Trusting Card with Changing Leaves Embossing

Hello friends!  Happy Friday to you.  Since it's election time this year, we went out and voted early today.  Seems weird not voting on Election Day, but things change, I guess.  I'm having trouble keeping up with all the changes happening, but I'm doing my best.  My card today reminds me of the hope I have that if (when) I trust God, He will always direct my paths.  In these uncertain times, trusting in God is my hope.  Hopefully today's card will remind you of this truth also.

This card is very simple in design, but I think the simplicity draws your attention to the sentiment which is the main point.  My friend Sue was here visiting, and we were stamping.  What a surprise!  (That was dripping with sarcasm in case you missed it.)  Anyway, the You Are Beautiful set is new, and it was just delivered a few days earlier.   Sue wanted to use this sentiment for some cards she had planned.  Since the set was out, I figured I needed to make a card too.  Here's what I came up with for my finished project.  I'd show you her card idea, but it wasn't finished yet.  I don't really know what she has planned for it, but I hope she shares the idea with me when she finishes it.

The first order of business was finding a nice sized die-cut for the sentiment.  I used the 2nd largest rectangle die in the retired So Sentimental die set.  This was cut from Basic White cardstock.  Then the sentiment was stamped on it with Pebbled Path ink.  This ink color was dark, but not as harsh as black ink would have been with the light cardstock I used.  

My card starts with a base of Soft Sea Foam cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It is scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.  Then a layer of the same cardstock is cut at 5 1/4" x 4".  This layer has the leafy stem in the set stamped randomly over it using Soft Sea Foam ink.  It still looked a little 'flat' to me, so it was embossed with the Changing Leaves Embossing Folder.  I love the impressive detail this adds to the layer.  It really takes it up a notch, doesn't it?  

After embossing, I used a Blending Brush with some Soft Sea Foam ink to add a little more color around the edges.

I checked through all my current ribbons and couldn't find the perfect one.  So, it was time to dig into my retired stash of ribbons and trims.  I found the Metallic Woven Trim in Parakeet Party that seems to be just a darker version of the cardstock I used.   This was wrapped around twice to give me the look I wanted.  Two smaller pieces of Tear & Tape were used on the back side to hold the trim in place.  This layer was attached to the folded card base using Tombow Multi Purpose Liquid Glue to hold the heavily embossed cardstock securely.

The sentiment was layered over the trim off-center.  A little to the right and the bottom to give it a different look.  It was attached with Dimensionals.

The little bit of bling necessitated another visit to my retired stash, but this time in the "bling box".  Oh, the treasures!  I did find something that was the perfect touch.  Several years ago, we had a trim set called Adhesive-Backed Shiny Sequins.  These were a set of four pastel colors that had an iridescent sheen to them.  I just loved these on the card!

That's my simple project for today.  Just a little embossing, die-cutting, ribbon and sequins and you've got it.  Thank you for stopping by today.  I'm so pleased with this finished project.  The embossed background really adds so much to the final card. Looks like I'll have to get this stamp set out again soon to see what else can be made.  This is getting posted much later than I planned.  We had a few trick or treaters come to the door this year and I got to meet a couple of ladies.  How nice that was.  Hope you had fun with some Halloween tricks of your own.  

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon 

Frozen Edges Snowflakes

Hello Friends!  It's another gorgeous fall day and I'm enjoying it by thinking of snowflakes.  What?!  I don't know about you, but I love the look of snowflakes.  Each one unique in its own way.  But with moving to South Carolina, we don't really see too many of these beauties.  That means no snow shoveling too and I really don't miss that!  So, I get my snowflake fix using stamps and dies and enjoy myself that way.

Here's my version of a snowy day!  Does it make you shiver with the cold and think snow?  I guess it's the closest I can get right now.

The first thing I did to make this card was deciding to make a fun fold.  Then I decided to use the Winter Meadow Designer Series Paper.  This DSP is still available in the Annual Catalog on page 101.  It's a little hard to find, but so worth it!  That decision led me to Lost Lagoon cardstock for the card base.  This measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It was scored and folded in half at 4 1/4".  Then a 1" strip was cut from the opening edge of the front of the card.

The wintry print from the DSP pack was cut to measure 4" x 5 1/4".  Then a 1" strip was cut from the right edge.  This piece would be used on the inside of the card.

A Basic White cardstock strip that measures 5 1/2" x 2" was used to die-cut the snowflake strip from the Frozen Edges die set.  I ran it through twice to make sure it cut all the tiny little edges in this detailed die.  After dislodging all the extra bits, this strip was attached to the left edge of the DSP piece for the card front.  I used some "green glue" dots to attach it.  There was a small bit to cut off on the top and bottom edges of the card.  Then the layer was attached to the card front using adhesive.

A snowflake stamp was stamped on Basic White cardstock with Lost Lagoon ink.  This was die-cut along with one each of the extra snowflakes in the set.  There is also one larger snowflake cut from Lost Lagoon for an accent.

Both the tag and the sentiment are from the Greetings of the Season bundle.  It was positioned to fit the die, then stamped with Lost Lagoon ink.

The tag and extra snowflakes were positioned on the card.  The tag and one snowflake were attached with Dimensionals.  The layered snowflake was tucked under the tag and attached with a Mini Glue Dot.  Another small snowflake was attached with a Mini Dimensional. 

Now I moved on to the inside of the card.  A piece of Basic White cardstock was cut to measure 5 1/4" x 4".  The 1" strip of DSP that you cut off earlier was attached on the right edge with adhesive.

The sentiment is from the same Greetings of the Season set and matches the font of the tag on the front.  It's stamped with Lost Lagoon ink.  This layer is attached inside the card with adhesive.

The extra snowflake was added to the layer with a Mini Glue Dot.  There is a small amount of the snowflake showing when the card is closed.

For the added bling on the card, I made a bow of the silver cording from the Simply Elegant Trim combo from the last catalog.  It needed a smidgeon of silver on this card in my humble opinion.  The bow is attached with a rolled Mini Glue Dot positioned right in the hole of the tag.  

The white snowflakes from the Adhesive-Backed Snowflake Assortment would be a good addition.  Surprisingly I only had two small white snowflakes left in my package.  Oops.  Guess I need to order another package.  I did add the two I had left.  But it still needed a bit more.  

Rhinestone Basic Jewels in the smallest size were sprinkled around the card front and one by the snowflake inside the card.  This added the sparkle I wanted to make it look like a snowfall.

Hope this card idea has gotten you in the mood for winter fun.  I love how it turned out.  It's one of the few times lately that I've had an idea, and it actually came out as planned.  😉😁

Thanks for hanging out with me today.  Feel free to leave a comment.  I love hearing what you think.  Enjoy your card making and get thinking about those Christmas cards you need to make!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Pair of Autumn Cards

Welcome to my stamping room this Sunday.  There's been so much trauma, travel, and trying to catch up this month.  I can't believe it's well over half gone already.  This will definitely be a month to remember.  But the sun is out shining today, and we must work while we can.  I was needing just a few more cards of my own for fall, so I was using some of the fabulous Splendid Autumn 6" x 6" DSP.  Did you know you can easily make three cards from each print piece of paper?  It's so simple, but the cards end up being gorgeous.

Here are two of the finished cards I made yesterday.  They are bright and sassy, but quick to make without lots of other materials needed.  Just what I needed to finish up some special cards for special people.

For these cards, I started with a card base of Cajun Craze cardstock.  This is one of the coordinating colors listed on the packaging, and I thought it blended well with the finished idea.

The card base measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half to make a portrait style card.  

The DSP print was chosen and prepped for the three cards.  For this card batch, a strip 1/2" wide was cut from the bottom of this paper.  Depending on the print used, this strip can come off the top or bottom of the paper.  Save this for future reference.

Next the paper was cut into 2" strips.  You'll use one of these strips for each card.  This gives you three panels that measure 5 1/2" x 2".

I decided to layer each of the strips onto a panel of Pumpkin Pie cardstock.  This is one of the coordinating colors for this DSP pack.  The Pumpkin Pie strip measures 5 1/2" x 2 1/8".  This gives a thin strip to accent each side of the DSP.

The two strips are attached together with adhesive.  Then they are attached to the card base with adhesive too.  There is a 1/2" gap from the left side to the strip.

The sentiment used on my cards is from the Textured Floral stamp set.  This is stamped onto a Basic White cardstock strip that is approximately 1/2" x 2 1/4".  I used Cajun Craze ink for this.

The 1/2" wide strip that was originally cut from the DSP is now cut into 2" pieces.  Each sentiment strip has a DSP piece attached behind it with the backside showing as an accent color.  

Two of the Woven Golden Leaves are attached behind the sentiment strip.  Then it's attached to the card front using Dimensionals to give it some height.

For the inside of the card, a sentiment from the Autumn Expressions stamp was used.  It's stamped onto a Basic White cardstock piece that's trimmed to 5 1/4" x 4".  It's stamped with Cajun Craze ink.

With all the cards I've made using this DSP, there seems to be lots of 1/2" or 3/4" strips left over.  For this one, I used a strip that's 3/4" x 4" along the bottom edge.  This matches the little strip on the front and picks up the greens in the print.  The layer is attached to the inside of the card using adhesive.

Let's visit the 2nd batch of cards using a different DSP print from the same Splendid Autumn pack.

This batch of cards used the print with the pumpkin patch.  The 1/2" cut from this sheet is from the top.  I didn't want to lose any of those little pumpkins in the field from trimming them off.

Basically, the card is made the same as the first one.  There are just a few minor changes in the prints used.

The same sentiment was used again with the same Cajun Craze ink.  The little strip from this print has a Cajun Craze color print on the back, so it doesn't seem to stand out as much as the last card with the greens.

The inside of the card is made the same way as the first one.  I love those new sentiments in the Autumn Expressions set.  I'm sure these words will be getting a workout!

Again, I added the two Woven Golden Leaves to the design for an accent.  After giving it a lot of thought, the leaves are the only accent on these cards.  I might still go back and add something golden to accent it, but it will be something from my retired stash.

Thank you for sharing some time with me today.  Hope you enjoy working with the lovely DSPs that Stampin'Up! has in stock.  The artwork is lovely and makes it so easy to create a card in minutes.  Don't you love it when the paper does all the work, and you can take all the credit for making beautiful cards?

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Shepherd's Care in Blue

Hello, my stamping friends!  This has been a busy week getting back to normal around here.  Hubby and a neighbor are replacing a wooden fence between our properties that was ruined in the hurricane.  They've been working all day for the last 4 days hauling lumber, cutting wood, digging fence post holes, screwing pieces together.  These guys have been working so hard they can hardly make it into the house for dinner.  And then it's lights out.  I think I'm exhausted just watching them!  Thank God that by tomorrow they should be done with this project.  Wonder what they'll think to do next?  

I can tell you what I decided to make next.  I got the Shepherd's Care stamp set and kept putting it aside to get to later.  Well, today was the later.  I have several ideas rolling around for this set, but I decided to start easy without too many layers and such.  Here's my first attempt.

I know I've mentioned I love the colors of navy and white on my Christmas cards.  That's what I started out with for my first card.  I had envisioned the shepherd being stamped on a Countryside Corners die-cut piece.  He fit on the 2nd largest piece very nicely.  It's die-cut from Basic White cardstock and the shepherd is stamped with Night of Navy ink.  He's positioned to the left and down near the bottom, so part of the stamp is off the layer.  The star that is part of the set is stamped with navy also.  It's stamped in the top right corner right near the edge.

The card base is Night of Navy cardstock.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored and folded in half.

The next layer is Misty Moonlight.  That was enough to brighten up the card somewhat.  The layer measures 5 1/4" x 4".  This is embossed with the Snowflake Sky 3D Embossing Folder.  It's found on page 129 in the Annual Catalog.  This adds a very subtle design to this layer.  

Next, an 8" length of the Silver and White 1/2" Sheer Ribbon is attached around the Misty Moonlight layer.  This ribbon is also available in the Annual Catalog.  The ribbon is a little more than 1/2" in from the left edge.  I used two small strips of Tear & Tape to hold the ribbon in place around the back side of the layer.  Then the layer was attached to the Night of Navy card base.  For this I used "green glue" to hold in place. 

I attached the shepherd layer over the ribbon.  For this card, I used "green glue" to attach it.  Looking back at the finished card, I think I might attach this layer using Dimensionals next time instead.

I wanted a sparkly star in the sky instead of just the navy.  I didn't have anything current that had a star die, so I went in my retired stash and found the Stars at Night die set.  This set has several star dies, and it had a die that matched the star already stamped so I used that.  

I liked the idea of sparkles, so I hit my Specialty DSP stash and found a Silver Glimmer Paper that was just what I was looking for.  I cut one star from a scrap and attached it over the navy star using a Mini Dimensional.  Just the look I wanted!  

The sentiment is from the Shepherd's Care stamp set.  I've been using this a lot on my Christmas cards lately.  I love the wording and Peace on Earth is so needed these days.  It's stamped with Night of Navy ink onto a 1/2" strip of Basic White cardstock that was available.  It's trimmed to fit and attached to the card front with Mini Dimensionals.

I was hoping to find a gem that reminded me of stars in the night sky.  After trying several that were so-so, I tried the Iridescent Facets Gems.  Oh my, yes!  These can be found on page 115 in the Annual Catalog.  The picture in the catalog just doesn't do these gems justice.  They are so pretty and eye-catching.  Loved adding them for my nighttime stars.

One last picture of this lovely card.  For being so simple to make, it sure looks dramatic.  If you don't have this particular star die, use what you have.  And if I didn't have silver glitter paper, I would have used silver foil paper.  

I hope you give this idea a try.  I know I'm making some of these cards for my own Christmas cards this year.  I love sending out a card that follows a Christian theme for Christmas.  I know there are plenty of gorgeous and fun cards available, but for myself, I try to have a Christian theme.

Thanks for sharing some time with me today.  And I hope I can inspire you to get creative!  It's good therapy, or so I've been told.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Fun Fold Autumn Card

Hello friends!  I've been noticing a few more leaves coming down from the trees in the last few days.  We don't have much in the line of fall color right now, but those leaves keep trickling down.  So, I thought I should make a card to showcase that idea. This card uses the Caring Leaves stamp set.  I really like the carefree loose look of the leaves in this set - so artistic to my thinking.  Just pair the leaves with a leafy background designer paper print and it's all set for this time of year.

Here's my fun fold version using the Caring Leaves with Cajun Craze.  My hubby says my cards are getting a little "dark", so I'll have to give this set another try using brighter colors.  But for this one, let's get to the particulars.

The base of this card is 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" as usual.  The scoring is at 2", 3 1/8", 5 3/8" and 6 1/2".  The two outer folds are valley folds, and the two inner folds are mountain folds.  If you remember that, it's all good.  For the base of this card, I chose Old Olive cardstock.  This is just such a basic color for my fall cards.

The print design used on the card is from the Iconic Celebrations Designer Series Paper pack.  The paper is cut just a tickle short of the regular size for a layer.  I wanted a bit more of the Old Olive to show through.  The length of the layers is 5 3/16" (you could cut it to 5 1/4" as usual).   For the width of the layers, the outside two strips are 1 3/4" and the strip for the middle is 2".

This picture gives you a good idea of how the card looks fully opened.  The two DSP strips are attached to the side flaps with adhesive.  The wider strip is positioned on the center area.  If you're using a DSP print that is all one picture, make sure you cut the pieces in order, so the picture is continuous.

The center stamped piece is Very Vanilla that measures about 3 1/2" x 2 1/4".  I used the Stitched Rectangle Dies to cut all three layers.  I like the stitching lines that show up on all three, but if you don't have this die set, I'm giving you approximate dimensions.  The Cajun Craze layer is about 4" x 2 5/8".  The Old Olive layer is about 4 3/8" x 3".

The leaves are stamped with three different fall colors of ink - Old Olive, Cajun Craze, and Blackberry Bliss.  Each of the detail stamps use the ink full strength, but each of the solid stamp leaves are off-stamped to give a lighter version of the color.  

After the three leaves were stamped, markers in the Old Olive and Blackberry Bliss colors were used to flick on some speckles over the design.  This gives it a little added interest.  The layers were all attached together with adhesive.  When attaching the Old Olive layer to the card base, be careful to add adhesive only down the center area of the layer.

The sentiment is from the Layers of Beauty stamp set.  The Very Vanilla piece it's stamped on is about 1 3/4" x 1" and it's stamped with Blackberry Bliss ink.  After stamping, I carefully touched just the edges of the label to the Blackberry Bliss ink pad to add a little color on each edge.  Carefully add Dimensionals only to the area of the label that will be on the layers, not the overhang area.

To finish the card, I added a Very Vanilla cardstock piece that measures 5 1/4" x 2" to the center of the back.  This can have a sentiment stamped on it or can be used to write a little note.

I decided not to add any extra bling on the card.  It already looked a little busy with the speckling of the ink on the center part of the card.

As I was playing around with this fun fold, I wanted to make another one or two cards.  I love playing with DSP and this is a perfect showcase for it.

Here's another card using the retired Flight & Airy DSP from last year.  Don't you love the look of this card?  I just love how the prints really do all the work to make these designs stand out.  Even fussy cutting the flowers and bird wasn't too time-consuming.  I tend to find it rather relaxing just snipping away!

That's my fun fold card ideas for today.   Hope you have fun with this type of fold.  Let me know what you've made using this fun fold.  It's always interesting hearing what others are making.  Hope you have a fun fold kind of day!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Thoughtful Journey Cards X 4

 Hello my friends!  What a beautiful fall day we have today.  But I can still hear the chain saws outside cutting down trees that came down during Hurricane Helene.  Just drove up our block and counted eight homes that had trees down.  Thankfully most of them didn't land on the houses, just in the yards.  But that's still a lot.  Concerning trees, I like the looks of bare trees in the winter - the silhouettes against the sky.  So that was the starting point on the cards, but I branched out from there.  Let's look at the different cards made with the Thoughtful Journey Designer Series Paper.

This is the first card I made.  I decided on the print first and chose colors of cardstock to match it.  This is a little darker style than I usually do, but I love the finished card.

The card base is Lost Lagoon that measures 11" x 4 1/4" and is scored at 5 1/2".  The Basic Black layer measures 5 1/4" x 4".   This addition really makes the other colors pop.  The black layer is attached to the card base with "green glue".

The next layer is Wild Wheat.  It measures 5" x 3 3/4".  This isn't one of my favorite colors, but I found it is a wonderful accent color for many of these Thoughtful Journey prints.  It's attached to the Basic Black layer with "green glue".

The print layer measures 4 7/8" x 3 3/4".  Before attaching to the card base, I die-cut the silhouette trees from Basic Black cardstock.  They are attached to the bottom of the DSP layer using adhesive.  The ends are trimmed on the sides to fit nicely.  The print layer was then attached to the card base using "green glue".

The sentiment is from the So Sincere stamp set.  It's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto a piece of Wild Wheat that measures 1 5/8" x 1".  After stamping, it's attached to the card front with Dimensionals.

The embellishment accent on this card is from the Blooming Pearls in the Annual Catalog.  These are the blue tones gems that I used to enhance the design.

This is the second card in the series.  The card base is Wild Wheat cardstock because it matches so well.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored at 4 1/4".

The layers were added a little differently on this card.  The Lost Lagoon cardstock layer is first and measures 5 1/2" x 2 7/8".  Next a layer of Basic Black cardstock measures 5 1/2" x 2". It's attached down the center of the Lost Lagoon layer using "green glue".  Then the layers are attached to the front of the card using "green glue".  It's attached closer to the left side.

The DSP layer is the leftover piece from the first card.  This is the back side of the print.  It is trimmed to measure 5" x 2 1/4".  "Green glue" was added down the center and then attached to the card front.

The sentiment on this card is also from the So Sincere stamp set.  It is stamped with Lost Lagoon ink onto a piece of Basic White cardstock.  After stamping, it was trimmed close to the wording with my Paper Snips.  It's attached to the card front with Mini Dimensionals.

I tried several different types of bling to accent this card.  As you can see, I ended up using the Brushed Brass Butterflies on the design.  They are small and understated.  Just the right accent for my card.

Let's continue on to the third card made with the Thoughtful Journey Designer Series Paper.

I still wanted to make another card using the tree silhouettes from the Frosted Forest dies, so I found another print that would make a lovely sky background.

To match the print, I chose a Cajun Craze card base that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.

The Misty Moonlight layer was cut next.  It measures 5" x 3 3/4".  To add a small frame to this piece, a layer of Basic Black was cut to measure 5 1/8" x 3 7/8".  They're attached together with "green glue".  Then they're attached to the card base with the "green glue" also.

The DSP print was trimmed to 4 3/4" x 3 1/2".  Then another silhouette tree cluster was die-cut from a 5" x 3" strip of Basic Black cardstock.  It was attached to the bottom edge of the DSP and trimmed on the two sides to fit. 

The sentiment is from the Simply Said stamp set.  It's stamped with Misty Moonlight ink directly onto the DSP.  After this, the DSP was attached to the card front using "green glue".

The bling on this card is the coral-colored dots from the Opaque Faceted Dots.  Guess these are retired already.  I'm sure you can find a different embellishment for your card if desired.

The last card in the series was designed around a piece of left over print from a previous endeavor.  The Wild Wheat worked with this print too, so it was used for the card base.  The first layer is Lost Lagoon that measures 5 1/2" x 2 7/8".  It's attached to the card base about 1/2" from the bottom edge of the card front.

The layer of DSP measures 5 1/8" x 2 3/8".  To get the skinny frame of black, I measured a piece 5 1/4" x 2 1/2".  These two layers were attached together with "green glue".  Then attached to the Lost Lagoon layer with the same adhesive.

The silhouette piece used here is from the Painted Lavender die set.  It's die-cut from Basic Black cardstock.  

The sentiment is from the Frosted Forest stamp set.  It's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto a 2 5/8" x 3/4" strip of Basic White cardstock.  This is attached with adhesive to the card front as shown.  The black die-cut piece is attached to the card front with adhesive slightly overlapping the sentiment piece.  

The embellishment on this card is also from the Opaque Faceted Gems in the Lost Lagoon color tone to match.

Here's a last look at the four cards in this collection.  I love the focal point being on the Designer Paper prints with the black accents.  Each one is a little different in composition.  Hopefully these will give you some ideas to CASE that are simple but still beautiful.  Just think of the possibilities with different prints and coordinating colors of cardstock.  I wanted to make cards that had an autumn feel to them.  But with the lovely prints of the Thoughtful Journey DSP pack, you could easily make a set of cards for each season!  Have fun coming up with your own combinations.

Thank you for sharing some of your precious time with me.  If you're looking for a demonstrator to help you out, I'd love that job!  Feel free to use the Host Code at the top of this blog.   I'll send you a card with my sincere appreciation for any orders.  Thank you so much for considering me.  If you have questions or need help, please contact me. 

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

sharoncarr50@gmail.com

Cards with a Guest Creator

Hey people!  Glad you stopped by.   With all the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, we were without power for six days.  I was worried about getting the cards for the shut-ins at church made in a timely manner.  While talking to my sister bemoaning the fact I was having trouble seeing to create the cards in the semi-dark, she offered to design and cut cardstock for two sets of six cards for me.  (I already had some ready to go so that was all I needed to have enough cards.)  The cards she made really turned out lovely and I wanted to share these with you.  Thank you, Connie!!  You are an absolute lifesaver.

The first one features the gorgeous Splendid Autumn 6" x 6" Designer Series Paper and Moody Mauve cardstock.  It's funny, when I looked at that particular print, I didn't really see much of the mauve in the colors.  But wow, does it ever work together beautifully!  The card base is a 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" piece of Moody Mauve.  On this is layered a 5 1/2" x 3" piece of DSP.  It's attached near the left side with just a 1/4" of cardstock showing.

The Pretty Label Punch was used to punch a Very Vanilla label from a scrap of cardstock.  The sentiment is from the Grassy Grove stamp set.  It's stamped on the label using Moody Mauve ink.

The label is attached to the card front with Dimensionals for height.  I prefer to use Dimensionals on my sentiments most of the time, so they really stand out.

I'm not exactly sure which pack of embellishments she used.  But I'm guessing they are from the 2023-2025 In Color Opaque Sparkle Dots found on page 115 in the Annual Catalog.  Of course, I could be wrong, but these gems would work out nicely.

The 2nd set of cards she designed and provided for me also uses the Splendid Autumn Designer Paper.  Love these prints for fall!  For this card, she cut the Crushed Curry cardstock to measure 7 1/4" x 5 1/2".  It is scored at 4 1/4".  This shows off a good amount of the inside of the card for the design.

She cut two pieces of the DSP for the card.  The measurements are 5 1/4" x 2 3/4" for the front flap and 5 1/4" x 1" for the inside edge of the back to show.  You can see the design carries over and matches on the two layers.  Make sure to cut pieces that will lay side by side and match.  They are attached with adhesive.

The fold-over sentiment is a 5 1/2" x 1 1/4" strip of Crushed Curry.  The sentiment is from a non-SU! company.  It's stamped with either Cajun Craze or Cherry Cobbler ink.  I really can't tell for sure, but I'd guess Cherry Cobbler.  I think either one would work here.  It's scored at 3 3/4" and the extra is folded around to the back and attached.  

There are three golden-toned gems used to accent the card.  Not sure what these are either.  You need to use your best guess and find anything that works well with these colors.

Didn't I tell you she designed some beautiful cards for me?  It was fun going to Iowa for a wedding and meeting her and my brother there.  Four of us shared an Airbnb together and got to spend some quality visiting time together.  Plus, she brought the cards to me already to put together tomorrow with my ladies.  Isn't she just the 'bestest' sister ever?!

Thank you for stopping in and spending some time with me.  Hope you enjoyed the special cards today made by my guest designer, Connie Juengel.  It was my pleasure to share them with you.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Hot Cocoa for Autumn

Hello Friends!  It's good to be back home again.  Wonderful visit catching up with family, but it's good to be home.  On the last post I made I said I had more cards made with the More Than Autumn Bundle that I wanted to share.  So that's what I have for you today.  Don't worry, I will move on to other stamp sets, but right now I've been having fun creating with this.

Isn't this a bright and happy card?  Love the color combo used here.  Definitely cheerful!  Let's start with a Lost Lagoon cardstock base that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half.

There is a layer of Calypso Coral next.  This measures 5 1/4" x 4".  The So Swirly Embossing Folder was used to give this layer a wonderful swirly background.  It reminds me of a beverage swirling in my cup.  After embossing, the layer is attached to the card base with "green glue".

Next is a print layer from the A Little Latte Designer Series Paper.  This plaid print reminds me of a cozy flannel shirt to stick with the theme.  It measures 5 1/4" x 2" and is attached to the card base with "green glue".  I had a bit of the Lost Lagoon ribbon from a previous catalog left over that works great here.  The ribbon is right around 5" long.  I used adhesive to attach it to the card front lining it up with one of the plaid lines to keep it straight.

The cute mug is cut from another print from the same DSP pack.  It shows a brown liquid in the cup that I was using as hot chocolate for this card.  The stamp set More Than Autumn has a stamp to make a pile of marshmallows that fit perfectly in my cup.  The marshmallows are stamped with Crumb Cake ink and then die-cut with the coordinating die from the set.  They are attached over the top of the cup and then it is attached to the card front with Dimensionals.

The words are from the More Than Autumn set.  The top words are stamped with Lost Lagoon ink on a 1/2" strip of Basic White then trimmed to fit.  It's layered onto a Lost Lagoon strip that measures 5/8" x 2".  This is attached near the top of the card using adhesive.

The 'Hot Cocoa' is stamped with Pecan Pie ink on a 3/4" x 2" strip of Basic White cardstock.  It's layered onto a Lost Lagoon piece that measures 1 1/8" x 2 3/8".  The strip is attached at a slight angle under the cup using Dimensionals.

The final addition to the design was the bling of course.  I tried several.  Yes, I seem to have trouble deciding on what embellishments to add to my cards every time!  This time I chose to use the Opaque Faceted Gems in the Pool Party color.  I know there's no Pool Party on the rest of the card, but I loved the contrast here when I tried it.

Wish you were here so we could get comfy with a cup of cocoa and have a long visit.  But this is the closest we can come to that right now.  Just know that I'm thinking of you my friends and appreciate you so much!  Missing you too!

Things got away from me while I was out of town.  Stampin'Up! is having a 3-day sale October 7-9.  Unfortunately, today is already the 8th.  But you can still get 15% off all stamps in the Annual Catalog only.   If you have time, you might want to check your wish list and see if any stamps in the Annual Catalog need to be purchased by tomorrow.  Sorry for the lateness of this notice!

Thank you for sharing some time with me today.  Hope you like this cozy card and give it a try.  Any questions, leave a comment on the bottom or contact me at sharoncarr50@gmail.com.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Back again!

Did you miss me?  This past week we've had no power and no internet because of Hurricane Helene.  The week with no power sure makes me appreciate turning on lights when it's dark, hot showers at the end of a rough day, internet access, food, and more. Power came on yesterday and we're rejoicing!  We were discussing how blessed we our with all our modern conveniences that we just take for granted.  I'm sure ready for Thanksgiving this year with a very long list of things I'm thankful for.  But we're not there yet.  It's just barely October, so I should stick to cards that are more fall themed.   The More Than Autumn Bundle that is used here is an Online Exclusive and just awesome!  If you don't have it already, I hope you check it out.  Anyway, there are cards sitting here patiently waiting to get posted.  So, let's get to it!

I was having fun playing with the More Than Autumn Bundle when I got the idea to pair it with some wonderful fall color DSP's.  This card uses both the Earthen Elegance and Nature's Sweetness Designer Series Paper packs.  I love this card in person, but it may be a little dark for you.  Personal Preference.

Start with a Copper Clay cardstock piece that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half.  To this an interesting print layer from the Earthen Elegance DSP was added.  I love the colors and the look of the carved stylized leaves in this print.  This layer was attached to the Copper Clay base using adhesive.

Next was a layer of Pebbled Path checked print from the Nature's Sweetness DSP pack.  This was a leftover from another project that I thought was a good color blend and the right size for the card design.  This measures 3 3/4" x 2".  This is framed with a layer of Basic Beige cardstock that measures 4" x 2 1/4".  Attach these together with adhesive.  Then attach them to the center of the card front with adhesive.

Making the cup and extra pieces came next.  The cup was stamped onto Very Vanilla cardstock using Pebbled Path ink.  It was colored with Blends before die-cutting.  The cup was colored with Copper Clay Light and Dark, and Ivory.  Some of the Color Lifter was used in the highlight area on the cup.

The whipped cream was stamped with Crumb Cake ink.  Then both images were die-cut with the matching dies.  I also cut "latte" from Pebbled Path and the heart from Copper Clay.  The heart was given a heavy coating of Wink of Stella to accent it.  The word was attached to the middle band of the cup, then the heart added below it.

Both sentiments were stamped on Very Vanilla cardstock.  The top piece measures 2 1/2" x 7/8".  Both Pebbled Path and Copper Clay inks were used to stamp the sentiments from the More Than Autumn set.

A small piece of Very Vanilla was used to stamp the "yum" with Copper Clay ink.  This stamp is from the Ice Cream Swirl set and I thought it went perfectly with the card.  After stamping it was trimmed closer to fit.

The cup and whipped cream were attached to the card front with Dimensionals.  The larger sentiment was attached with adhesive above the whipped cream.  The "yum" was attached near the bottom with adhesive added on the left side and a Mini Dimensional on the right side to keep it flat.

I totally love the look of this card and hope you love it too.  There are more cards ready to share with this same set.  But I won't be sharing anything else for the next several days as we're flying out to Iowa for a family wedding.  But stay tuned and I'll be back by the middle of next week - as long as we have no more crises.  Stay well.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon