Easy Cross Easter Card

Hello friends.  I don't know if you've seen all the variations of the cross card that is very popular right now.  I've tried 3 of them and wasn't crazy happy about any of them.  Then I saw a video by Terri Gaines that was different.  Instead of having a pop-up cross, she just has the cross on a fold on the card front.  So easy and I love that it stands up nice and straight with no propping at all.  Yay!  And the icing on the cake was the number of samples she made using different DSP prints!  Wow.  I think there were at least eight of them!  To check out her ideas, go to CreatewithTerriGaines.com    No, I didn't copy any of them completely but chose my own papers and had fun.  You should give this one a try too.

Here's the finished card.  I love it!  To make it, I started with an 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" piece of Daffodil Delight cardstock.  It is scored at 1 1/4" and 4 1/4".  You need another piece of the same Daffodil Delight cardstock that measures 3 3/4" x 1 1/4".

The DSP is from the Floral Delight DSP pack.  The olive print has two pieces cut for the base of the card.  These measure 2 3/4" x 5 1/4" and another at 4" x 5 1/4".

The print I used for the cross portion of the card measures 1 1/8" x 5 3/8" for the vertical section and 1 1/8" x 3 5/8 for the cross piece.

Starting with the card base, fold the card in half, and then fold the flap open.  On the front left section and the inside of the card right section, attach the DSP pieces that were cut for the card base.

Now, the DSP gets attached to the cross parts.  The longer one is attached to the folded back part of the card front.  The short piece is attached to the extra piece of Daffodil Delight that was cut.  After attaching the DSP to these pieces, close the card and lay the cross piece over the cross.  You want the right edge to line up with the right edge of the back of the card.  Attach together at the overlap.  I lightly marked with a pencil the area for the adhesive.

The stems and flowers are from the Linked Together Bundle.  There are two sizes of stems.  I cut one of the longer stems and three of the shorter stems out of Old Olive cardstock.  They are attached to the cross with adhesive.  

Then at least five of the flowers were die-cut from Basic White cardstock.   I only used five on my card, but Terri used six on her cards.  Your choice.  There are many other die sets that have stems and flowers that would work.  Just look to see what you have on hand.  I added the flowers with adhesive also. 

The sentiment is from the Storybook Friends stamp set.  For a banner, I cut the 2nd smallest die in the Countryside Corners Bundle from Basic White cardstock.  The greeting is stamped with Old Olive ink way over on the left side of the die-cut.  The right side of the banner is attached behind the cross.  Make sure this doesn't hang over the outside edge of the card.  We want to make sure this card fits into a regular envelope.  

Inside each of the flowers a Rhinestone Basic Jewel was added.  I really wanted a yellow gem, so before adding them, I colored them with the Daffodil Delight Blender Dark Pen to get a nice soft yellow color.  The gems fit inside the tiny hole in the center of each flower perfectly.

To finish the inside of the card, I cut a piece of Basic White at 2 3/4" x 5 1/4".  This is attached inside after stamping a sentiment with Old Olive ink.  This is an old, retired wood stamp, but it's perfect and I'll hang onto it forever.

On the other side, I added an arched die-cut made from the Everyday Arches Dies.  The shape reminded me of the opening to the empty tomb on Easter morning.  This is the 3rd smallest die. The sentiment is not SU!, and unfortunately the stamp is so old that the company doesn't exist anymore.  What a shame.  Make sure this is added to the left side, so it doesn't show when the card is closed.

Just a last close-up look at the cross.  I can't wait to try this again using a woodgrain DSP for the cross.  Wouldn't that be a terrific look?

I hope you give this card idea a try.  It's a very special card for Easter when you want to send something more than a plain card.

Thanks for stopping by to see what's going on over here.  Right now, everything looks a bright Granny Apple Green outside.  It was so dry, but we've had a good steady rain today and all the greenery and flowers are happy again.  It's so wet out there and that means it's a good day to stay inside and create!  Yay, stamping weather!!

If you run into any problems or have questions while making this card, feel free to text me at 313-407-0750 or email me at sharoncarr50@gmail.com.  I'd be happy to help you if I can.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Three Panel Card for Easter

Hello my friends!  Hope you're all doing well on this Saturday afternoon.  How did we go from the heater running to the air conditioner needing to be on?  Yesterday evening, the house temps actually got up to 93 degrees!  How is that possible already?  It seems so weird turning on the air conditioner in April!  I'm not complaining mind you, but it is a little 'extra' warm right now.  Because of the warm weather, the blueberry bushes are covered in blooms.  Hope we get a good crop this year.  I love blueberry muffins and blueberry buckle.  Maybe when I make a batch, I'll have to share a picture and my mom's recipe.  Yum!  I'm already craving it!  Ok, enough about food and let's get to the stamping part.

Disclaimer first:  If you're only interested in current products, you might as well quit reading.  There are a couple of retired oldies from a good number of years back that I've used for the sentiments.  I always keep retired Easter sets because I find it very hard to find Easter sentiments.  So, keep what I got, right?

I've tried three panel cards before, but never like this.  I love that it's a full-size card and not a skinny imitation.  It just has an extra panel to open up.  Once I saw this done, it was a real "duh" moment.  Don't know why I never thought of this idea!  I saw this card on a blog by Tracy at stampinqueenbee.com.  It's so quick and easy without tons of measuring that takes up time.  Just cut a few layers and you're finished.

For this card, I started with 2 card bases of Daffodil Delight cardstock that measured 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and are folded in half.  To get the three panels, just attach the left side of one base to the right side of another base.  Yup, that's it.  You're ready to layer and finish the card.  What could be easier?

Let's start with the front panel.  There is a layer of Basic White cardstock first.  I cut 2 of these that measure 5 1/4" x 4".  Save one for later.  

On the white layer, a piece of Floral Delight 12" x 12" DSP was layered.  This is a gorgeous green print with white flowers on it.  Looked perfect for Easter.  This measures 5" x 3 3/4".  This was attached to the white with adhesive.  Then both were attached to the front panel of the card base using adhesive too.

The added flowers are a stamp from the Thankful Garden Bundle.  This was stamped on a Basic White quarter sheet of cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

For this card, I got out my watercolor pencils in Daffodil Delight and Garden Green.  I hadn't used these for a long while and they needed some love and attention.  For the flower, I colored in the center of the flower pretty heavily.  Then a light touch was used over the rest of the flower.  It looked pretty as it was, but I used a Blender Pen to soften and blend the watercolor pencil.

For the leaves, I colored the veining with the Garden Green pencil and softened with the Blender Pen.

I wasn't exactly happy with the color, so I went into my retired ink pads and grabbed the Soft Succulent ink.  Using the same Blender Pen, I picked up a small amount of ink to add to each of the leaves.  I was much happier with the color I created.

The flowers were die-cut with the coordinating die.  When I laid it on the card front, the background white areas bothered me.  So, I got out my trusty Exacto Knife and performed a little surgery on the piece.  I like it much better now.  And I also went over the flowers and leaves with a little Wink of Stella to give it a touch of sparkle.  Then the centers of the flowers were added in stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink to finish.

The flowers were attached to the front panel of the card using Dimensionals.  

The sentiment is from the retired Delightful Dozen stamp set.  I have no idea how many years ago this set was available, but I still like it and use it.  I thought the curling font went well with the sketchy look of the images.  This was stamped on a 3/4" strip of Basic White cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  The ends are flagged to finish.  The label is attached over the stem using Dimensionals on the ends.

Next, we move to the inside of the card.

Opening the card and laying it out flat I worked on the two outer panels.  There are two pieces of the same DSP print used on the panels.  They measure 5 1/4" x 4".  Each are attached flat to their side panels using adhesive.

The center panel is the other white piece we cut earlier.  This has the same flowers stamped in the bottom corner using Daffodil Delight ink.

The sentiment is from the His Grace set which is another retired goodie from years back.  It's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

Closing the right panel of the card, you can see I stamped the flower again with Garden Green ink on the same color of cardstock.  This is die-cut, then attached flat to the plain panel.

A banner was stamped with a sentiment from the Faith Collection (current!!)  It's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on a 1/2" strip.  The ends were trimmed and flagged.  Then it was attached over the flower with adhesive.

On the open left panel, a Bible verse from the His Grace set was stamped with black ink onto a small white piece.  This was trimmed to fit around the verse and a layer of Garden Green was layered behind it.  Then it's attached flat to the panel with adhesive.

The last step was adding a touch of bling.  Three of the Low-Profile Dots in gold were added to finish the design.

Now that I'm done describing how to make this, I think it almost took longer to write about it than to make it!  Hehe.  Well, that's an exaggeration to be honest.  But it is a quick and easy card.  I love the surprise when you have an extra panel to open.  It just makes it a little more special in my opinion.

Don't forget there's only til the end of April to do your shopping from the annual catalog and the Jan - April Mini Catalog.  Check out the Last Chance list for the retiring items. Some are discounted very nicely too! Don't forget the cardstock prices are going up in the new catalog.  You might want to stock up on several of your favorite colors.  I know I love a bargain.  I'm guessing you do too.  

Thanks for sharing some of your weekend with me.  Now I need to get outside on this beautiful day and get something done!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Front Step Pop-Up Card

Greetings my stamping friends.  Today's card is a fun fold beauty that I'm sure you'll like.  Knowing how inept I can be when making fun fold cards, you can be sure I CASEd this card idea.  There's no way I'd be able to figure out dimensions and all by myself.  So, I want to give a big thanks to Lynn Dunn at stamptasticdesigns.com for sharing her lovely card.  After following her directions and making a similar card to her sample, I kept going and made another card that I'm sharing with you.  Hope you give this fun fold a try.  It's really not that hard to make once you wrap your head around the few basic parts you need.  Let's get creating.

I started with a base card of Pool Party.  Cut a piece a 11" x 4 1/4".  This is scored at 5 1/2".

For the front step section:  Cut a piece of Basic White cardstock 9 3/4" x 4".  Score on the long side at 2 1/4" and 4 1/2".  This is accordion folded, then the largest section is attached to the card front as shown.  I used "green glue" for this step.

Cut a floral print layer from the Wildflower Birthday DSP that measures 5" x 3 3/4".  This is attached over the white layer you just made.

Cut another piece of the same DSP print that measures 3 3/4" x 2".  This is attached to the front of the step out using "green glue".

Cut a piece of either Pool Party or the same DSP that measures 3 3/4" x 2".  This piece is attached inside the fold.  You can see where I attached the Pool Party layer from this picture.

Cut another piece of Pool Party cardstock.  This measures 4 1/4" x 3".  Cut another Basic White piece that measures 4" x 2 3/4".  This was embossed with the So Swirly Embossing Folder.  This sort of reminded me of frosting swirls.  You can use any other embossing you'd prefer.  After embossing, this layer is attached to the Pool Party layer with "green glue".  

Next, lay the card down flat and fold the step part closed.  This way you can position the Pool Party layer on the center of the front.  Lightly mark with a pencil and attach it only to the step portion.

The Wildflower Birthday DSP has 2 sheets of punch out pieces.  The cake piece and extra flowers comes from this.  The cake is attached to the white layer with Dimensionals.  This is closer to the top so the sentiment will fit.

A 3/4" strip of Basic White cardstock is used to stamp the Happy Birthday.  The sentiment comes from Arched Wishes stamp set.  It's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  It's trimmed to about 3 3/4" long and the ends are flagged.  This is attached below the bottom of the cake stand and onto the card base.  It's attached with Dimensionals.

The inside of the card base has a layer of Basic White that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  There is a 3/4" strip of pink and white diagonal checked DSP.  This is another print from the Wildflower Birthday DSP.  It's attached at the bottom of the white layer.  One of the printed punch-outs from the DSP pack is added as an extra accent.

Back to the front of the card for the addition of a little bling.  Another little flower was attached to the cake stand.  Then what was it going to be - gems or sequins?  This time I chose the Iridescent Faceted Gems.  They are so sparkly and match most any color you place them on.  So pretty and just the right amount of sparkle for a fancy birthday card.

Here's a last look at my birthday card.  I'm so happy with it!

Now I want to share the original card I made following Lynn Dunn's post.  

This is being held closed to show how it fits in a regular size envelope for mailing. 

The main colors are Garden Green and white.  The stamp set is the Thankful Garden set.   I used the masks and Blending Brushes to color the flowers and leaves.  The green print paper is from the Lovely Garden DSP pack.  This green print is just beautiful!

Only two colors were used for the coloring - Crushed Curry and Garden Green.  Both of these colors were added with a very soft touch to keep these fairly dark colors lighter on the image.

The new Mini Corrugated Embossing Folder was used here.  Isn't it a cute background?

The sentiment is from the Thankful Garden set, and it's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

Three of the Brushed Brass Butterflies were used for the accent on this card.  Looking at the card now, I'm thinking the little Bee Trinkets would be great here too.

I mentioned that I followed her instructions and colors - mostly.  There always have to be a few details that I change, because I can't help myself.  This is a beautiful card though and I'm very pleased with it.  I hope you too give this fun fold a try.   It's easier than it looks.

Just a heads up that the retired list is out.  Go to Last Chance List to see what will be leaving soon.  Don't wait too long to make those last-minute purchases of retiring stamps, cardstocks, products, and In Colors too.  Hope you'll consider putting my name in for your demonstrator.  Thanks!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

You Are Remarkable Card

Hello people!  Here it is, April 1st, and I think the weather is playing a joke on me.  The sun is shining, and it looks like a beautiful day.  But it's barely 60 degrees outside and I was shivering in the sun.  Guess I'll need that jacket after all.  Not quite summer yet.  Thinking about summer, that brings to mind the flowers and of course the bees buzzing around looking for sweet nectar.  That thought was on my mind when I was working on today's card idea.  Hope it reminds you of warm summer days with birds singing and bees buzzing.  Let me know what you think.

When I sat down to create, I had a totally different idea in mind.  First, I changed the DSP I was planning to use and next I changed the stamp set.  The only thing that is left of my original idea is the card template that I had planned to use.  I find it fascinating to go where the idea ends up taking me.  It's always a surprise when I keep changing my mind and adjusting my plans to what is working.  So, let me tell you about my card.

Start with a card base of Boho Blue.  This is retiring soon, and I will miss it so much!  This is folded in half for a basic card shape.

The next choice is the piece of Mixed Media Designer Series Paper.  (Online Exclusive)  This is a fun print that looks like dabs of paint, so it can be used for many different things.  This piece measures 5 1/4" x 2".  It is backed with a 5 1/2" x 2 1/4" piece of Basic White cardstock.  They are attached together with adhesive then attached to the card front about 1/4" from the left side.

Next job was cutting a piece of Basic White for stamping the focal point.  This piece measures 4" x 2 1/2".  The outline flower from the You Are Remarkable (Online Exclusive) set is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink in the center.  This is a two-step stamp so there are stamps to color in the image.  The petals were Flirty Flamingo ink, the leaves were Garden Green ink, and the flower center is stamped with Daffodil Delight ink.

Now the playing around begins.  I used a Blender Pen along with Poppy Parade ink to darken the petals near the center and add a small touch of shading.  A little Flirty Flamingo ink was added to a few petals also using the Blender Pen.

I wanted the leaves a little brighter, so a Light Shy Shamrock Stampin' Blends pen was used on portions of the leaves to change the color a bit.  On all the pictures, the leaves look much darker than they do in person.

The flower center has a few dots added in for shading.  I used a Pecan Pie Stampin' Blends pen.

The cardstock needed some color added to the edges.  Using a Blending Brush and Boho Blue ink, the edges were softened and darkened with color.  Always use a soft touch.  More ink can be easily added, but you can't take away too much ink!

After adding the background ink, the bee was added in with Memento Tuxedo Black.  The background still needed something more.  Wink of Stella was spattered over this piece.  (Make sure everything is out of the way when you spatter!)  This looked absolutely awesome but was hard to get a good picture to show the sparkle.  So pretty!

A layer of Basic White was cut to frame up the "artwork".  This measures 4 1/4" x 2 3/4".  The stamped layer is attached to this with adhesive.  Then this is attached to the card base with Dimensionals.  It's less than 1/2" from the right edge.

The sentiment is from the Mixed Labels Bundle.  (Online Exclusive)  It's stamped with Real Red ink on a scrap of Basic White.  (I tried Poppy Parade ink but wanted it darker.)  Then it's die-cut with the matching die from the set.  It's attached with Mini Dimensionals.

The inside of the card is fairly basic.  A piece of Basic White cardstock is cut to measure 5 1/4" x 4".  This has the flower stamped in the bottom right corner as an accent to bring the design inside the card.  It's stamped with Boho Blue ink.  A little bee is also stamped with the same ink as a cute little surprise accent.

All the design needed was a touch of bling to be finished.  I was actually looking for gems or sequins when I remembered the tiny Bee Trinkets.  Oh, perfect!  One of them is attached right over the stamped bee.  The other one is attached near the sentiment.  

Love this card!!  I really wish you could see how this card sparkles from the spattering of Wink of Stella.  I don't know why I don't add this step to more of my cards.  It really is a nice touch.

That's it for my card today, no foolin'.  I'm excited to get my new catalog soon.  I hope you are too.  But until it comes, I'll continue to stamp with the wonderful stamps and papers I already own.  Sometimes I get so caught up in the "new" that I totally ignore all the good stuff that I loved only months (or even days) ago.  

Thank you for stopping by today for a shot of inspiration.  Maybe you like the colors, or maybe it's the layout.  Whatever caught your eye, I hope you sit down and use that thought to create your own masterpiece.  It's sometimes frustrating when your idea sort of falls apart right in front of you.  But pick up those original pieces and see what you can create new from them.  That brings such satisfaction!

Before I go, I noticed some new items have been added to the Online Exclusive section of the store.  Make a point to visit often as there are new things added regularly now.  Some of my favorite stamps and bundles have been Online Exclusive items.  You never know what new treasures you'll find.  Ok, gotta run.  Talk to you soon.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon