Two Versions of a New Fun Fold Idea

 Good Morning!  It's always fun to get two for the price of one, isn't it?  Well today, I have two totally different looking versions of the same fun fold for you.  They both use the Rings of Love Designer Series Paper that I think most of you might own since it's free during Sale-a-Bration.  And if it's free, you might as well get it and use it.  Right?  Since today is August 31st, it's the very last day of Sale-a-Bration.  With that said, we needed to use something from Sale-a-Bration to celebrate the past two months.  So here we go...

This is a terrific way to showcase two sides of DSP that you really like and don't want to hide one of the sides.  Come on, I know there are prints in those DSP packs that you really don't care for, so you use only the 'good' side.  Well, on this one, I liked both sides and thought they would play nice together.  And all the bits and the tree ring on the top layer are all fussy cut from a piece of that same DSP.  So I guess I couldn't go wrong here!

To start, you need two pieces of cardstock that measure 5 1/2" x 4 1/4".  That means one half sheet of cardstock, cut in half.  One of those pieces need to be scored at 2 3/4" and folded in half.  For this card, I used Soft Suede for these.  Next you need one piece of DSP that measures 5 1/2" x 5 1/2".  This needs to be scored at 1 3/4" making sure any directional print is going up and down.  Lastly, you need two pieces of Basic White that measure 2 1/2" x 4" - one to go on the front and one for inside to write your sentiments.

After scoring the DSP, attach it to one of the Soft Suede layers lining up the top and bottom.  You should have a 1/4" border on each side.  For this card, I embossed one of the white layers with the Tree Rings Embossing Folder.  Afterwards I very lightly brushed on Crumb Cake and touches of Soft Suede ink with a Blending Brush.  This really did emphasize the embossing nicely without being way too busy looking.  This is attached to the folded Soft Suede layer making sure the fold in on the RIGHT side!  The other white layer is attached inside this mini card.

With all the fussy cut pieces I had done from a corner of the DSP, I chose a tree ring from one side of the paper, and some mushrooms, a berry sprig and butterfly from the other side to enhance the front of the card. The tree ring was added on flat with adhesive, while the other pieces all used Dimensionals to attach them.

The sentiment is from the Charming Sentiments Bundle.  It's stamped with Evening Evergreen ink onto Basic White cardstock.  Then it's die-cut with the coordinating die in the bundle.  This is a great sentiment set as there are so many to choose from.  Plus each of the sentiments has it's own die to match.  If you like the look of sentiments cut out like this, but could never get it cut just right, this bundle is definitely for you!  Here it's popped up on Dimensionals on top of the tree ring.

To attach the sentiment layers, you need to attach the backside to the inside layer.  Again, make sure the fold is on the RIGHT side.  Use adhesive to attach in the center of the card as shown.

To close, fold in the flap on the left, then the top flap from the right.  That gives you the two folds and shows both of the Designer Paper prints.  It's easy to do but fun.  Plus it folds up nice and flat for mailing.  Yay!

You know me, if I try something new, I usually have to make another one right away, so I don't forget what I did.  LOL  Of course, you never have problems like that.  Anyway,  I thought I'd use another of the Tree Rings DSP prints and change things up a little.  Boy did I ever!  I chose to use Poppy Parade cardstock as it was one of the colors listed to match with the paper.  I knew I didn't want to do another floral design because that's always what I do.  So...  Here we are with a cute little ladybug instead!

I think she turned out pretty dog-gone cute.  Mint Macaron was the greenish-color in the plaid so I carried that through to the large leaf.  The little ladybug is punched from both Basic Black and Poppy Parade cardstocks.  The black wing-dots were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  She is attached to the card front with Dimentionals, with added Dimensionals under her wings to help her take off and fly.  As an added bonus, she has eight Classic Matte Dots added to her wings for some bling.  She insisted it didn't make her wings too heavy to fly.

The sentiment came from the Nature's Prints stamp set.  It's been stamped with Night of Navy ink.

Hope you enjoyed these two versions of a new fun fold.  I don't think I'd ever made one just like this before.  So, it's another one for the Fun Fold File.  Have fun giving this idea a try and let me know what you think of it.  

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Cottage Wreath Double Header

Wishing you all a wonderful Sunday today.  I had made a card a few days ago and didn't get around to posting it.  Since then, I've made another card using the same stamps, dies, and Designer Paper.  So today I figured I'd get them both posted so you can compare and contrast.  It always surprises me when I can use the same products and change the colors and layout and two (or more) cards end up looking nothing at all alike.  That's the idea I'd like to share with you today.  Since both cards are pretty straight forward, instead of lots of info, I'll just give you the basic information.  OK?

The stamps used on both cards are the Country Wreath set with the Country Wreaths Dies set.

1st card starts with a base of Crushed Curry that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half.  The first layer is Mossy Meadow at 5 1/4" x 4".  A layer of Gingham Cottage DSP that measures 5" x 3 3/4" is added to the Mossy Meadow using adhesive.  A color for the DSP print is not llisted, but I believe it's So Saffron.

A layer of Very Vanilla cardstock is cut to 3 1/4" x 2 3/4".  This piece is used portrait style with the longer part up and down.  The leafy wreath is stamped on this using Soft Suede ink that has been off-stamped first to keep it a fairly soft color tone.

This is layered onto a piece of 3" x 3 1/2" Kraft cardstock using adhesive.  After layering, you can add it to the card front with Dimensionals.

The cluster of oak leaves in the set were stamped with Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry, and Cajun Craze ink to give me an assortment of fall leaves.  The bow was stamped with Mossy Meadow ink.  The acorns were inked with Cajun Craze and Crumb Cake.  After everything was stamped, they were die-cut using the coordinating dies.   

The sentiment was stamped with Mossy Meadow ink onto a 1/2" strip of Very Vanilla.  It has an end punched with the Banner Pick a Punch.  A piece of the Kraft cardstock backs it and is also punched with the Banner Pick a Punch.    It's attached flat to the card front with adhesive.

The leaves are layered up with Mini Glue Dots and/or adhesive onto the wreath with the bow added on also.  Acorns are added both to the bow and the sentiment.  Extra leaves are scattered on the bottom corner of the card.

I don't always show you the inside of my cards, but I really love how this one turned out.  Partial wreaths are stamped both on top and bottom diagonal corners.  I kept it light just like the front.  Instead of layering leaves onto them, I just stamped some leaves with the same colors on each of them.  Really like how this adds to the card!

No extra bling was added to this card.  I liked it just as is!

This is the second version of the Cottage Wreath with Gingham Cottage DSP.  Totally different look.

This starts with a base of Basic White Thick cardstock cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half.  There is a 4" x 5 1/4" layer of Basic White that's embossed with the Timber 3D embossing folder.  A 2" x 5 1/4" layer of the Gingham Cottage DSP gray plaid is attached to this with adhesive.  The layer is then attached to the card base with Dimensionals.

Instead of stamping a wreath this time, the larger open wreath is cut from Basic Gray cardstock, and the smaller wreath is cut from Smoky Slate.  They are layered together using Multi Purpose Liquid Glue, then attached to the card front also using the same Liquid Glue.  

There are several leaf sprays each cut from Basic Black and Basic Gray cardstocks.  These are attached to the left side of the wreath and attached with adhesive.  

A bow is die-cut from Silver Foil Specialty Paper.  This one I chose to use is almost a semi-matte silver look.  It's attached over the leaves with a Mini Dimensional.

A spider was stamped on Smoky Slate with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and die-cut with matching die from the set.  A Basic Black marker drew in the web line that the spider is hanging from.  A large Matte Black Dot is centered on the spider body.  Smaller Matte Black Dots are used on the wreath.

Boo was stamped on a skinny Basic White strip.  It was trimmed close and the backed with a Basic Black strip.  It's carefully tucked in under the plaid paper near the bottom.  

There were some extra leaves and a second spider that seem to have ended up inside the card.  I just couldn't let them go to waste, now could I?

There you have it - a twosome of cards using the Cottage Wreath stamp set and Country Wreaths Dies.  The first card is mostly stamping, the second is mostly die-cuts.  And both use the Gingham Cottage Designer Series Paper.  I wasn't too sure about using some of these bold plaids, but so far, I'm having fun with them.  Give them a try and see what you can make with them!

Wonderful World Take 2

Hey there!  I promised I'd be back today with another version of the Wonderful World stamp set and Designer Paper Bundle that Stampin' Up! is offering during Sale-a-Bration this month.  When you place a $100 US order, you can get these two items at no extra cost to you.  And they are really worth it!!  I think sometimes Stampin' Up! saves back some of its very best ideas to offer as freebies during Sale-a-Bration.  There are always a good number of items that I can't wait to get my hands on and play with.  Right?  Hope you've been able to get some "wonderful" items too!

For today's card idea, I took my cues from the DSP print for color and feel of the card.  This print gave off a vibe that spoke of vintage wallpaper to me.  Maybe you see it differently, but that was my inspiration for the card.  Note- there are some retired items used here.  If that's a problem, guess you need to quit reading right now.  😏 That said, let's move on.  This DSP measures 5 1/4" x 4".  It's attached to the folded Blackberry Bliss card with adhesive.   The Blackberry Bliss measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" that's scored and folded in half.

The iris used is of course from the Wonderful World stamp set.  The DistINKtive images in this set are so nicely detailed and easy to work with.  For this card, I used markers directly to the stamp, huffed, then stamped onto the Basic White cardstock.  Both Rich Razzleberry and Blackberry Bliss markers were used on the flower and an Old Olive marker was used on the stem and leaves.  This is a great way to get more than one color on a single detail stamp.  

After stamping the iris on the Basic White cardstock, I looked for a die that has a vintage feel to it.  I found this one from the retired Tasteful Label Die set.  It was the perfect size and shape for the iris.  To frame it, I chose the Layering Ovals Die set, which is also retired.  It makes a very nice frame of Old Olive cardstock behind the white.  These are layered together with adhesive.  

The sentiment is from the Peaceful Moments stamp set on page 29 in the Annual Catalog.  I love the mixed font look of the set, and wouldn't this be a wonderful anniversary card?  It's stamped to the right onto a 3/4" x 4" strip of Basic White cardstock using Blackberry Bliss ink.  It's backed with an Old Olive strip that measures 1" x 4 1/4".   It's layered together with adhesive, then attached to the card front about 1" up from the bottom edge.  This is attached with adhesive too to keep it flat to the surface.

Now it's time to add the iris layers.  They are attached with Dimensionals to the left side of the card front and slightly overlap the sentiment layers.  I used a Blackberry Bliss Blends to color the 1/4" White Crinkled Seam Binding.  It's tied into a sweet bow and added to the iris with Mini Glue Dots.  The last little bits are the pearls.  They had color added with the same Blackberry Bliss Blends.  Then three were attached in a row to the left of the sentient. 

There you have it - another card to add to my stash for the next rash of anniversaries.  I love having friends that are having anniversaries of 50 years and more!  What a testament to love and lots of compromise over all those years!  An inspiration to be sure!

Thanks for stopping back again to see what's new.  No telling where my next foray into stamping will take me.  It's time to go downstairs and have a look around and make a choice for the next card.  Hope you'll join me on my stamping journey.

Just a quick reminder that Sale-a-Bration is going on until the end of August.  You still have a couple of weeks to cash in on the free items you can get when you spend either $50 or $100 or more.  Stampin' Up! has added more choices to the Sale-a-Bration freebies since they were selling out so fast.  Click here to see what's been added for you.  If you have any questions, please feel free to call and I can place your order for you or walk you through doing it on your own.  Remember, if you order is under $150, please use the Host Code shown at the top right of my blog page.  It's much appreciated.

Happy stamping and creating!

Sharon

Wonderful World Take 1

Hello Friend!   Oh my!  How did we fly through July already and land in August? The summer has really flown by this year.  Time seems to be going by quicker and quicker.  Of course, it really doesn't, but it sure feels that way lately.  Since we're in August already, this is a gentle reminder that Sale-a-Bration is half over.  And two of the items are already gone - the Pool Party & Soft Sea Foam Cards and Envelopes pack, and the Tree Lot Dies.  I'm so bummed because I was waiting to get the Tree Lot Dies this month.  😞😢 Oh well, I'll have to set my sights on something else instead.  One of the items you can receive free with a $100 order is the Wonderful World stamp set and Wonderful World 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper combo.  Lovely?  Oh yes and make that a great big yes!  The stamp set is a 'DistINKtive' stamp that means lots of lovely detail etched right into the stamps.  So every time you stamp, you have great detail! And the DSP is a lovely mix of prints in a pleasing color palette that you'll love.  Those are the items I've been working with the last day or two.  Here's the first card idea.

I've been sending out lots of anniversary cards the last two months and I've totally run through my stash.  I made this one as an anniversary card to start filling up my stash again.  I guess June, July, and August were great wedding months!  

This card starts out with a Starry Sky base that's 11" x 4 1/4", scored at 5 1/2" and folded in half.  I love how the Starry Sky cardstock really enhances the colors of the Wonderful World DSP print that I chose.  The DSP measures 4" x 5 1/4" and is attached to the card base with adhesive.  

To stay with the rectangular card shape, I cut a piece of Basic White cardstock with the Stitched Rectangle Dies that just framed the Bachelor Buttons stamp.  To stamp it, the whole stamp was first inked with Rich Razzleberry.  Then I used Sponge Daubers with Old Olive ink on the stems and leaves, and Starry Sky ink to add color to the center of one flower and very lightly on the outer edge of the top flower.  Make sure you 'huff' on the stamp before stamping.  It's amazing how just a little extra ink on a Sponge Dauber can change the look of the flowers so dramatically!

You can get a good look at how the sponging of a little color really makes a big difference.  I didn't worry about getting the Old Olive color sponged right to the edge by the flower.  Just get it close and it works fine.  Any part that's still darker just looks like shading.

After stamping, the rectangle was attached to the card front with Dimensionals.  It's placed a little higher than the middle. 

The sentiment comes from the Celebrating You stamp set found on page 17 of the Annual Catalog.  This is a set of sentiments that cover pretty much anything you need throughout the year.  I love when you're able to go back to use a set over and over again.  Lots of different fonts too.  I stamped the anniversary one on a 1/2" strip of Basic White cardstock.  Starry Sky ink was used on this.  After stamping, it's trimmed shorter and then punched with the Banner Pick A Punch on each end.  To make it stand out even more, a skinny strip of Silver Foil that measures 3 1/4" x 1/4" was added.  This attaches behind the sentiment strip, then it's added to the card front with Mini Dimensionals.

A triple bow of the pretty Metallic Starry Sky Ribbon is attached under the sentiment using Mini Glue Dots.  For some extra bling (besides the Silver Foil and Metallic Ribbon), three Rhinestone Basic Jewels were scattered around the flowers.  

Last look at our card.  So pretty and perfect for the next anniversary that comes along.  Like I mentioned in the beginning, this paper is simply gorgeous!  Very feminine prints and the colors are lovely too.  That's it for the first card.  It's fairly simple and comes together quickly.  Tomorrow's card will be another look at this combo.

Don't forget to get your orders in as soon as possible so you don't miss out on your freebies!  Items do 'sell' out quickly and the stock won't be replenished on any Sale-a-Bration item.

There's a new special coming on September 1st that you'll love.  I'll have information coming soon for you.  So stay tuned for further info!

On a side note, I've been dealing with A Fib issues again and running a little slower than usual.  My meds are being adjusted to try to get it back under control.  Please pray.  I'd appreciate it!  Thank you, my good friends!!

Happy stamping and creating!

Sharon

Splendid Thoughts Today

Hello and Happy Sunday to you!  I hope you're taking some time out from your frenzied life for a little relaxing and refreshing your soul.  I always look forward to Sundays and going to church as a way to take stock in my life and look at life from another perspective. Today we went to a different church to find one that feels more like home to us all.  I don't think this one will be my new church home, but I do feel like I've learned something new that I can incorporate into my way of thinking.  Needless to say, I still have so much to learn and adjust in my attitudes and actions to live a more Christ-like life.  Praise God that He loves me - imperfections and all!

Today I'm sharing a card that was inspired by cards that Connie and I made on my past visit in June.  The originals used a product that was non-Stampin'Up! (shhh, don't tell anyone!)  I wanted to do a remake using one of the new Sale-a-Bration items - the Silver & Gold 6" x 6" Designer Series Paper that you can get free with a $50 order.  This DSP is so pretty and looked to be the perfect backdrop for my card design.

The card base is a half sheet of Basic White cardstock that's scored and folded.  A piece of the Silver & Gold DSP that measures 4 1/4" x 3" was layered across the center of the card using adhesive.  The small sentiment "sending hugs" is from the new Splendid Thoughts stamp set on page 65 of the new July - December 2022 holiday catalog.  It was stamped down in the bottom right corner using Soft Succulent ink.  This was set aside while all the other plants were stamped, colored, and die-cut.

Now we get to the stamping of the awesome images in the Splendid Thoughts set.  I just love the look of the eucalyptus branch in the set, so that was a "must use" item for the card. I'm not sure what the other plant is, but that was used too.  Both plants were stamped with Soft Succulent ink onto Basic White cardstock.  They were colored with both the Light and Dark Soft Succulent Stampin' Blends.  It was so easy to color in with the Light. shade with the Dark, and then go back and blend with the Light again.  I just love the look of these!  

The plants were cut using the coordinating Splendid Stems Dies.  There are the two dies that fit these plants, plus five dies for open-work leaves of different sizes to choose from.  Plus, it has a die for this cool half-circle that I used as a planter and a die for the bee in the set too.  Lots to choose from.  I die-cut four of the open-work leaves and the planter from Soft Succulent cardstock to keep the card quite neutral with all the tone-on-tone going on that I had done the first time around.

When I had all the pieces die-cut that I was going to need, I used Stampin' Seal on the back of the planter and started placing the pieces the way I wanted from the back.  You know, placing the front images on first and filling in around and behind them.  When they were all positioned, I carefully used more Stampin' Seal and also Mini Glue Dots to get everything attached to the front of the card.

The last step is of course the bling.  I thought about using rhinestones, but with the gold striping on the DSP, I thought the Brushed Brass Butterflies was a nice subtle accent without being too much.  I sure am using those little butterflies a lot.  They just seem to be the perfect touch!

Now that you've seen the remake, I thought you might like to see the originals Connie and I made.  Of course, we start out with the same basic design and then off we go down our own creative paths. 

My design is on the top here.  You can see I stuck pretty much with my original design, except for the Very Vanilla Cardstock used here.  The gold striping is from a wide Washi Tape Connie has that is truly beautiful.  I thought it looked better with Very Vanilla, but Connie preferred it with Basic White.  The Sale-a-Bration Silver & Gold DSP is shown on the right next to our cards for a comparison.  The gold lines are much finer and closer together for a really different look.

Connie and I used the same colors, but totally different layouts as you can see.  This is one of the best parts of stamping - the creativity!  No matter how many times you pick up the same set, you can always make just a few tweaks or do some major changes, and you always get something different and wonderful and totally you!!

Well, there you have it for today. Hope you enjoyed both Connie's and my take on the Splendid Thoughts stamp set.  It is really an awesome set and I plan on using it again soon.  I've already got more ideas percolating for this set!

Thank you, ladies, for your recent orders.  I truly appreciate each and every one of you!  I feel so very blessed to have a wonderful group of friends supporting me.  If you have any questions about my cards, or anything else, feel free to contact me.  I love hearing from you!  And a huge thanks for the gorgeous cards that have been coming in the mail for me.  It's such a blessing to feel the outpouring of love each time I get another card in the mail.  Love you so much!!!  Your ideas and creativity astound me and makes me want to stretch myself even further.  Thank you so much.

Blessings and many hugs,

Sharon