Stippled Roses

Hello friends.  We're in the middle of a string of rainy days again.  So what can you do when it's raining?  Stamp, of course!  The card I'm sharing today was actually made three days ago, but I just wasn't happy with it.  I've been looking at it since then trying to figure out what I don't like about it.  After making three different changes on the card, I think it's worthy to share with you.  Do you ever get that way?  The card just isn't right, but you're just not sure what you don't like about it.  Change this, add that, and change some more!  I'm thinking I should have just ripped the whole thing apart and started over.  Give me a comment on what you think of the final card, so I know if it finally hit the mark or needs a complete do-over. 

My plan was to use the colors and textures in the Softly Stippled DSP that is one of the Sale-a-bration items.  I really hope you were able to get this Designer Paper - it's gorgeous!  The fabric-looking piece of DSP on this card is from that paper pack and is in the Pebbled Path color.  The card base is Pebbled Path cardstock measuring 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  The layer on this is Lost Lagoon that measures 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".  I wanted just a tiny bit of the Pebbled Path to show behind this.

The Softly Stippled DSP piece measures 3 5/8" x 4 7/8".  I started larger and kept trimming down an eighth of an inch at a time to get the size I liked.  I wanted the Lost Lagoon to be a bolder frame around this and really show up.

Next, the Stippled Roses were stamped with Pebbled Path ink onto Basic White cardstock.  I wanted to see how this worked with the colors instead of the Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  This would be a little softer looking.

For coloring the roses, I used Stampin' Blends to play around with the colors.  The first layer on the roses was Pool Party Light.  Then I layered on shading of Pool Party Dark and then Lost Lagoon Light to darken some of the shadows. 

The leaves were colored in with Wild Wheat Light, then shaded with the Wild Wheat Dark.  To add extra deep shadows in places, Lost Lagoon Dark was added sparingly.  The leaves still looked too flat, so the Color Lifter was used in some areas to create highlights.  This really does a wonderful job of giving you an even lighter color when it is lightly stroked on just where a highlight is wanted.  When everything was colored to my liking, the roses were die-cut with the coordinating Stippled Roses dies.

I've been using a lot of Get Well type cards lately.  So that's what this one was going to be.  The sentiment comes from the So Sincere stamp set.  It is stamped on Basic White using Pebbled Path ink.  Then it is fussy cut with Paper Snips to get the shape.

When I laid the roses and sentiment on the card base, it looked quite unfinished.  It needed some extra greenery to fill out the design some.  At first, I only cut two of the leafy spray die that is part of the Stippled Roses dies using Wild Wheat cardstock.  The stem was cut apart into four sections to scatter the smaller pieces around the design.  I thought this would work well with all the Wild Wheat leaves that were already part of the design.  For this version of the card, you can see a couple of the leafy sprays were cut in Lost Lagoon also.  And some of the little flowers in the set were cut from Pool Party cardstock.

The roses are attached with Dimensionals, but all the leafy pieces have adhesive on the stems and are tucked in around the roses.  The little flowers have their centers colored with Pool Party Dark Blends just to give it a little color.  They are attached with a Mini Glue Dot holding each one.  The sentiment is tucked near the bottom of the card and is attached with Mini Dimensionals.

For this card, I used the gold color sequins from the Neutrals Adhesive-backed Sequins.  I think they blend nicely with the Wild Wheat tones on the card.

The inside of the card has a layer of Lost Lagoon that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  On top of this is a layer of Basic White that measures 5" x 3 3/4".  The sentiment is another one from the So Sincere stamp set.  It's stamped with Lost Lagoon ink.  In the bottom right corner, the extra Wild Wheat leafy spray that was die-cut has been attached to carry the design inside the card.

 

Just wanted to give you a peek at the way the card was put together originally.  No matter how I fussed with it, I just wasn't happy with it.  Let me give you a run-down of the changes I made.

- The leafy stems are all from Wild Wheat cardstock.  This just gave the card too much of this color.

- The gems used really didn't enhance the card.  I thought the Pool Party color would balance the card better, but it didn't work.  They were switched out for the gold sequins.

- The sentiment was stamped with Lost Lagoon ink.  It was too light and got lost on the design.

I hope you enjoyed this post.  Did this card give you ideas on layout and color balance?  Just because a card is finished doesn't mean "the card is finished"!  You can always dismantle sections and remake into a design you're happier with when it really is finished!

Only two more days for Sale-a-bration deals!  But don't worry.  There will be some new Online Exclusives coming out a little later in March.  So much good stuff looking forward.  Keep checking in to see what's new and what I'm creating with it!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

sharoncarr50@gmail.com  

Easter Lily Card

Hello all!  Glad to see you stopping by for a minute or two.  I really liked the new Easter Lilies Bundle in the Jan - April 2024 Mini Catalog.  It was one of the first sets I purchased, but it's taken me a while to try my hand at using this bundle.  I seem to struggle making these 3D flowers each time they come out with a new one.  But I'm so happy with the way this one turned out.  I think with all the color and print going on, the lily is very subtle but lovely.  What do you think?

Since the lily is pretty big, I didn't want it to be really bold.  Maybe I'll head in that direction next time but I'm really more of a softer-toned person.  I thought the translucent prints of the Delightful Floral DSP would make a lovely backdrop for my lily.  This gorgeous Designer Paper is an Online Exclusive item.  It's really worth the look to find it.  Here's how I made the card.

I started with a piece of the Delightful Floral DSP that measures 3 3/4" x 5".  The greenery on this print seemed like a good background here.  For this card I wanted the DSP edges to be roughed up or distressed a little.  I used the cutting edge of my Paper Snips to run against the edges of the paper.  Then two of the corners were also curled in on itself showing the soft Pool Party on the back.

This was attached to a Basic White layer by using adhesive.  The white layer measures 5 1/4" x 4".  Then the layers were attached to a folded piece of Soft Sea Foam cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" for the base.  Dimensionals were used to attach it this time.

Now let's make the lily.  There are three dies to make the lily petals.  They have all this wonderful detail in them.  I tried something a little different on this.  I set the dies on the ink pad lightly before die-cutting the white petals.  Hmmm, didn't work like I'd hoped, so don't bother with that idea anymore.  If you look closely, you'll see some areas without detail that have smudges of Soft Sea Foam ink on them.  I liked this, so still used these pieces.  The stamens were die-cut from a small piece of Lemon Lolly cardstock.  The tips were colored with a Daffodil Delight Blends Dark marker.  The two leaves were cut from Soft Sea Foam cardstock.

Since the ink didn't show up in the detail cuts like I'd hoped, I used a Blender Pen with Soft Sea Foam ink to color along each of the detail lines.  I wanted a very light color on the details that made it look like a plain white lily.  The leaves were colored with a Blender Pen and Garden Green ink lightly on the detail lines with small touches of Pretty Peacock ink.  After adding the lines, I used a Water Pen and smoothed out the lines a little.  This made the leaves nice and pliable for shaping also.

The lily petals are curled back with a bone folder to get more natural looking petals.  The centers of the two and three petal pieces are held together with adhesive.  Then attached to the card base with one Dimensional in the center back.  The stamens were attached only at the bottom of them to the flower center area.  Then the last petal was attached over the stamen ends using a Dimensional.  

The two leaves were tucked in under the lily and attached only at the bottom end, so they have some movement.   A couple of Mini Glue Dots were used to attach each of these leaves. 

The sentiment for the card is from the Easter Lilies set.  First I die-cut a Basic White rectangle from the Everyday Details Bundle.  The smallest rectangle has tiny stitching dots instead of the larger piercings on the larger dies.  This one was the perfect size for the sentiment.  The sentiment was stamped with Pretty Peacock ink to tie in with the DSP colors.  The sentiment was attached to the card base with Dimensionals.

The inside of the card pulls in the colors of the DSP also.  The Basic White cardstock piece measures 3 3/8" x 4 1/2".  The sentiment is from the Easter Lilies set and is stamped with Pretty Peacock ink.  

The two palm branches are from the same set.  They are stamped with Soft Sea Foam ink.  The white is layered onto a Pool Party cardstock piece measuring 5 1/4" x 4".  It's attached with adhesive.  Then it's attached to the inside of the card with adhesive also.

Back to the front of the card, the last item was deciding what form of bling will be used.  I thought about using something with Pretty Peacock, but I wasn't impressed.  Then I remembered these Glossy Dots Assortment.  Perfect.  The yellow gems accented the stamens on the lily and also brought out the yellow tones on the leaves.  It seems a really good match with this lighter toned lily.

Hope you enjoyed this post.  I'm happy to share what I learn as I try new things.  I was very disappointed that I couldn't 'stamp' with my dies, but now I know it doesn't work too well.  I just might try it again sometime and see if I can't get better results.

This really is a beautiful Easter lily set.  I've always loved lilies - Star Gazer lilies to be exact.  Maybe that will be my next attempt with this set!

Just a reminder (as if that's needed) that the Sale-a-bration sale is in its last days.  If you've still got your mind on an item and you've been putting it off, it's pretty much a now or never situation.  There are still some wonderful items to choose for free.  Hope you don't miss out.  If you don't have a demonstrator, I would love to be yours.  Feel free to contact me with questions.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

sharoncarr50@gmail.com

 

Happy Easter Eggs

Hello there!  Are you having fun today?  If not, get out your stamps and paper and take a little creative break.  It always puts a smile on my face when I do.  When I was reading my emails this morning, I came across this Global Design Project Challenge that was right up my alley.  It is a color challenge to use Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, and Flirty Flamingo on a project.  Oh boy, what fun!  I haven't participated in a challenge in a very long while (years!), but I had to do this one.  Hope you enjoy the idea that popped in my head as soon as I saw the colors.  Let's get creative!

Here's the idea that was in my head as soon as I saw the color challenge.  Of course, with those colors, it had to be Easter, right?  The card starts with a Basic White card base that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half.

The colorful layer is also Basic White that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  I used Blending Brushes and ink to do the soft background colors.  I started with Daffodil Delight ink on the bottom 1/3 of the layer.  Then added another third of Pumpkin Pie ink across the middle blending the edges together.  Last is the Flirty Flamingo ink across the top.  The colors reminded me of a sunrise and made me so happy to look at it.

No matter how many pictures I took, the background just doesn't show as vividly as the real card.  It's by no means really bright, just deeper colors - more saturated I guess you'd say.

After coloring this layer, it was embossed with the Basics 3D Embossing Folder set that is an Online Exclusive item.  If you don't have these, you might want to consider getting them.  This crosshatch pattern is one I use very often.  After being embossed, it's attached to the folded white card base with "green glue".

Now it's time for all the Easter eggs.  The Excellent Eggs Die set was used.  Only the smallest egg is used here.  One each of Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, and Flirty Flamingo cardstock was die-cut.  

All the little pieces were taken from each egg and set aside for a minute.  Thinking about a way to attach all the pieces back into the eggs, I decided to use a strip of white cardstock behind each egg, trimming the edges top and bottom from any white sticking out.  Lining up the eggs the way I wanted them displayed, I took the top and bottom cut pieces from the egg next to it and tucked them into the eggs.  The middle pieces were from the egg on the other side of it.  This way each egg has all three colors on it.  The eggs are each attached with several Dimensionals.

I found a nice Easter sentiment in the Throughout the Year stamp set.  It's stamped onto a 3/4" white strip.  I stamped it with Pebbled Path ink which is a warmer gray to go with the other warm colors used.  The Banners Pick a Punch was used to flag the ends of this.  It was attached above the eggs using Dimenisonals.

I wanted some flowers in white to accent all the color.  I found a die not only for the bitty flowers, but for some pretty leaves too.  These came from the Thoughtful Expressions Bundle.  I thought these pieces worked out nicely with the design.  Each of the flowers and stems are attached with Mini Glue Dots.

The finishing touch on this design was adding some of the Iridescent Rhinestone Basic Jewels.  I only used the smaller ones and added five to the design.  That's more than I usually use, but it seemed to work here.

Thank you for stopping by today.  Please leave a comment to let me know what you think of my Easter eggs.  Hope you like them!  Just a quick reminder that the end of Sale-a-bration is just around the corner.  It's always lovely to get items for free, and there are a bunch to choose from right now.  If you don't have a demonstrator, I would love to be yours.  Let me know if you need help ordering.  Don't miss out on this great sale!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon 

sharoncarr50@gmail.com 

Rocker Fun Fold Card

Hello to you on this fabulous Friday.  What a busy but very fun week it's been here - Bible study, Valentines Day, and lunch with friends.  What a jam-packed week and I loved every minute of it.  Too bad all weeks can't be as much fun!  Of course, if I was off running around every day, I'd never get anything accomplished at all!  And I really need creative time scheduled in almost every day to keep the creativity alive.  Do you find that if you are too busy to create for days on end, when you finally sit down, there's just no creative mojo anywhere to be found?  Is this just me???  Anyway, it has been a great week creatively for me, so I have another card to share.  I'd seen several rocker card ideas on Pinterest that piqued my curiosity and I had to give it a try.  For some reason I was in the mood to make a card with a little bit of quirkiness.  I need more birthday cards soon, so that's how this whole card got started.  Lucille, this one's for you!  Hope you enjoy...

Don't you love this sweet little bee?  And the movement on this card is awesome!  You've got the curved bottom, so it rocks.  Plus, the bee is on a wiggly base.  So cute!  When you try making a rocker card, I think you'll be surprised how easy it is and will want to make many more.  And one of the best parts about the card - it fits into a regular A2 envelope with no problem!

To make this card, I would really suggest having the Deckled Circles Die set.  This makes it so easy to get all the pieces die-cut to the right dimensions.  Let me give you a list of pieces to die-cut before we get started.

2nd largest - 1 pc of Basic White

8th largest - 1 pc of Basic White

11th largest - 1 pc of Basic White

13th largest - 1 pc of Basic White for the sentiment

Next, I cut the pieces of DSP for layering.  This lovely textured-looking print is rather overlooked.  It's from the Softly Stippled Designer Series Paper that is one of the Sale-a-bration free choices when you spend $50 or more.  If you haven't gotten this yet, you really should if you like soft and subtle patterns.  I've used several of these prints already and I find them very easy to work with.  Cutting sizes for the DSP is as follows:

3rd largest - cut only 1/2 of the circle to layer on the front

9th largest - 1 pc of DSP

Let's do the stamping before putting the card together.  On the second smallest white die-cut, stamp the stems from the Bee My Valentine stamp set using Parakeet Party ink - largest in the center and smaller one on each side.  Stamp the larger flower on the center stem using Sweet Sorbet ink.  Stamp the two smaller flowers on the side stems with Sweet Sorbet ink also.

On a scrap of Basic White cardstock, stamp the oval with Lemon Lolly ink.  The stripes on the bee are stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  (I had to stamp mine twice to get really good coverage.)  Punch out with the matching punch.  Then the solid wings were stamped with Pool Party ink, then the outline was stamped with the Memento Tuxedo Black ink over the Pool Party.  These were punched out also.  Lastly, I stamped the heart with Sweet Sorbet ink and the antennae with Tuxedo Black ink.  Both of these pieces were punched out with the heart part of the matching punch.  

The birthday sentiment was stamped on the smallest die-cut using the Tuxedo Black ink.  The sentiment is from the Darling Details stamp set that I've used repeatedly.

Time to put this card together.  Fold the largest white circle in half to make the card base.  Measure the 1/2 circle of DSP to fit on this and trim off the top flat area if needed.  I ended up trimming about 1/4" on mine to make it fit nicely.  At this time, I would suggest stamping the inside of your card.  I waited until it was put together and that made it harder to do.  I had an old non-SU! stamp that had a cute sentiment that fit this card, so I used that.  It's stamped with Tuxedo Black ink.

Layer the smaller DSP onto the middle Basic White die-cut.  I used "green glue" so I could get it all centered properly.  Next, attach this to the folded circle card base.  Make sure you add the tape to only the bottom half of the circle, so it only attaches to the front half of the card.  I used Tear & Tape for this because I wanted a strong, heavy bond.

The bee is attached to the card front with a wiggly base.  These can be found online, or you could just use Dimensionals to give it some height.  If you have Wink of Stella, it would be perfect to add on the wings to make them appear more sheer and sparkly.  I ran out, so I'll add it later after I can get it ordered.  (Sheesh!  How could I have ever run out of Wink of Stella?!)

The sentiment circle is attached with a Dimensional on the left side.  One of the hearts I stamped is added under the sentiment with a Mini Glue Dot.  There are three pink sequins from the Adhesive-backed Sequin Trio added to the card.  One is the larger flower center in case you can't find it.  😉

That's my version of a Rocker Fun Fold card.  I'm sure there are many ways that you can make them, but this is my first attempt.  And I love this cute little card.  I was surprised by how simple it was to make.  As long as you have the Deckled Circles Die set, it's a breeze.  Don't forget about the Softly Stippled DSP that is a Sale-a-bration item.  This paper set is truly versatile, and you'll be reaching for it on many different projects.  Thanks for visiting.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.  Thank you!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

email:  sharoncarr50@gmail.com

Painted Lavender Bouquet

Hello, hello.  I can't believe the sun is finally shining again after several rainy days in a row.  I've had more than enough rain this winter.  Of course, in the middle of a dry, hot summer I'll be praying for some of that rain, won't I?  And instead of whining about the excessive rain, I should be thankful it wasn't all snow!!  Seems like we're still adjusting to things down here, but certainly loving it.  Thinking ahead to spring, I was ready to make a card with the Painted Lavender Bundle.  These pieces make a up a bouquet in no time at all.  

I haven't made a gatefold card in awhile, so that was my plan.  For a summery feel, I chose a card base of Garden Green.  This measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", and it's scored at 2 1/8" and 6 3/8".  Folding these two sides in should give you a nice gatefold card as your base.

There are two pieces of Soft Sea Foam cut to layer onto the sides.  These measure 2" x 5 1/4".  To add some interest to these panels, they were embossed with the Softly Sophisticated Embossing Folder which is one of the Sale-a-bration items.  I love the delicate design on this embossing folder.  Can't tell you how many times I've used it already!  After embossing, the panels were attached to the card front using "green glue" making sure they lined up top and bottom.

Next, the Basic White panel was die-cut with the Perennial Postage dies.  I used the 2nd largest die, but it was still too wide for what I wanted to do.  Taking the largest die, I placed it over my die-cut piece and lined up the postage edge cutting off about 1/2" from one side.  This worked out pretty well.  I used two bits of washi tape to hold it in place while cutting.  A second piece was cut and left the full size to go inside the card for the sentiment.

On the trimmed down die-cut piece, first there is some Soft Sea Foam ink that is added to the center of the white using a Blending Brush.   The leafy stem was stamped with Garden Green ink in this area of the card at least twice and several times using 2nd and 3rd generation stamping to fill in a bouquet shape.  This gives a good base for all the die-cut stems that are coming next.

The die with the two flower stems was used to die-cut most of the pieces.  Stems were cut from Gorgeous Grape and Fresh Freesia cardstock.  There were also a set of stems cut from the Soft Shimmer 12" x 12" Specialty Paper in the Bubble Bath color.  A smaller die was used to cut stems from Highland Heather cardstock.   A Granny Apple Green Blender Pen was used to color the stems in-between the flowers.  

They were layered up in this order: 2 Gorgeous Grape stems, 2 Fresh Freesia stems, 2 Bubble Bath Shimmer stems, and the one Highland Heather stem last.  They were all staggered as they were added so they weren't lined up like soldiers. The stems were attached only on the bottom two-thirds of each stem using "green glue".  This kept the tips of the flowers looser and more natural looking.  After all the flowers were added, the stem ends that were off the card were given a trim with Paper Snips.

Butterflies from the Painted Lavender set were stamped with Gorgeous Grape ink on Basic White cardstock.  They were die-cut with the matching dies from the set and attached with Mini Dimensionals.  The sentiment from Darling Details was stamped with Gorgeous Grape ink onto a Basic White strip.  The smallest Perennial Postage die was used to cut it out.  

The left half of the lavender bouquet label has two strips of Tear & Tape added to the length.  Then it's attached to the center of the card front.  Make sure there is no adhesive on the right side of the label, or it will be glued closed.   And you don't want that!  The birthday label is attached with Dimensionals under the left side only so it's free on the right edge.

The 2nd die-cut label has a faint blush of Soft Sea Foam ink added to the center with a Blending Brush.  Now it's ready to stamp.  I used a sentiment from Everyday Details stamp set.  It is stamped with Gorgeous Grape ink.  Those butterflies that were used earlier are now stamped inside the card with Highland Heather ink, so they are lighter than the sentiment.  The layer is attached in the center of the card with "green glue".

The final touches on the card are the Purple Fine Shimmer Gems.  These are so pretty and there are three different colors of purple in this set.  I used one of each of the colors on my card.  They all matched with the multiple purples I used for the lavender stems.  Can you find them tucked in the design?  There is also a double bow made from Linen Thread.  It's attached with a Mini Glue Dot.

That's my first attempt at creating with the Painted Lavender set.  It's kind of funny that there's almost no stamping on the card, but still a lot going on.  I'll have to try stamping those gorgeous lavender stems the next time around.

Thanks for stopping in to see what's new.  If you're looking for a demonstrator, I'd love to fill the position.  Don't forget the month of February is almost half over so that means Sale-a-bration is almost over too.  I don't want you to miss out on one of the fun Sale-a-bration items for you to earn free.  If you don't know how that works, feel free to contact me.  I'd love to help.  

Hope you enjoyed and were maybe inspired to give this idea a try.  It was fun creating with all of these purple shades on one card, and I love how they look together here.   Today was definitely a creatively fun day!

Have fun stamping and creating,

Sharon

Diagonal Split Card

Hello my friends on this dreary Sunday afternoon.  It's been so nice lately, well cold but nice anyway.  We've been spending a little time outside looking at all the work that needs to be done in the spring.  I noticed the squirrels have been digging up my iris bulbs, so I don't really know what we have left from all that we planted last year.  I have to say, the squirrels around here are certainly well fed.  They watch for us to put out the seed for the birds and get munching on it before the birds even notice it.  Needless to say, their antics are keeping us entertained.   So, all was that said to let you know I've been slack on getting these posts out lately.  In case you haven't noticed!  😉  Ok, enough with the silliness and on with the card making.  I'm sharing two cards today, because this technique gives you two cards for the time and effort of making only one.  

These two cards are made with the lovely Sale-a-bration freebie - Softly Stippled Designer Series Paper.  I hope you've gotten your hands on this paper because it's gorgeous!  The colors are soft and bright and make up into eye-catching cards.  Let's make these two together.  First I'll share the Wild Wheat card on the right and finish with the Lost Lagoon card on the left.

The card base is Wild Wheat that measures 5 1/2" x 8 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half. Next up are the DSP layers.  I cut two pieces of the stippled blue and green design the same size which is 4" x 5 1/4".  I put them back-to-back for cutting the diagonal piece.  Measure up 2 1/2" from the bottom left.  Cut from that mark to the corner of the bottom right.  Now you have a choice to make - switch the two pieces so you have one floral print and one fairly solid piece in both sizes, or flip the one set over to have the diagonal going in the opposite direction.  I didn't like the combo with the larger solid piece and the floral print smaller piece, so I turned them over and made the other card.

 

The two pieces are attached to the folded card base with "green glue" making sure that the pieces are straight and meet on the cut line.  I thought the design needed more definition to separate the layers, so a 1/4" strip of Pretty Peacock cardstock was attached over the diagonal seam.  This is also put on with "green glue".

The focal point items used for this card were the Perennial Postage stamp set and dies, Stippled Roses stamp and die set, and the Heartfelt Hexagon stamp set for one of the sentiments.

First the postage die was used to cut a Basic White piece.  Then a piece of Pretty Peacock cardstock was cut 2 1/8" x 2 7/8" to closely frame the die-cut.  The sentiment from the Heartfelt Hexagon stamp set was stamped on this with Pretty Peacock ink.  It's positioned a little higher than the middle so there's plenty of room for the rose.

The rose and extra leaves are from the Stippled Roses set.  They're stamped with Pretty Peacock ink onto Basic White cardstock.  I used a Blender Pen to define the rose some in the shadows and to add a bit of Old Olive ink very lightly to the leaves.  I didn't want to lose the Pretty Peacock edges on the leaves.  After stamping they are die-cut with the matching dies in the Bundle.  

The sentiment was attached to the card with Dimensionals.  Then the leaves were attached under the rose with adhesive.  Then the rose was attached to the label with adhesive and a Dimensional was placed under the leaves to hold them up.  The three little sequins are Pretty Peacock color and come from the Adhesive-backed Sequins Trio found in the Annual Catalog.

I made several changes while creating this card.  The card base was changed to Lost Lagoon.  Because I liked the floral print being the larger part of the card front, the diagonal goes in the opposite direction.  The layers were attached the same and the 1/4" strip of Pretty Peacock is the same.

For the focal point, I chose a smaller die from the Perennial Postage die set to fit the sentiment.  The sentiment this time is from the Perennial Postage stamp set.  It's also backed with Pretty Peacock cardstock and stamped to match.

The leaves are cut from both Lost Lagoon and Pretty Peacock cardstock.  The dies are from the Stippled Rose Die set.  These pieces have so much detail on them that they make quite an interesting accent.  The two larger pieces are attached behind the label, with the bitty piece attached on top.  The label is attached to the card using Dimensionals.  

The pretty faceted gems are one of the Sale-a-bration items also, but it's very easy to miss.  I love this soft Pool Party color as an accent on this design, and the facets give the gems a surprising sparkle.  

Hope you enjoy this way of making your Designer Paper really take center stage as the main attraction.  Sometimes these prints are just too pretty to hide behind a lot of layers and doodads.  At least, that's my humble opinion and I'm sticking to it.  

I had fun making these two cards.  It's not quite how I had planned to make the cards.  The second card really should have had the mostly solid print on the top and only the small triangle for the floral print.  After playing around with the design, I'm so happy I flipped it over and went in this direction.  Give this a try with one of your favorite DSP prints and let me know how it worked out for you.

The month of February is almost half over already.  Where does the time go?  If you've still got plans to get some of those Sale-a-bration items, don't put it off and get disappointed.  

Thanks for stopping in and sharing your time with me.  It's always wonderful to read any comment you might want to leave for me.  I love hearing from you.  Hope your Valentine cards are all made and in the mail.  Hope all my cards arrive in time so you know I'm thinking of you!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Gorgeous Garden and Bird Card

Hello, hello!  What a fabulous day today!  We had so much fun last night at "Groovy Grans".  Last night, I helped twenty-some ladies make the Valentine cards for the shut-ins from church.  Everything was cut, punched, stamped, and ready to put together.  Most of the ladies had never put a card together or even knew how to use a tape-runner or Dimensionals.  Oh boy!  The whole experience was interesting to say the least.  But everyone had fun and the cards were all made, signed, and in their envelopes by the time we were finished.  Many of them said how much fun it was, and they'd like to do this again some time.  What a wonderful feeling it is to introduce friends to the magical art of turning plain paper into beautiful cards!  

Anyway, let's get back to today's card.  Yesterday I shared the framed window card that has a die-cut window.  So, what do you do with those pieces you cut out?  There is absolutely nothing wrong with them.  In fact, they are wonderful labels that need a little love and should be used for something special.  Here's what I did with yesterday's leftovers.

Here's the finished card.  I think the softer Bubble Bath, purples, and greens on the card make a striking contrast to the Blueberry Bushel card base.  The look of this card just perks me right up.  To make this card, start with a piece of Blueberry Bushel cardstock that measures 5 1/2" x 8 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half. 

 A quarter sheet of Basic White cardstock was die-cut with the Gorgeous Garden dies.  After cutting, a small amount was trimmed from each side so the frame looks equal on all four sides.  The top and bottom go right out to the edges of the card.  Small amounts of "green" glue were used to attach this to the card base.

Now we come to those labels that were leftover.  These come from the Scalloped Contours Die set.  The Bubble Bath label has the sentiment stamped on it using Blueberry Bushel ink.  This sentiment comes from the Softly Sophisticated stamp set that is one of the Sale-a-bration items.  Love, love, love this set!  This layer is attached to the Basic White layer with adhesive.

The bird is from the Flight & Airy Designer Series Paper that is a Sale-a-bration item too.  These little birds are all adorable.  One of the pieces of the DSP is covered with water-colored birds like this one.  There isn't a die for them, but they're easy to fussy cut.  I sat down and cut one full sheet of birds so now I have a whole pile of birds to choose from when I need an accent.  I thought this little guy's coloring went perfectly with the Bubble Bath and Blueberry Bushel used on the card.

Here's where it gets a little confusing.  Right now, SU! is offering for purchase an add-on die set if you're a Paper Pumpkin subscriber.  This die set is such a perfect little set.  The word 'love' is one of the pieces, and these leafy branches is another die.  There is also a label and a daffodil in the set.  Just perfect for spring.  If you're thinking on trying a Paper Pumpkin kit for spring, now is the time to sign up for it.  And then you can purchase this little add-on set too.  

I die-cut two branches from Soft Sea Foam and one from Shaded Spruce cardstock.  The light green was just too light for me.  So with a Blending Brush, a little bit of Shaded Spruce ink was added to the tips of the leaves to add some extra color.

The branches were arranged on the label and then attached with adhesive.  The bird was attached with several Dimensionals.  Then the labels were attached to the card front with more Dimensionals.

For added bling to really make this card pop, three of the Iridescent Basic Jewels were added.  These are found in the Annual Catalog on page 140.  These rhinestones tend to pick up any color you're using and really draws your eye in to the design.

The inside of the card is finished off with a layer of Basic White that measures 5 1/4" X 4".  The sentiment is another from the Softly Sophisticated stamp set.  It's stamped with Blueberry Bushel ink.

The little flowers at the bottom of the page are a two-step flower from the same set.  The greenery is stamped with Soft Sea Foam ink and the flowers are tucked in and stamped with Bubble Bath ink.

That's it for this sweet card.  I was really happy with how the mix of colors turned out together.  It's funny how I can try several colors and they just don't really catch my eye.  Then I run across a color that just sings to me.  I love stamping and creating.  Most times I have an idea of what I'm making when I sit down to stamp.  Sometimes I follow directions to a T and know exactly what I'm getting in the end.  Other times, hmmm.  Well, let's just say by the time it's finished most of the idea was thrown out the window and I have something so much better.  I think the whole creative process is so much fun.  You never know just what the finished card will be!

Thanks for reading through my rambling today.  I should blame it all on the sunshine - I want to be putzing outside!  Hope you have a glorious day and find some time to be creative!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Framed Open Window Card

Hello there.  Last week a friend asked me to explain how to do a Framed Open Window card.  After trying to explain it, I figured it would be easier to actually make the cuts for the card and text her the pictures.  That was fine, but I had this card base ready to go and it was just sitting there.  So, today was the day I finished up the card.  I figured I might as well post it in case anyone else doesn't know how to make it.  There are probably other ways to make this, but this is what I have found to work.  Hope it all makes sense to you.

This is where I start making the Framed Open Window card.  This measures 4" x 5 1/4" on the outside edge.  The inner part is die-cut with the 2nd largest die from the Scalloped Contours Die set.  Carefully center this on the layer before cutting.  I used two small pieces of washi tape to hold the die in place.  After die-cutting, the piece was embossed with the Softly Sophisticated Embossing Folder which is part of a free Sale-a-bration item.  I love the delicate design on this embossing folder and have used it very often already.

The next step is to place the die-cut layer onto the folded card base.  For this I used Bubble Bath cardstock.  It's already folded so I have the parameters for placing the white layer.  The 3rd largest Scalloped Contours die is placed inside the window and centered inside the white piece.  This die was also tacked down with washi tape to hold it in place while cutting.

TIP:  Sometimes washi tape can be too sticky to remove easily after using.  To help this, I usually tack it to my jeans 2-3 times to lessen the stickiness.  This helps when removing the tape, so it doesn't rip the cardstock.

After all the die-cutting and embossing is finished, the layer was attached to the Bubble Bath card front using "green" glue.

For finishing my card, I used the Darling Details Bundle found on page 68 in the Annual Catalog.  The large fluffy flower and the daisy-style flower were both stamped with Bubble Bath ink.  First the detailed layer was stamped with the ink full-strength.  Then the solid layer was off-stamped before stamping it over the flower details.  The leaves were stamped with Lost Lagoon ink.  The three-leaf cluster solid stamp was off-stamped first, then the veining was stamped full strength over this.

The tiny flowers which are also part of the set were stamped with Boho Blue and Berry Burst inks.  These colors were off-stamped to keep them a lighter tone to blend with the rest of the card.  Everything was die-cut with the matching dies in the bundle.  

All of the flowers and leaves are positioned on the rim of the opening.  The two larger flowers are attached first using Dimensionals in the center of each flower.  The single leaf is cut apart from the other two.  They are tucked in under the flowers.  The little flowers are tucked around the arrangement and attached with Mini Glue Dots.  

The inside of the card has a 4" x 5 1/4" layer of Basic White cardstock.  The sentiment from the Courage & Faith stamp set was stamped inside the window using Basic Gray ink.

The butterfly comes from the Paper Butterfly Accents in the Mini Catalog.  These are so pretty by themselves, but I decided to add a little color to the outer edges of the wings.  Using a Blender Brush and Berry Burst ink, the color is added very lightly and built up to the intensity that I wanted.  The center stayed white.  It was added to the card front using two Mini Glue Dots in the center.

For the finishing touches, the Iridescent Pearl Basic Jewels were tucked around the floral accent.  Three extra pearls were added to define the butterfly body.  

So, I still have the cut-out pieces from this card.  That will have to be the next project on my to-do list.  Still thinking on what I should make using those pieces.  

Don't forget about all the offerings available now for Sale-a-bration.  Time is fleeting and you don't want to miss out on those fabulous choices.  I've been loving both the Flight & Airy DSP and the Softly Sophisticated stamp and embossing folder bundle.  I tend to grab both of those often when the creating bug hits.  Both are turning into must-have items for me.

Thanks for hanging out with me today.  If you haven't made one of these cards before, you should give this a try.  You can use any shape of die for the window, as long as there are two consecutive sizes that work together.  A really good set of dies for this type of card would be the Stylish Shapes Dies.  Let me know if you try these.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Simply Elegant Card

Hello friends!  Here we are in February and it's already sneaking on by.  I need to slow things down somehow so I can catch up.  It's a gorgeous day and we had the grandsons overnight.  Such fun playing UNO and dominoes with them.   Lots of silliness!  Before they came over yesterday, I was working on another card that could be a Valentine, or wedding/anniversary card.  I think it turned out really nice and elegant looking.  I hope you like this card and give it a try.  Believe me, it's very simple to make but packs a nice wow.

I think Very Vanilla always looks more elegant on cards, but that's my humble opinion.  So that was the starting place.  The card base is Very Vanilla that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  This is scored and folded in half.  Another piece of Very Vanilla was cut at 4" x 5 1/4".  To give this layer some texture and interest, it is embossed with the Countryside Blossoms Embossing Folder.  I tried to keep the central flower right in the center of the piece.

After embossing, I die-cut the heart out from the center using large heart from the Hooray for Suprises Bundle (pg 36 in Mini Cat).  This open-work die was perfect for seeing where to line up the embossed design inside the heart.

Next, I took a 6 1/2" length of the Gold & Vanilla 3/8" Ribbon and laid this across the front of the card and attached the ends in the back.  This makes the ribbon go across the cut-out heart shape, but it'll be hidden behind the heart.

The entire layer was attached to the folded card base using "green glue".  I wanted to make sure the layer and ribbon stayed in place.  The die-cut heart was centered over the hole and attached with several Dimensionals.  A length of the same ribbon was tied into a small bow then attached right next to the heart using a couple of Mini Glue Dots.  

Lastly was making the sentiment.  The love comes from a Paper Pumpkin add-on called The Love of Spring.  If you're a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, you can order this right now.  If you'd like to become a subscriber even for only a month so you can get this die set, I can help you with that.  Or there is a section on the Online Store where you can sign up.  Gotta tell you, I love this little die set and will probably use it often.

I die-cut the sentiment from a specialty paper called More Dazzle.  This can be found in the Annual Catalog on page 127.  The sparkle of this paper makes a lovely accent.   After die-cutting, I just peeled the backing and attached it to the card.  Easy Peasy!  

Can you believe that's all it takes to make this 'love'-ly card?  It really doesn't get much simpler than this.  Plus, you're getting this elegant card when you're done.  

Hope you liked this simply elegant card today.  Let me know if you try making this either as is or with your own special twist to it.  I love to hear from you!

Just a reminder about the added items available during Sale-a-bration.  If you haven't seen them yet, go to the previous post for the listing. Time is running out, but I bet you already know that.  Let me know if you need help with anything.  I'd be pleased to help you out.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

More, More, and Even More!

Hello my friends.  Great news today.   I mentioned that Stampin'Up! was going to make changes to the Sale-a-bration free items and did they ever!  There are 10 more items added to the list for you to choose!  Check it out down below.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me through email at sharoncarr50@gmail.com.  Or you can text me at 313-407-0750.  Please don't call as I don't answer any calls that I don't know the number because we've been totally inundated with spam calls lately!  Thank you!  Have fun shopping...