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