Country Flowers with New In Colors

Hello there.  Today's card is all about the new colors available in the new catalog.  I can hardly wait for tomorrow so I can place an order for some stamps that demonstrators could Not order yet.  How exciting!  I totally love the new In Colors this time around - Peach Pie, Pretty in Pink, Petunia Pop, Summer Splash, and Shy Shamrock.  They are all lovely and it was hard to decide what to create with first.  One of the items we could order is the Unbounded Beauty Designer Series Paper.  Just gorgeous!  So I picked a design I loved from the DSP and built my card around it.

Aren't these new colors just fabulous?  I couldn't wait to get creative with them.  This is the first card using these new colors, but it certainly won't be the last one.

Start with the new Petunia Pop for the card base.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.  The Basic White layer really makes the DSP pop.  It measures 5 1/4" x 4" with the DSP layer measuring 5 1/8" x 3 7/8".  They're attached together with adhesive.  

Before attaching this to the card front, a 6-7" piece of the new Summer Splash 3/8" Bordered Ribbon is wrapped around the front and attached with adhesive to the back.  The placement of the ribbon is about 1/3 from the left edge.  This is all attached to the card base using Dimensionals.

The Basic White background label is cut with the Thoughtful Expressions die set.  There is a Summer Splash background added using a Blending Brush and lightly adding color to the center of the label.

The images are from the new Country Flowers Bundle.  To keep the colors softer, both the teapot and the flower images were stamped with Smoky Slate ink.  Stampin' Blends are used to color the images - Smoky Slate Light & Dark for the teapot, Summer Splash Light & Dark for the leaves, Petunia Pop for the tiny flowers.  The roses were a little trickier for me.  I wanted to color them with Pretty in Pink because there were small splotches of the color on the DSP.  But when I did, overall it didn't work out.  So over the pink, I added first Bubble Bath Blends, then very light touches of the Petunia Pop Light Blends.  It's amazing to me that I could layer up color on top of color and the cardstock didn't get messed up with all the coloring.  When I do this again, I might start with Bubble Bath and add the Petunia Pop to that and save myself from all the mixing of color layers.

Both the teapot and florals were die cut using the matching dies then added to the white layer with  Dimensionals.  Dimensionals were also used to attach the white layer over the ribbon and DSP.

Lastly, I wanted to add a sentiment.  This one is from the Wonderful Thoughts stamp set.  It's stamped with Petunia Pop ink onto Basic White cardstock.  It's die-cut with the matching dies.  To attach this to the card, the right side has a Dimensionals under it and the left side has a bit of adhesive.  This helps it lay flat on the card.

The last little bit needed to finish the card is the embellishments.  What would a card be without a touch of bling to make it happy.    These pinkish sequins are from the Adhesive-backed Sequins Trio.  With the iridescent finish on these they blend so well with multiple shades of pink.  I'm so happy they are carrying over to the new catalog.  They are one of my favorite embellishments.

I just wanted to share one more picture showing off these gorgeous new colors.  You'll probably get sick seeing these colors on my blog so often.  I'll make sure I play with all my other colors too.  Don't want them to feel abandoned!  LOL

Tomorrow, May 1st is the big day for being able to order from the new catalog.  Are you ready?  If you need any help with anything, please reach out to me.  I'm here to help.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

More Translucent Florals

 Hello friends!  What a glorious day it is outside.  Blue skies with puffy white clouds, lots of sunshine, and warm weather too.  What the heck am I doing inside?  Well, I figured it had been a while since my last post, so here I am.  I was so happy to see that the Translucent Florals stamp set and matching dies will be in the new Annual Catalog.  But the pretty designer paper that matches it will not.  So, I have this last little hurrah for the DSP to share with you.

Besides being beautiful, one of the things I liked about the paper was that some of the flowers could easily be die cut for a quick card.  This card has both a die-cut paper flower and one that I stamped to use.  I think they blended well together to give me a fuller look.  (I was running out of flowers to cut from the DSP!)

I started with a Basic White cardstock base that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.  The DSP print piece measures 5" x 3 3/4".  It's attached to a Berry Burst cardstock piece that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  They are attached together with adhesive.  Then they're attached to the card base using Dimensionals.

The Blackberry Bliss flower along with the two leaves are from the DSP.  They're cut with the matching die.  The Berry Burst flower is stamped on Basic White and die-cut.  There are two single leaves and one double leaf set that are stamped onto Basic White cardstock.  All of the leaves are a mix of Granny Apple Green and Shaded Spruce inks.  The stamps were inked with the Granny Apple Green and then rolled gently on one edge into the Shaded Spruce ink.  This gives you the two colors that blended into each other.

The little open-work flower stems are a die-cut from the Darling Details set of dies.  I used the Soft Shimmer Specialty Paper Combo Pack.  This is in the retiring catalog, but I just checked and it's still available.  Two of the stems were die-cut from the Berry Burst color of glimmer paper, but only one of the Bubble Bath color.  The Bubble Bath stem was cut in two to make two small accents.

One more punched accent was added to the mix.  The Bough Punch was used to punch three of the flower bud stems.  For this I used Shaded Spruce cardstock.

The sentiment is from the Softly Sophisticated stamp set from Sale-a-bration.  I really like these sentiments, so I'm still using them even though they're not available.  The die used to cut the Basic White label is from the Thoughtful Expressions die set.  The sentiment is stamped on this with Gray Granite ink.

After all the pieces were ready to put together, I played around with the pieces to get something that was pleasing to me.  Both of the flowers and the sentiment are all attached with Dimensionals.  The extra leaves, flower bud stems, and shimmer flower stems were all tucked in around this and attached with adhesive.  

As a final accent to the card, I added three of the Glossy Dots in the Melon Mambo color to the design.  

There you have today's card idea.  I love the small floral print on the DSP as an accent for the larger flowers in the focal images.  I wish more of these items were carrying over to the new catalog, but I'm sure I'll find comparable new items to choose instead.  Hope you like this idea with so many old products that were used.  If you check your stash, you probably have most if not all of these items.  Yes, it's time to get them out and play with them while you still remember you have them!  If you're like me, you tend to play with the new goodies and forget about the good old standbys that were your favorites.  Next post, we'll go totally new - new colors, stamps & dies, embellishments.  What fun!  It's interesting getting the feel for new colors and stamps.  Come back and see what I've been playing with!  You'll be able to order from the new Annual Catalog on May 1st!  Are you ready??

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Window-Style Card Collection

Hello my stamping friends!  Hope you're enjoying your spring and getting a few things done outside.  I guess the outdoor vistas inspired me to make this series of cards.  My sister, Connie, also shared a couple of window-style cards with me a couple weeks ago when I saw her.  That was my starting place, but you'd never know it from the looks of my cards compared to hers.  Anyway, I have five cards to share with you today.  They all have the same premise of looking through a window to the great outdoors. 

This is the collection that I ended up making.  As you can see, there are lots of different colors used and several sets of dies used too.  Four of the cards use the Meandering Meadow DSP but one uses the new Thoughtful Journey DSP that is coming in the new Annual Catalog.  Both of these paper sets have the most gorgeous water-color style of designs you can imagine.  I love them!  And they are so easy to use to create interesting cards for any occasion.

The first card I'm sharing is the last card I made.  It uses the new Thoughtful Journey DSP along with the Everyday Details Dies.  To make the card, start with a card base of Mossy Meadow cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.

Next comes a layer of Basic Beige cardstock.  What?  Yes, this is the newest color that's now part of the neutral basics line-up.  Love this color!  (You can order this May 1st).  This layer measures 5 1/4" x 4".  The largest Everyday Details die is used to cut a window on the left side of this layer.  Don't you love the dotted frame around the window?  Of course, keep the cutout piece for use another time.

The DSP is a piece of 6" x 6" that is cut in half.  The top and bottom of this piece is trimmed a little to hide behind the Basic Beige layer.  It's attached behind the window area with adhesive.  

I left a little extra room on the right side of the beige layer to add a ribbon accent.  After trying several different ribbons, I came across an Old Olive twine that seemed to be the perfect accent.  It's wrapped around twice and tied into a bow.  After this is added, the layers are attached to the center of the card front using Dimensionals.

The sentiment is from the Perennial Postage set.  It's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black onto a 5/8" strip of Basic Beige cardstock.  After trimming the ends to fit, a little bit of Mossy Meadow ink is added to the edges of this using a Blending Brush.  The sentiment is attached to the card front using Dimensionals.  

Ok, that's the last card of the batch that I made and it's also the most involved.  Let's move on to the rest of the collection of cards to see what catches your fancy.

I was looking to make several get well type of cards.  Seems like there are a lot of surgeries going on among my friends, so I was looking for something bright and cheerful.  This is a cheerful and super quick card to make.  

Start with a card base of Daffodil Delight.  A layer of Garden Green cardstock is cut to 4 3/4" x 3 1/2". Next a layer is cut with the Deckled Rectangle dies from the Meandering Meadows DSP.  This piece measures just under 3" wide, so you can get two of these from one piece of DSP.  The print is attached to the green layer with adhesive.  Then this is attached to the folded card base using Dimensionals.

The sentiment is from the new Unbounded Love stamp set.  It was a perfect sentiment for the card.  It's stamped with Garden Green ink onto a 1/2" strip of Basic White cardstock.  The end is trimmed with the Banners Pick a Punch.  Then it's attached with Mini Dimenisonals.  To finish, three dragonflies from the Birds and Dragonflies accents that are an Online Exclusive item were added.  Thought they looked nice with the scenery.

This next card uses the other half on the DSP sheet from the last card.  The card base for this one is Crushed Curry.  There is a layer of Basic White next that measures 5 1/8" x 3 7/8".  The largest square die from the Stylish Shapes die set is used to cut a window this time.  The DSP is trimmed to fit top and bottom of the card, then attached behind the window with adhesive.

The sentiment for this card uses one from Perennial Postage stamp set.  It's stamped with Garden Green ink onto the bottom area.   

The accents on the card are Brushed Brass Butterflies that will still be available in the new Annual Catalog.  There is also a double piece of twine tied into a bow added to the corner of the design.  The color is Cherry Cobbler and was retired several years ago.  I liked how it picked up the color of the reddish flowers.

This card uses another of the Meandering Meadows prints.  It's cut with one of the Everyday Details Dies that shows all the dots around the print as an accent.  

The card base is Starry Sky cardstock that is retiring soon.  This is the only card that has a landscape fold.  The layer used on it is Bubble Bath.  The sentiment from Unbounded Love is used again on the card.  It's stamped with Starry Sky ink.

The DSP layer is attached with Dimensionals.  This makes the die-cut edge show up nicely.  The bow is made from Bubble Bath ribbon from the Sheer Ribbon Combo Pack.  It's attached with two Mini Glue Dots.

The last card uses the back-side of the previous card's print.  The card base is Blueberry Bushel this time.  There is a layer of Basic White that I used the new Eyelet 3D Embossing Folder.  I think this is a pretty background texture that will be very versatile.  The rectangle window is cut with one of the Everday Details dies.  The DSP is attached behind this using adhesive.  I have to admit, once I got the DSP trimmed to fit, I wasn't sure which side was up anymore.  So, if it doesn't look right to you, it's all my fault!

Before attaching the layer to the card base, the same Bubble Bath ribbon was used to wrap around the side of the layer and tied into a knot.  Then the layer was attached with Dimensionals. 

The sentiment is from the Perennial Postage set again.  It's stamped with Blueberry Bushel ink onto a Basic White piece.  It's die-cut with the smallest rectangle die from the Everyday Details dies.  It's attached with Dimensionals.

And that's it.  Five cards using the same window style layout with a scenery print DSP with it.  I needed a number of get-well cards, and I think these cards will fit nicely.  As I made each card, I was thinking about the person it's going to and trying to fit their style with the cards I made.  I hope the cards will underscore that I care about each person and hope things improve for them.  It's a perk to be able to make similar cards but tailor them to fit each person.  That's one of the things I love about stamping and card making!

Are you watching the calendar?  It's just about time for the new Annual Catalog to be available.  I still have a few things (lol) I'd like to get.  I've been working on my wish list.  Have you?

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon 

Easy Collage Cards X 2

Hello Friends!  Hope you're doing great today.  I've been planning possible card ideas for the shut-ins at church for the month of May.  I haven't made a collage card in ages, so I thought it would be a great idea.  I ended up making two of them using a different color palette and different stamps too.  Which one do you like better?

We'll start with the blue card first.  The card base is Basic White cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half to make a basic card base.  The piece of Basic White cardstock that will be stamped on is cut to 3" x 4 1/4".  

The stamps used for this collage are from three different sets.  I was just looking for collage items that would work together.  The leaves are from the Botanical Layers set and are stamped with Crumb Cake ink.  There were four partial leaf stems stamped in different directions on the white.

The second stamp used is the daisy cluster from the Cheerful Daisies set.  It's stamped in Boho Blue ink that has been off-stamped at least once.  So there are some second and third generation stamping to get a variety of colors.

After the blue was added, I went back to the Crumb Cake and the grid stamp from the Notes of Nature stamp set.  This was partially stamped about five times so the grid shows up in multiple areas.

Next the Boho Blue cardstock layer to frame the collage was cut.  It measures 3 1/4" x 4 1/2".  The collage layer is attached to the blue layer using adhesive.  Then it's all attached to the folded card base using adhesive.

The sentiment is from the Quiet Meadow stamp set.  It's stamped on a 1/2" x 2 1/2" strip of Basic White using Boho Blue ink.  It's layered onto a 1" x 3 1/2" piece of Boho Blue cardstock using adhesive.  Then it's popped up with Dimensionals to the right side of the card front.

The final touch for this card is the addition of the blue dots from the 2023-2025 In Color Dots.  I think they make the perfect accent for the card.

On to the second card.  I haven't used Moody Mauve much in my creating even though I really like the color.  So today was the day to get it out and play with it.

The measurements for the Basic White card base and collage layer are the same as the first card.  The stamps used are different though.  The leaves from the Inked & Tiled stamp set were used to stamp four - five leaves with Crumb Cake ink.

The double flowers from the same Inked & Tiled set were used with Moody Mauve ink.  These are also off-stamped, so we have second and third generation stamping again to get the color variations.

The extra stamping on the background is from the Notes of Nature set stamped with Crumb Cake ink.  There are about five of these stamped to fill in open areas.

The collage layer is then attached to the 3 1/4" x 4 1/2" Moody Mauve layer using adhesive.  Then it's attached to the folded Basic White card base using adhesive.  (you could use Dimensionals if you want this popped up, but I didn't)

The sentiment is also from the Inked & Tiled set.  It's stamped with Crumb Cake this time, though I might switch it out to Moody Mauve later.  I think the Crumb Cake might be just a little too pale to show up easily for the people who receive my cards.  The sentiment is attached to a 3/4" x 3" strip of Moody Mauve.  Then it's attached to the card front with Dimensionals.

The gems on this card are from the Tinsel Gems 4 Pack.  They are supposed to match with Berry Burst, but I love how they look here.  They have just a little bit of sparkle added to make them stand out.

There you go, two cards made with a collage technique that is quick and easy to accomplish when you're short on time but want something interesting to send.  Just check in your stamp stash to find some images that work well together and have fun!  Let me know what you make with this technique.  So, have you decided which one you prefer?  Boho Blue or Moody Mauve?  Try either one (or both!) or make up your own combo using your favorite colors.

Thanks for stamping with me.  Hope you're inspired to get out your stamps and create something wonderful today.  Have you gotten all of the retiring items on your list before they are gone?  Time is running out for this.  Of course, that means it's almost time for the new catalog! Yay!!  Ordering from the new Annual Catalog begins May 1st!!  Get your wish list ready and start dreaming about what projects you want to make.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Thoughtful Expressions Card

Hello there!  Hope you had a lovely weekend.  We had fabulous weather while visiting in North Carolina and came home to hot weather here too.  These jumps in temperatures and heavy pollen count are really playing havoc with my allergies and sinus issues.  Whew - drippy eyes and noses just aren't a whole lot of fun. So, what can a person do?  Today it was stay inside and create another card.  The colors aren't really my usual style, but I'm trying to expand my creative horizons and use brighter colors.  I used one of the awesome dies in the Everyday Details set for the focal part of the card.  I love those circles with the dot cut-outs surrounding them.  So different and very interesting in my opinion.

Granny Apple Green and Calypso Coral together are usually a little bright for my taste, but I think they work well together here and create a nice, cheery combination.  I wanted this card to have the look of summer, and I think I succeeded.

The card starts with a base of Granny Apple Green cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  This is scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.

Next is a layer of 5 1/4" x 4" of Calypso Coral cardstock.  Attached to this is a 5" x 3 3/4" piece of the Delightful Floral Designer Series Paper.  This is a water-color wash type of print and so versatile.  The variations of greens on this print are a perfect backdrop for any type of florals, and I thought it would be great for this card.

A retired ribbon in Lemon Lime Twist color was wrapped around the two pieces and tied in a loose knot to the right side.  Then these layers were attached to the card base using a number of Dimensionals.

The Basic White cardstock piece was die-cut with the largest circle die in the Everyday Details Die set.  Doesn't the open-work design really stand out nicely?  I love it!  Two stamps from the Thoughtful Expressions stamp set were stamped onto the Basic White circle.  The sentiment was stamped across the top with Basic Gray ink.  The floral image was stamped to the left and curving around the bottom of the circle.  It is also stamped with Basic Gray ink to give both the image and sentiment a softer look.

Stampin' Blends were used to color in the images:

Flowers - Flirty Flamingo Light and Dark colored on first with a bit of Calypso Coral Light over this to deepen the flower color

Centers - Lemon Lolly Light and Dark

Large Leaves - Granny Apple Green Light and Dark

Small Leaves - Lemon Lime Twist Light and Dark

The stamped circle was added to the card front by using Dimensionals.  Make sure the ribbon knot snugs up next to the edge of the circle.

Three of the Parakeet Party 2022-2024 In Color Pearls were added to the card.  I love how they blend in nicely with the other greens used here.  (They are retiring at the end of the month, so order them now if you want them.)

Two butterflies from the Painted Lavender stamp set were stamped with Calypso Coral ink onto a Basic White scrap.  They are die-cut using the matching die in the Perennial Lavender bundle.  The tiny one is attached with a Mini Glue Dot.  The larger butterfly is attached with a half of a Mini Dimensional to fit underneath it without showing.

This will make a very general style of card that fits many occasions.  And of course, you can change colors on the design to fit your desires.

Thank you for visiting my blog post today.  I'm so happy when you stop by.  Feel free to leave me a message and let me know what you think about my projects.  I love to get feedback.  It always helps me to improve my card designs.

Have you had a chance to peruse the new Annual Catalog?   Oh, my, the wonderful goodies that are in there!  My wish list is growing every time I look through there.  If you haven't yet received your catalog from me, please contact me and I'll get one out to you asap.  Ordering from the new Annual Catalog starts May 1st.  If you'd like to order but you need help, get in touch with me and I'd be happy to help any way I can.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

sharoncarr50@gmail.com

A Garden of Zinnias

Hi Friends!  I've just spent a good number of hours playing around with zinnias.  It's been raining here again so that means everything is gray and dreary.  So, what could cheer me up?  Some bright and happy zinnias that I can 'plant' on cards, not outside in the dirt.   I started out with a basic layout and made five cards with that layout but using different color combos.  I'm so happy with my latest 'garden' I want to share it with you.  Each card is slightly different, so I'll share each one individually.  Hope you enjoy them.

Card Base - Melon Mambo

Layers - Basic White and Flowering Zinnias DSP

Stamps - Simply Zinnias and Go to Greetings

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black and Melon Mambo

Dies - Scalloped Contours for white layer

Colors for flower layers - Calypso Coral, Berry Burst, Melon Mambo, and Calypso Coral that has Melon Mambo ink sponged on the outer petals, Pumpkin Pie, and Daffodil Delight.  Garden Green and Old Olive for stem and leaves

Embellishment - Adhesive-backed Shiny Sequins

Punch - Banners Pick a Punch

Card Base - Daffodil Delight

Layers - Basic White and Flowering Zinnias DSP

Stamps - Simply Zinnias and Go to Greetings

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Dies - Deckled Rectangle Dies

Embossing Folder - Basics 3 D

Colors for flower layers - Pumpkin Pie, Copper Clay, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Copper Clay, and Pumpkin Pie.  Garden Green and Old Olive for stem and leaves.

Embellishment - Adhesive-backed Shiny Sequins

Punch - Banners Pick a Punch

Card Base - Melon Mambo

Layers - Basic White and Flowering Zinnias DSP

Stamps - Simply Zinnias and Go to Greetings

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Dies - Deckled Rectangles Dies

Embossing Folder - Zinnia 3D

Colors for flower layers - Melon Mambo, Melon Mambo with ink sponged on petal tips, Berry Burst, Calypso Coral, and Pumpkin Pie.  Garden green for stem and leaves.

Embellishment - 2022-2024 In Color Pearls

Punch - Banners Pick a Punch

Card Base - Daffodil Delight

Layers - Basic White and Flowering Zinnias DSP

Stamps - Simply Zinnias and Go to Greetings

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Dies - Deckled Rectangles Dies

Embossing Folder - Basic 3D

Colors for flower layers - Crushed Curry, Crushed Curry, Lemon Lolly, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Lemon Lolly.  Garden Green for stem and Old Olive for leaves.

Embellishment - Adhesive-backed Shiny Sequins

Punch - Banners Pick a Punch

Card Base - Lemon Lime Twist

Layers - Basic White and Flowering Zinnias DSP

Stamps - Simply Zinnias and Go to Greetings

Ink - Melon Mambo

Dies - Deckled Rectangle and Stitched Whimsy

Embossing Folder - Softly Sophisticated (SAB)

Colors for flower layers - Pumpkin Pie, Flirty Flamingo with a touch of Melon Mambo ink sponged on petal tips, Pumpkin Pie, Flirty Flamingo, Copper Clay, Pumpkin Pie, and Lemon Lolly.  Lemon Lime Twist for stem and leaves.

Embellishment - 2022-2024 In Color Pearls

Close up on the first card.  You can see where some sponging was added to the petals on some flowers, but not all of them.  

A bone folder was used to curl the petals before the layers were put together.  This gives the flowers so much depth.

Dimensionals were added to each card, but not on the same layers of all the cards.  But each of the sentiment banners were attached with Dimensionals.  I also found I like the flower centers popped up with a Dimensional.

I used the zinnia stamp and a coordinating color of ink to stamp in the bottom corner on the Basic White layer on the inside of each card to finish them off.

One last picture of all the cards together.  Even though they are all made in the same fashion, because of the different colors used for the petals each one is unique.  This was really fun.  You should have seen the piles of different color flowers all die-cut and ready to create my garden.  If you want to spend some happy time, just grab a handful of different color cardstock and start die-cutting layers.  Then keep layering them together until you get flowers that make you happy. 

Hope you've gotten the items you've been wanting from the retiring list.  Items are going fast, and some are sold out already.  They will no longer be available after the end of April.  And then May 1st the new annual catalog goes live!!  Yah!  If you haven't gotten your catalog from me yet, please get in touch and I'll send one out to you.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

When Is Enough, Enough?

Hey there.  That is my conundrum today.  Well, the question really started yesterday.  I made a card that I'd been thinking about since I ordered the Painted Lavender stamp set.  I was really happy with the outcome of the idea.  But the more I looked at it, I felt it needed just a tiny touch of Berry Burst added to really make it stand out.  And that's where enough turned into I did too much.  Let me show you what I mean.

I should have taken pictures before the tweaking, so you could see it really needed just a bit more color.  Instead, I only have the frustrating 'after' pictures. 

To make the card, I started by cutting the focal image layers first.  These pieces are Basic White cardstock cut with the Deckled Rectangles for the frame.  The 3rd largest and 5th largest dies were used.  A small bit of washi tape held the dies in place to cut the frame evenly.  Another piece of Basic White was cut that measures 4 1/4" x 3".  This goes behind the frame and is where the garden scene was stamped.

I love adding a soft color in the background using the Blending Brushes.  My plan was to add Balmy Blue and Garden Green for the sky and ground.  The colors are darker in the top and bottom and very pale in the center.  

The 'grassy looking' stamp was stamped with Garden Green ink across the bottom of the piece.  Each time the stamp was inked, I stamped twice to get variations of green.

The tiny stamp with 3 stems of flowers was stamped the same way with Highland Heather then some Gorgeous Grape on top of that.  The edges of this piece were trimmed slightly to easily fit behind the frame.  The edges were glued to hold in place.

The base of the card is Soft Sea Foam cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half to make a landscape card.

The sentiment is from the new Simply Zinnia set that is an Online Exclusive item.  I think the sentiment fit nicely with the images here.  It was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink near the bottom of the card front making sure there's plenty of room to add the stamped lavender and frame.  Then the layers were added to the card front using Dimensionals.

The Painted Lavender dies have a leaf spray that was the perfect size.  It's cut from Garden Green cardstock.  I had three little flowers from the set left over already stamped and die-cut from a previous project.  They are a mix of Berry Burst and Gorgeous Grape.  These were added to the card front with Mini Glue Dots.  

The butterflies are from the Painted Lavender set.  They were stamped with Daffodil Delight ink with a bit of Basic Black marker added to the bodies.  Then they were die-cut with the matching dies.  The tiny one was attached with a Mini Glue Dot, but the full butterfly has a Mini Dimensional in the center.  

After looking at the finished card, I knew it needed just a few of the flower stems stamped in Berry Burst to match the flowers on the accent stem.  This is where I really messed up.  Have you noticed my mistakes all along?  I should have masked off the frame, but I didn't.  It never crossed my mind that I'd mess up the pristine white, but I truly did in grand fashion.  I love the added color, but what a mess.  I didn't even realize I did it until I was looking at the pictures and adding the copyright tags on the computer.  So, I tried to take it all apart to make a new frame and it sort of ripped a little.   Oops.  So now I have to either sit down and remake most of the card or pitch it. 

So, when is enough, enough?  Before I added the Berry Burst flowers without masking?  Or when I decided to take it apart and fix it?  My advice is to NOT do what I did!!  😂😏

Other than my mistakes, I hope you liked this idea.  Yes, I will make another card like this sometime because I like the overall idea.  But not today.  I've got other cards I need to make and get into the mail.  Thanks for taking time out of your day to share my tale of woes.  Thank goodness I don't always mess up this badly.  Hopefully the next card creation will come together without all these problems.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

A Little Latte Love

Hello Friends,  It's time for me to get creating cards for the shut-ins for the month of April.  Instead of making mostly one or two designs, this month it's going to be a hodge podge of different ideas.  Today I worked on five cards for the men.  Didn't want to do frilly flowers for them, so the Latte Love set said I needed to send them some coffee cards.  I started with one idea, and that morphed into using a different DSP and some extra small changes.  So, among the five cards, I don't think there are two quite alike.  Sometimes I just can't help myself from tweaking a little here and there as I go.  Do you have that problem too?  Anyway, here are the five cards I ended up with...

I stuck with mostly Misty Moonlight and Boho Blue for the overall cards.  The background layering papers are from the Poetic Expressions Designer Series Paper.  And the bundle used on each card was Latte Love.  That's the bare bones of what was used, but I'll share with you a little more in-depth as we go on.

East card has a base that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  This is scored and folded in half.  The first card uses Misty Moonlight for its base color.  The Victorian style print background is cut to measure 5 1/4" x 4".  It's attached to the card base by using adhesive.

My idea was to make it look like the cups are sitting on a table waiting for someone to sit down and join me in a cup of coffee or tea.  I used the Basic Borders die set to cut a pretty edge on the "tablecloth".  I used approximately a 1 1/4" - 1 1/2" strip wide and about 4 1/4" long.  The die was kept right near the bottom edge so it didn't cut off too much.  

After cutting the edge to make the tablecloth, I decided it needed a tiny print to look more like a tablecloth.  I couldn't find a stamp that would work here, but I remembered the Wrapped in Texture Embossing Folders from the winter mini catalog.  I added Boho Blue ink to the raised design, then laid the open embossing folder onto the "tablecloth" to give it the print.  I liked how this added another bit of interest to the Boho Blue DSP print.

The small coffee cup dies were used to die-cut both Misty Moonlight and Boho Blue cups.  There is a tiny die that cuts two "liquids" inside the cups.  These were cut from Early Espresso cardstock.  Then using a tiny bit of "green glue", the coffee was added to each of the cups.  

The sentiment is from the same set, and it was stamped on a 1" wide strip of Basic White using Misty Moonlight ink.  The sentiment is attached with Dimensionals.  Each coffee cup was attached with one Dimensional in the center.  I decided not to use any bling on this card.  Nothing seemed to really make the card stand out, so I went with it plain.

This is not the first design for the card, but I liked where it ended.  Keep reading for another take on this idea.

This card has a few changes.  The card base is Boho Blue.  The DSP print here is much lighter with a mix of Mossy Meadow and Boho Blue in the design.  Both of the cups were cut from Misty Moonlight cardstock.  

I didn't like the "tablecloth" print together with this DSP print.  I tried a couple other designs, but I just didn't like them, so I left it plain white.  After looking at it awhile, I decided to add a little Mossy Meadow ink brushed on the top edge using the Blending Brushes.  It's very light, but it helps define the edge in person.

The sentiment was still stamped with Misty Moonlight, but the backing layer is Boho Blue cardstock.

On a couple of the cards, a small layer of Vellum was added under the center of the design to soften the blue print so the cups showed up better.

Ok, that's five cards down from the 23 that I need to make.  I'll be going through my stash of floral cards that I love making and hopefully find most of the cards I'll be needing.  We'll see how that goes.

Quick reminder that the sale on some of the retiring items starts on April 9th.  That's coming up soon.  Have you decided on your list yet?  Are you anxious and excited to see the new Annual Catalog?  It's coming soon.  If you don't have yours by the end of April, please let me know and I'll get one out to you.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Memorable Meadows Paper Pumpkin Alternative

Hi there!  Have you been noticing the cute Paper Pumpkin kits the last several months?  These are just so stinkin' cute!  And it's really fun seeing what else you can make with the kits besides how they are planned to be made.  Today's card really focuses on the March 2024 Paper Pumpkin kit and uses an add-on die set as well.  When I was perusing other people's creative ideas using this kit, I found a card created by Su Mohr that was truly beautiful even though it was very simple.  I really wanted to try doing my version of her card to see how it worked out.  My card is different of course, but I still like the simplicity of the card.  Hope you enjoy this and maybe want to make your version of my version of Su's card.

For the card, paper from the new March Paper Pumpkin kit was used.  If you've got other DSP prints that you would like to use here, go ahead and switch it out.  Get creative!  Just find a print that looks good as small images.

Start out with Basic White Thick for the card base.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored and folded in half.  The layer is Basic White that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  This is embossed with the new Zinnia 3D Embossing Folder which is a new Online Exclusive product.  This is such a nice overall design and makes a pretty backdrop for the DSP here.  

Before attaching to the card front, a length of Bubble Bath ribbon from the Sheer Ribbon Combo Pack was wrapped around and secured in the back with adhesive.  Then it's attached to the card base using Dimensionals.

The three panels of flower prints were die-cut from 1/2 of one card base in the March Paper Pumpkin kit.  I tried to place a flower in the center of each die.  The die is from an add-on set that matches the last three months of Paper Pumpkin.  There are similar dies that are connected with other stamp sets, but this one was sitting out on my desk from all the Easter cards I made.  It was handy, so I used it!  The three tags were placed with the bottom edges just tucked under the ribbon to anchor them.  I used "green glue" to attach them to the card front.

The same die was used to cut a Basic White tag for the sentiment.  The sentiment comes from the Notes of Nature set.  It has three different sentiments in the set and all of them are good, basic sentiments that I'll use a lot.  This time it's stamped with Gorgeous Grape ink to pick up the colors in the prints.

The tag is attached over the ribbon off to the side using Dimensionals.  They're placed along the top and bottom of the tag, so the ribbon is free.  A smallish bow was made using the same ribbon.  It's attached to the left of the sentiment using two Mini Glue Dots to hold in place.

I debated about adding bling or not.  As you can see, I decided I liked the clean look that just focused on the images instead.  Of course, if you wanted to add bling to the card, I'm sure it would be beautiful.

There you have it, my version of Su Mohr's gorgeous card.  There are multiple changes to make the idea my own.  Now how are you going to change my card to make it your own?  Love the idea of seeing someone else's idea and tweaking it to fit your tastes.

Thanks for stopping in for a few minutes today.  Hope you're inspired to get out your stamps, ink, and paper to create some lovely ideas yourself.  Come back soon to see what I've been working on.  Leave a comment if you'd like.  I always appreciate hearing from you, my friends.  Just a reminder that the Last Chance List is available to see.  The discounted items can be ordered on April 9th until the end of the month.  Then that's it!  There are many sets that are retiring, but many favorites will be returning.  And then the new catalog will go live on May 1st!!!  Woo Hoo!  If I'm sending you a catalog and you haven't received it by the end of April, please let me know and I'll get one to you.  

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Encircled in Nature Card

Hello my friends!  I hope you enjoyed your Easter celebrations.  There seems to be a few eggs still missing from both the indoor and outdoor egg hunts held here yesterday.  Thank goodness none of the eggs were real, just the plastic variety.  Heather hid them outside and got a little carried away.  Even after going for a walk with her once the boys gave up, we only found two more.  But that still means there are 4 more out there.  Funny thing is that the neighbor's hen laid an egg under one of the bushes and the boy's found that one instead. Hmmm.  What a crazy day!  After a month of totally thinking about Easter cards, little treat holders, etc. my mind needed a break.   So, I took several days off from even going into my stamp room.  Boy, was I ready to get back to it this morning!  I was able to finish two cards that I'd set aside while I thought about them, and even made a card idea that had been lurking around in that gray matter that pretends it's a creative brain every once in a while.  Whew!  Now it's time to sit down and write so I can share what I've been doing.  Today's card uses the Encircled in Nature Bundle.  It's an Online Exclusive item and I fell in love with it as soon as I laid eyes on it.  I been too busy to play with it because of all the Easter things I needed I needed to do, so now I was ready to give it a whirl.

This was so fun to play with and I have a trick or two to share with you.  I wasn't sure how easy it would be to line everything up the way I envisioned, so I used my Stamparatus.  I know we don't carry this anymore, but if you have one this is a terrific card to use it on.

The card layers used here are:

 Shaded Spruce   8 1/2" x 5 1/2"

 Pecan Pie           5 1/4" x 4"

 Basic White       5 1/8" x 3 7/8" and a scrap for the tag

Also cut a Vellum cardstock piece 5 1/8" x 3 7/8" which is the same size as the Basic White layer.

First thing was to figure out the size of the branch wreath.  It matched the size of the largest Stylish Shapes circles.  Position the die onto the vellum where you want it then die-cut the circle.  Keep the circle for another project and use the mask for this card.

Position the Basic White cardstock and the vellum piece on top of it onto the Stamparatus using the magnets.  Position the branch wreath in the correct spot on the vellum circle.  Open the Stamparatus, pull out the vellum but leave the white cardstock.  Stamp the wreath with Pecan Pie ink making sure you get a really good image.  Remove the branch and put away.  

Next, position the vellum mask in place again.  Using Balmy Blue ink and a large Blending Brush add a light layer of blue inside the circle.

Remove the vellum mask and line up the evergreen trees stamp on the circle, then close the lid to pick it up.  Open lid and ink the trees with Garden Green ink.  Stamp, then open.  At this time, I added some Shaded Spruce ink to the top 1/2" or so of the trees and stamped again.  The two greens are similar, but there is a difference that shows on the card.  You're done with the Stamparatus at this point.  You can do all this without the Stamparatus, but this just makes it easier to keep everything where it belongs.

The tree line die cut out one from Garden Green cardstock, and another from Shaded Spruce cardstock.  With a Blending Brush, Shaded Spruce ink was added to the edges of the Garden Green die-cut piece.  This was positioned and attached with "green glue".  The three trees on the left side of the Shaded Spruce die-cut were trimmed from the rest and cut a tiny bit shorter.  This was added to the Garden Green trees making sure they showed through on the placement.

A length of Black and Vanilla Large Check Ribbon was placed across the bottom of the card front and attached in the back.  

The smallest rectangle die from the Nested Essentials die set cut a Basic White tag.  The sentiment from the Encircled in Nature was stamped on the tag using Shaded Spruce ink.  This was placed across the band of ribbon using Mini Dimensionals above and below the ribbon to hold in place.

The inside of the card is Basic White cardstock.  A sentiment from the Notes of Nature set was added with Pecan Pie ink. 

A smaller tree line die was used to cut the tiny trees placed at the bottom of the card for an accent.

When trying to figure out if I wanted to add any bling, I was leaning toward the Swirl Dots in Pecan Pie that are part of the A Little Latte Collection that is an Online Exclusive.  I thought they would make a nice rustic touch. But then I noticed the Adhesive-back Dragonflies and Birds in the same section.  I thought the birds flying in the forest would be a perfect match.

So, there you have today's card.  I've needed to use quite a few masculine cards lately, so it was time to replenish my stash.  Hope you like this idea.  I have to say I'm pleased with how this first attempt with the Encircled in Nature set turned out.  It's pretty much what I was envisioning when I purchased it.

Thanks for stopping by today.   Hope you're getting back into a regular routine again.  Sometimes it's hard after all the hustle and bustle of a holiday to settle down and get back to work.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon