting the leaves, I did run the die back and forth a couple times to make sure all the little bits would come out without fussing too much.

Before adding the leafy border to the card base, I used Soft Succulent ink and a Blending Brush to give me a darker swath to adhere the border to.  The area that was darkened was only about 1 1/2" wide and not quite out to the top and bottom edges.  I just wanted the pretty leaves to stand out from the card color a little more.  The leaves were attached to the card with Multi-Purpose Liquid Glue touched on very lightly.  If I would have been thinking ahead better, I would have used an Adhesive Sheet behind the paper before die-cutting.  It would have made attaching it so much easier.

The "Happy Easter" sentiment was stamped on the bottom edge of the card at this time.  The sentiment comes from the Easter Bunny stamp set. You can find this set in the January - April Mini Catalog on page 52.  It's stamped right near the bottom edge of the card using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.   

The lily layer was attached with Dimensionals to overlap the leafy accent a little bit.  The planter was added over the stem of the lily using a Dimensional to attach.

All that's left to do is the inside of the card.  The sentiment used here is from the Rejoice in Him stamp set.  It's in the January - April Mini Catalog on page 54.  It's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto a quarter sheet of Basic White cardstock.  As an accent, the palm branch from this set was used to the side.  It's stamped with Soft Succulent ink that has been off-stamped to give it a lighter color.

I had planned to use a skinny strip of scrap Fine Shimmer Paper that was left over from a different project.  I mean, it's way too pretty to throw those extra strips away.  You never know when you might need them!  But it worked out that I had a mini strip of Soft Succulent cardstock sitting on my table too.  They layered up just right.  So, there you are, the final touch to this simple and elegant card.  I did debate with myself whether it needed any bling added and decided it didn't.  I liked the simplicity of the card.  And the Fine Shimmer leafy border was just enough.

Thanks for stopping by today.  If you'd like to place an order soon.  Please consider using the Host Code at the top of this blog post.  I really appreciate you continued patronage.  I'll be ordering the new Annual Catalogs very soon.  If you're interested in receiving one, please make sure I know.  Otherwise, you might not get one next month, and that would be sad, now wouldn't it?  I'm excited to see what's going to be new and what's retiring.  I'm especially excited to see what the new Color Refresh is going to look like.  I'm already happy that Lost Lagoon and Pretty Peacock are coming back.  But what's leaving??  I don't know any more than you do at this point, so I'm pretty excited!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Under the Water Card

Hello there!  When I planned to post this card, I didn't realize it would be raining again today.  I sort of feel underwater with water dripping down the windows and everything wet and all sorts of green tones outside.  I didn't plan it, but it really goes with my idea today.  This card all started with a 3" x 6" piece of the Fancy Flora Designer Series Paper (pg 14-15 Mini Catalog) sitting on my desk.  It reminded me of masterpieces of the Impressionist painters and especially of some waterlily pond pictures.  I kept looking at it and just contemplating what should be done with it.  It looks so much like our pond right now with all its greenish colors.  The watercolor feel of the paper fit right in with that thought.  Here's what came of that vision.

I started the card by pulling out several choices of green cardstock and played around with the different combinations.  I really liked the Soft Sea Foam, Soft Succulent, and Lost Lagoon color combo together with that piece of DSP.  The Soft Succulent cardstock was the choice for the card base.  It's cut to measure 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" that is scored and folded in half.

The DSP was cut down to 5" tall.  Then Soft Sea Foam cardstock was cut to 3 1/8" x 5 1/8" to back the DSP later.  

Trying to find just the right underwater pieces to stamp on the card turned out to be quite interesting.  The seaweed stamps I have were not quite big enough or bold enough for my idea.  This plant from Botanical Layers stamp set (pg 93 A.C.) sort of looks like seaweed and was the size I was looking for.  So, why not?  It's stamped with Evening Evergreen ink near the bottom left side.  The ink was dark enough to show up over the print colors but wasn't too harsh like black would be.

The card still needed fish.  I checked with all the current stamps I had and there were no fish that were the right size.  The Whale Done stamp set has fish, but they were too tiny for this card.  In my retired stamp stash from last year, I found the Seascape stamp set.  The little school of fish were just what I was looking for.  They were stamped a couple of times with Lost Lagoon ink on the DSP.  I thought it was cool how the colors and design on the DSP showed through the ink of the fish.  Interesting.

The DSP was attached to the Soft Sea Foam cardstock that was cut earlier.  Then it was attached to the folded card base using the Multi Purpose Liquid Glue.  I didn't center this layer but placed it a little left of center.

One of the sentiments from the Botanical Layers set was used here.  It's stamped on Soft Sea Foam cardstock using Evening Evergreen ink.  It was trimmed to measure 1" x 1 3/8".  This layer was attached to a small piece of Lost Lagoon cardstock which measures 1 1/8" x 1 1/2".  It was popped on the card using Dimensionals.

Did you notice all the Faux Sea Glass on the card?  I'm not sure I like it on the sentiment, but I love how it looks by the seaweed.  What do you think?  Should I make a different sentiment without the sea glass?  Should I add any other embellishments???

Just not sure what I should do about this, or do I leave it as is?

The inside of the card uses the same colors and brings in that piece of DSP that was cut off originally from the 3" x 6" piece.  Because it's only 3" wide, it doesn't go right out to the edge of the white, but I thought that looked ok anyway.  I tried a layer of either Lost Lagoon or Soft Succulent cardstock to go under it, but I just wasn't impressed with the look of either one right here.  The Basic White layer measures 3 1/4" x 5" and the Soft Sea Foam layer is 3 3/8" x 5 1/8".  There's plenty of room for adding your own thoughts.

That's my post for today.  Hope you enjoyed your underwater adventure.  It's interesting trying to find just what fits when you have an idea, but not quite the right stamps you need.  Go through your retired stash and always feel free to "improvise" when needed!

Thanks for joining me today.  If you're placing an order soon, I would appreciate you using the current Host Code shown at the top of this blog post.  

I find the Fancy Flora DSP makes me stretch my creativity into other avenues than I would normally go.  And that's part of the lure of stamping - it's all up to you how you want to create something.  I'm sure you can take this same print and come up with something that's totally different, but totally you!  I suppose it's time to think about what's retiring in the near future, and this Fancy Flora DSP is one of those items that are going away.  Consider ordering an extra pack now before they are gone.

Have fun stamping and creating,

Sharon

Sweet Citrus Lemons

Hello and a happy Sunday to you.  My goodness it's cold around here.  It was only 32 degrees when I got up this morning and I've been chilled ever since.  Brrrr.  My grandsons and family are in Atlanta for a baseball tournament the boys are playing this weekend.  Wish I could be there with them.  They are playing well and have won most of their games so far.  Yay team!!  What's that you said?  You didn't come here to hear about boys and baseball?  Oh, okay, we'll go back to talking card-making, all right?  

It all started when my friend Diane sent me a card last week that was just covered with lemons.  It was so darn cute it inspired me to get out my Sweet Citrus Stamp, Dies, and Hybrid Embossing Folder to create yesterday.  That was so much fun!  That suite of products is wonderfully coordinated, and you can find them all on page 49 of the January - April Mini Catalog.  You can use just part of it, or all 3 parts of it together.  Hope you like the card I made and get inspired to stamp some lemons too!

Here's my citrus-y card I'm sharing today.  I love how it turned out, especially the shine on the cut edges of the lemons.  It really is hard to get a picture of a shiny finish, but take my word for it, it has just enough shine to look juicy.  Almost makes my mouth pucker!!

I remembered one of the prints in the Tea Boutique Designer Series Paper (in the Annual Catalog) has lemons on it.  I thought it would be the perfect backdrop for these lemons I was going to stamp.  The colors I chose are those listed for the DSP, so it was an easy pick.

The card base is Garden Green and measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.  The first layer is Basic White that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  I cut two of these, so I'd have one for the inside also.  The piece for the card front is die-cut with the Stitched Greenery Die to give it an all-over subtle design.  When it was attached to the card front with adhesive, the rough side (back) of the embossed paper is face-up.  This is for one of the shut-ins at church that will have her 90th birthday in a couple of weeks.  I've been told most of these shut-ins like to feel the cards, so layers and textures are a big deal.  I guess I'm still learning stuff every day!

The next layer is Garden Green again.  It measures 3" x 4 1/4".  The lemony layer of Tea Boutique DSP is cut at 2 3/4" x 4".  The two pieces are attached together with adhesive. 

Now comes the lemons!!  Since the DSP listed Crushed Curry as the yellow color on the paper, that's what I went with.  The outside of the lemons was stamped first onto Basic White cardstock using the Crushed Curry ink.  It looked kind of dark to me, so the inside of the lemons was stamped with Daffodil Delight to be a lighter color than the rind.  I really like how it turned out.  It's still darker than a real lemon, but the colors worked well with the DSP print.

For the cutting and embossing, I placed the die inside of the embossing folder.  It just nestles in there perfectly.  Then looking through the folder, the stamped images were lined up.  I used some washi tape to hold it in place, then ran it through the die-cutting machine.  I was so tickled when I had those cute little lemons in my hands.  They are so cool!  

After cutting the pieces, they are arranged onto the DSP layer.  After getting them placed how I like them, they were attached with just adhesive.  At this point, I used Wink of Stella on just the juicy areas on the lemons.  Can you get a look at the shininess a little better here?  I love how it shines when the light hits it just so.

The sentiment is from the Sweet Citrus stamp set also.  It's stamped with Garden Green ink on a 5/8" x 3 3/4" strip I had left over from some other project.  The ends of this were punched with the Banners Pick A Punch to finish them nicely.  There are four Dimensionals behind the strip to attach it to the focal layer.  Then this whole layer was attached to the card front with Dimensionals too.

Definitely needed some special bling for this card.  I used three of the Glossy Dots Assortment found in the Annual Catalog.  These are the Daffodil Delight color and look great with the colors on the card.  These dots are not faceted but pack a big shine factor, so seemed just right for this card.

The card is finished off inside with the extra Basic White piece I cut earlier.  I had a 1/2" wide strip of a different print of DSP from the same Tea Boutique pack.  I love that it's the same color as the front, but the loose plaid look is a great contrasting accent piece.  

The sentiment is from the Charming Sentiments on page 38 of the Annual Catalog, but I didn't used the dies that coordinate with it this time.  It's stamped with Garden Green ink to match the card.  And that's it.

I'm so tickled with the way this card turned out.  I hope the lady that receives the card will enjoy it.  And a big thanks to my friend Diane who inspired me to make some lemons into lemonade!  It really hit the spot!!

Thank you for sharing some of your day with me.  It's been a quiet day with not much going on.  These relaxing days are just perfect for me to get a card posted on my blog.  When the days are too crazy, I can't seem to think straight enough to make sense when I write.  And that's when I make mistakes.  If you ever find a mistake, please be sure to let me know so it can be fixed.  And I'll apologize now for any mistakes you may find.  I usually re-read the post 2-3 times to catch any problems.  But you know how those pesky little mistakes like to hide until it's too late.

Have fun stamping and creating,

Sharon

Lacy Layers

Hello my friend.  How are things going for you today?  Here we've been dealing with freezing weather again and alas, my pretty flowering trees are dealing with frost and not looking so pretty anymore.  This weather is so confusing, I haven't a clue what to expect at all!  And of course, it's raining again today.  It just makes me want to stay inside and curl up with a good book.  Or maybe a nap would be a good idea.  Instead, I've got two pretty cards to share with you.  I've been playing around with the Two-Tone Flora stamps and dies lately and just lovin' it.   You can find these on pages 14-16 in the January - April Mini Catalog.  But I haven't even used the big full-size lacy background die.  It's about time don't you think?

Aren't these two cards just gorgeous?  I can't quite decide what the final use will be for either card, so there are no sentiments yet.  But they will be easy to add with a little label-style die and the words.  Easy peasy.  But for now, let's get started putting them together.

The card base is cut a little differently than usual.  It measures 5 1/2" x 5".  The card is scored and folded 4 1/4" as usual.  This gives you just a 3/4" fold-over strip where you attach your lacy piece.

Next, the large lacy die was centered on a Basic White piece of cardstock that measures 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" so it's a full-size card front. Run cardstock and die back and forth through the embossing machine at least twice to make sure all the sections are fully cut.  Use the Brush Tip attachment to the Take Your Pick Tool (page 155) to easily remove all the little pieces from the pattern.  Isn't this leftover piece just beautiful all by itself?  On one of my cards, I used Basic White Thick and just regular on the other.  It seems both cardstock choices worked out just fine.

The lacy layer was added to the card front at this time.  I wanted a softer, muted look on the card, so a piece of Vellum Cardstock was cut to measure 5 1/2" by 4 1/8".  This is attached inside the front flap of the card making sure all the edges line up nicely.  To me, this was an important addition to the card design.  But if you like the card without the Vellum layer, do it your way!

The flowers and leaves were stamped next.  The colors used for this card are Flirty Flamingo, Evening Evergreen, Soft Succulent, and Orchid Oasis.  When stamping the flowers, the solid image stamps were inked up with the color and off-stamped before stamping on the Basic White cardstock piece.  The detail images were inked and stamped at full strength.  This gives you nicely color-coordinated flowers.  Don't you love the pretty periwinkle blue color that the off-stamped Orchid Oasis is?

The leafy stem is stamped in Soft Succulent ink.  There are two of these stamped to fill in the area better.  One of them was cut apart and only part of it was used. The larger double leaves were inked with Soft Succulent then touched on the edges with Evening Evergreen ink to give them a two-tone look.  Everything is then die-cut with the coordinating dies which make it so easy to make this card.

All the pieces were laid out in order.  Some of the pieces were attached to the lacy layer with adhesive.  You don't have to worry about the adhesive sticking to the inside of the card because of that Vellum layer inside the card.  Woo Hoo!  Otherwise, you'd have to be very careful where you added the adhesive.  The main flower has Dimensionals added under it to add depth to the look.

The final touch for this card is the Soft Succulent Satin Shimmer Ribbon found on page 146 of the Annual Catalog.  This is gorgeous ribbon and it's so easy to manipulate because of its softness.  

I've spent the last day arguing with myself about the use of added bling on this card.  After much deliberation, there are no extra bling additions to this card.  I thought it took away from the lovely lacy look too much.  That's the real focal point here in my opinion.

Here's the other version of the card.  The ink used for the flower colors changed to Mango Melody and Poppy Parade.  These colors were not off-stamped but were stamped full strength.  The smaller flowers were stamped with Highland Heather with Gorgeous Grape for the detail.  The leaf colors were the same as before.  As you can see, these colors make a much bolder and brighter card.  To give it some added appeal but not added color, a length of the White Glittered Organdy Ribbon was tied around into a knot on the side.

Well, I'm curious to know which of these versions do you prefer?  They are both beautiful.  I love the lacy look with the added Vellum behind it.  Makes it so elegant looking.  Let me know what you think.  I love hearing your comments.

Thanks for being patient with me.  Seems like my posts have been getting a little random lately.  I'm trying to get posts done on a regular basis, but I seem to be falling behind.  Thank you for checking back just in case there is something new.

Have you been online checking out the new Stampin'Up! Online Exclusive items?  There are some great products there for you.  I'll be trying to showcase some of them as the days go by.

Happy stamping and creating!

Sharon

New Card Template

Hello Friends!  Hope you're all staying warm and dry.  We're back to colder weather and rain again.  But a least there's no snow coming around here.  I've been talking with friends in Michigan and Maine.  Sounds like both states are getting slammed with cold weather and lots of snow.  That's something that I'm not missing at all.  Now my friends, I'm missing those a lot!  Wish I could drag you all down here for a long visit.  Just think of how much stamping and chatting we could do!!  Oh well, that's just wishful thinking on my part.

Today I wanted to do something a little different.  How about a template you can use over and over again to make as many cards as you'd like?  I've made two cards with this template and it's an easy template to use.  There aren't too many pieces that need to be cut or scored.  Just enough to make it interesting.  Here goes...

Here are the basic cardstock measurements:

card base   -  11" x 4 1/4"  scored @ 5 1/2"

DSP layer  -  4" x 5 1/2"

white layer -  3" x 5"

If you only have these three components, you can make a different card every time you sit and stamp.  For this card, I used Balmy Blue for my card base.  The DSP layer is one of the prints from the Country Floral Lane DSP.  It's found on page 9 of the January - April Mini Catalog.  I have used most of the prints in this paper pack for Valentine cards.  I thought this blue print would make a pretty birthday card though.

Before doing any stamping on the Basic White layer, I used one of the Basic Borders dies to cut a fancy edge at an angle.  Isn't that a cute addition?  I chose the birthday sentiment from the Happy Thoughts set.  I really like the size of the fonts for this sentiment.  It fits the card just like I wanted.  It's stamped in Balmy Blue ink to match.  

Two leafy stems from the Dainty Delight dies were cut from Mint Macaron cardstock.  They were trimmed a little on the bottom edges to fit the white layer in a nice curve.  Multi Purpose Liquid Glue was used to attach the stems to the left side.  The three flowers and bud were die-cut from Pale Papaya cardstock to match the dots on the DSP.  These were attached with Mini Glue Dots along the stems.

Before attaching the layer, a Pale Papaya ribbon was tied around the card front and tied into a knot on the side.  I know it's a retired ribbon, but it worked so nicely with the card.  Besides, this is to give you a card template for your use, not really showcase any particular stamp set.  After adding the ribbon, the main layer was attached to the card front using Dimensionals.

At this point, I planned to add rhinestones to the card.  I wasn't happy with the rhinestones, or the Iridescent Pearls, or anything else I tried.  Everything I tried was just too pale.  Imagine me saying that!  LOL Time to go raid my retired stash of embellishments.  These gold pearls are from a set of gold and silver pearls.  They're nice and tiny and can easily be used for the flower centers.

I had so much fun making this card, I went right ahead and made a 2nd card using this same template.  After changing up the colors, it sure does look different.

For this one, I started out with a base of Blackberry Bliss cardstock.  I used some of the Favored Flowers that were a Sale-a-bration freebie that I just love.  It's so rich and elegant looking.

The ribbon was changed to the White Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon.  The Blackberry Bliss Light Blends was used to color the ribbon.  Such an easy way to get ribbon in any color you want!

The sentiment is from the Beauty of Friendship stamp set.  It's stamped with Blackberry Bliss ink.  

I changed the die used to cut the edge of the white layer to a retired set called Ornate Border Dies.  I like the lacy delicate look with the darker colors on the card.  It still has that elegant feel to it.

The two sets of flowers tucked over and under the sentiment layer are parts of the Favored Flowers DSP cut with my Paper Snips.  They just fit right in, don't they?

The bling used on this card is the Iridescent Rhinestone Basic Jewels.  Love, love, love these gorgeous jewels!  They tend to fit right in with anything you want to add sparkle to and make it shine.  I tried just three on the card, but that wasn't enough.  So I sprinkled on two more.  Yes!

Just wanted to share a picture of the inside of the card too.  The Basic White cardstock is cut to measure 5 1/4" x 4".  There is a 1/2" strip of coordinating DSP added to the bottom to match the front of the cards.  For this card, I chose a sentiment from the Irresistible Blooms stamp set that is an Online Exclusive.  Make sure you check out this set and all the other options online when you're ready to order.  If you have any trouble seeing them, call me and I'll try to help.

That's it for today.  Hope you give this card template a try.  It's a good idea to have some go-to templates to work with when you're stuck for a quick idea.  I know I find it helpful.

Thanks for stopping by to share a part of your day with me.  Feel free to leave me a message.  You know I'd love to hear from you!  If you're planning on ordering soon, please consider using the Host Code at the top right corner of this post.  Thanks so much!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Hello, Irresistible Easter Card

Hello there!  I've been getting started making some Easter cards.  The one I want to share today is truly beautiful, because the DSP is the star of this card.  The new Hello, Irresistible DSP is one of the loveliest I've seen in a long while.  It's one of the Online Exclusive items that are available only online.  I thought the Fancy Flora DSP was beautiful, and it really is.  I still love it and choose it when I'm in a creative mood.  But I think the prints and colors on this pack of DSP are another step up in what I like to work with when making cards.  Let me share a card with you that really focuses on one of these prints.

All I can say is if you like pastels, this Designer Paper is absolutely for you!  Isn't the print just gorgeous?  It gives the illusion of white embossing over the softly blended background.  But in reality, that's just the look it portrays. There isn't any actual embossing on the card at all.  Doesn't it just make this card though?  I only added a sentiment tag and some die-cut leaves to finish it.  Couldn't be easier.

To make the card, start with a card base of Soft Sea Foam cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.

The DSP print paper is cut to measure 3 3/4" x 5".  This is attached to a Basic White piece of cardstock that measures 3 7/8" x 5 1/8".  The print paper is attached to the Basic White using Multi Purpose Liquid Glue.  I prefer this glue when I have a really skinny layer so I can get all the edges sort of slid into place nice and even.  This was attached to the Soft See Foam folded card base using Dimensionals.

Next up is deciding on a sentiment and what to stamp it on.  I'd been thinking about Easter cards, so I went with the Daffodil Daydream stamp set that's found on page 21 in the Annual Catalog.  I like the mixed font on these sentiments that give it a fun look.  It's stamped on a piece of Basic White cardstock using Basic Gray ink.  This was to keep in line with the soft look instead of using a harsher black ink.  

It was die-cut using the Tailor Made Tags Dies.  This is the 2nd smallest fancier tag die.  After die-cutting, it was placed on the card front as shown using Dimensionals to raise it up.

The Irresistible Blooms Dies were used to cut the leaves.  It has several open-work leaves to choose from.  I actually used two of them to cut leaves from backside of a scrap of this DSP.  It had a lovely mix of the yellows and greens that I liked.  The 3rd leaf was cut from Soft Sea Foam cardstock.

The leaf cluster comes from the Around the Bend Dies.  I had an extra Soft Sea Foam one cut from my last project that was still sitting on my work-table, so why not use it?  The leaves were all attached to the tag either on top of it or tucked in underneath to form a pleasing cluster.  

A length of white 1/4" Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon about 6-7" long was tied into a bow.  It was attached over the center of the leaf cluster.  A Mini Glue Dot was used to attach this.

The last thing here was to decide on what accents to add, if any.  After trying several different ideas, I thought the Iridescent Rhinestone Basic Jewels worked the best.  No matter which angle you look at the card, either a green, yellow, or pink color flashes back at you.  Perfect with the background paper!

That's it for today's card.  It totally focuses on the Hello, Irresistible Designer Series Paper, and I think it is just gorgeous.  Now that I've make a simple card using this paper, I need to go back and create something more elaborate with it.  Hope you love this paper as much as I do, because you're probably going to see a few more card ideas using this new DSP.  Remember, it's not in any catalog - just online only!  Check out the Online Exclusives when you sign in to www.stampinup.com.  There are quite a few other products that are listed this way and you won't want to miss checking them out.

Thanks for stopping by again today.  Hope you're inspired to get out your stamps, papers, and inks to make yourself some lovely creations.  It's very therapeutic!!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Around the Bend Side Fold Card

Good morning!  The sun is shining again today and that always makes me happy.  There's just something about basking in the sun that seems to raise my spirits.  So on those sunny days, I need to get out on the deck and soak up some rays. I'm enjoying the many blooming trees around here - pear, tulip tree, weeping cherry, and forsythia. And all the daffodils blooming in my neighbors' yards.  Oh, I love it!  The sight just makes my heart sing.  But on to stamping.  I have some cards to share with you today that have been floating around in my brain since I first saw this bundle in the January - April Mini Catalog this year.  If you want to play along, the Around the Bend Bundle is found there on page 35.  It looks kind of strange, but it's really cool to create with the dies.  I haven't used the stamps much, but I'll get around to that soon, I hope.

Aren't these cards cute?  They are still the regular size of 5 1/2" x 4 1/4", but they have a side fold and cool flap to close them.  The prints on the front are both from the Hello, Irresistible Designer Series Paper that is available now as an Online Exclusive.  This paper will become one of your favorites once you start using it.  It's soft with gorgeous colors and prints.  Try it - you'll like it!

For my post today, I'll be focusing on the slightly darker version.  It starts with a piece of 6" x 6" DSP that gets trimmed to 4 1/4" x 6".  It's scored at one of the ends at 1/2".  When folded, this ends up being the regular card size.  The 1 3/4" x 6" strip that's left over can easily be used for another card.

A piece of Soft Sea Foam was cut to measure 8 1/2" x 4 1/4".  The leafy v-shaped edge die from the bundle is used to cut this piece.  The point of the v comes out to the 8 1/2" edge.  After die-cutting, score it at 5 7/16" which is the little, tiny mark just before the 5 1/2" mark.  Next put adhesive on the inside of the 1/2" scored DSP and attach it to the plain end of the Soft Sea Foam card on the outside.  

This will be your basic card.  When it's opened, you have a lovely new print of DSP on the left side and the Soft Sea Foam on the center of the card, and the leafy flap on the very right end.  You can't get too much simpler for making a fancy card base.

For this card, a sentiment from the Around the Bend stamp set is used.  It's stamped with Lost Lagoon ink on a Basic White piece of cardstock. This was die-cut using the Layering Circles Die.  A piece of Lost Lagoon cardstock was also die-cut in the next largest size.  They are attached together off-center because I wanted something a little different.  They are attached to the card front using Dimensionals. Three of the Loose Frosted Dots in the blue tone are attached to the circles using small dots of Multi Purpose Liquid Glue.  It really helps to use the Take Your Pick Tool to add these little accents.

Here's the card I did right after the first one.  Changes include the back part of the card is made from Basic White Thick cardstock.  The DSP print is from the same Hello Irresistible pack, but a lighter print.  The sentiment was stamped with Basic Gray ink.  A small leaf from the same set was stamped under the sentiment using Soft Sea Foam ink.  The backing for the sentiment and the extra leaves added to the flap are all Soft Sea Foam cardstock.  A double bow of White and Silver Bakers Twine was added to the flap with a Mini Glue Dot.

It's so interesting to make a card using the same layout but changing the cardstock, DSP, and ink used.  I think I want to try this card again but use a brighter color palette, and maybe make another with darker colors.  It's so interesting to me how the whole look and feel of the card changes just because of the colors used.  That is definitely a big part of the fun of creativity!  Hope you give this card idea a try.  I think this is a really cool and different card.

BTW, it's taken me three days to finally get this ready to post.  So sorry for the very long wait.  We've been back to rainy and gray days again.  I certainly don't want you to think we're basking in sunshine every day.  That's hardly the case lately.  Many more rainy days than sunny.  That's why I have to really appreciate those sunny days when they appear.  Stay safe and stay warm in your winter weather.  Miss you!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon