Sunflower Fields with Template

Hey there!  Today I'm back creating with the gorgeous Sunflower Fields Designer Series Paper.  I love the rich autumn colors used with this paper.  Reminds me of driving in Michigan in the fall when all the trees are changing and it's just a patchwork of autumn colors.  The change of colors isn't that dramatic here and I miss all that glorious color!  So, when I saw this paper pack with all the gorgeous color and add in all the sunflowers too, it was definitely a must have item for me.  I've already made a more muted design with this paper.  Now it's time to focus on the color.  Plus, this card uses a template for cutting that you can use over and over.

Doesn't this design just warm you up from the inside out?  Sorry, getting a little carried away here.  The idea here was to keep the DSP front and center but add a little interest to the design.  There are three panels cut consecutively from a piece of DSP.  Each panel measures 1 1/2" x 3 1/2".  Make sure you keep them in order when constructing the card so you can see the total design.

Next a layer of Early Expresso cardstock was cut.  This measures 5" x 3 3/4".  The three panels of print paper were lined up and attached to this. I found that lining them up on the layer and attaching first one side then the other side kind of eyeballing the edges worked the best.  Then just add the center panel in the middle.  Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue works best for me so there's a little wiggle time to get it straight.

The next step was choosing the card base.  Cajun Craze really made the colors stand out, so a piece was cut to measure 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  This was scored and folded in half.

The panel with the DSP was attached to the center of the card base using Dimensionals.

The sentiment used here is from the Radiant Sunflowers set.  It's stamped on a piece of Basic White cardstock using Early Espresso ink.  The white panel is 2" x 1 1/4".

There is a piece of Cajun Craze cardstock added behind the sentiment.  It measures 2 1/8" x 1 3/8".  They're attached with adhesive.  Then this is added to the card base with Dimensionals.

The inside has a layer of Basic White added.  This measures 5 1/4" x 3 1/2" just to be a little different.  

This is another sentiment from the Radiant Sunflowers set.  Again, I used Early Espresso ink to stamp it to keep with the warm colors.

To bring the design to the inside, a 1/2" piece of the same print was added to the bottom of the layer.  This brightens the inside so much.

To finish the front of the card, a bow was made from the new Neutrals Jute Combo.  This jute combo has 5 different colors to fit all the fall cards you want to make.  Several of the colors in the set worked, but I liked the Pecan Pie color the best.  The bow was added with a Mini Glue Dot to hold in place.

Three of the new Gold Adhesive-backed Dots were added to the design.  These are a soft muted matte gold that is so pretty.

So now you've got this versatile template to use with your DSP prints that you've been hanging on to because they're so pretty.  Time to get them out and use them.  Then send them out in the mail so someone else can enjoy it too!

I know this is last minute, but if you're planning on making an order soon, do it by August 21st.  Stampin'Up! is giving double rewards on all orders!!  And there are selected cardstock and DSP packs that are on sale.  Go online and see what basics you might need that are on sale now to take advantage of both sales!!

Thanks for stopping in today for your latest inspiration fix.  I hope you love this template idea and find ways to use it yourself.  There are so many templates that are similar to this.  Some have four panels or even more.  Just play around with the idea and make it work for you.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Fun For Fall Card

Hello friends and happy fall y'all!  I've made a sharp pivot away from summer and have jumped solidly into fall with the cards I've made in the last few days.  That means I've got a lot to share and need to start in getting these posts written.  Have you seen the Fun For Fall stamp and die bundle in the Online Exclusives yet?   I love scarecrows so this set was a must-have for me.  But when I got it and really paid attention to all the details included in the bundle, I was totally hooked.  If you like die-cutting (yes Sue, this is you for sure!) you'll love this set too.  This card features both the die-cutting and coloring to make a cute fall scene.

The card starts with a card base of Pecan Pie which is a perfect fall color.  This is 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is folded in half.  Next is a skinny layer of Basic Black cardstock that measures 5 3/8" x 4 1/8".  On top of this is a layer of Golden Glow.  This is such a lovely warm color and perfect for the card.  The layer measures 5 1/4" x 4".  These layers are attached together with adhesive.

Next is a layer of Basic White that we'll do all the stamping and layering onto before attaching to the card front.  I started with Blending Brushes and both Balmy Blue and Old Olive inks.  The blue was blended across the top two-thirds for the sky, and the bottom has a blending of Old Olive to look like grass.

Next the hay bales and crows were stamped onto Basic White with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  There were three bales and 5 crows stamped.  They were colored with Stampin'Blends:

Hay - Golden Glow Light

Twine - Crumb Cake Light

Beaks - Daffodil Delight Dark

Bodies - Pebbled Path Dark (I wanted it a little lighter than black)

After coloring, these pieces were die-cut with the matching dies in the set.  Then it was time to die-cut the rest of the pieces for the card.

Corn stalks - Old Olive cardstock (cut 4 times)

Ears - Daffodil Delight cardstock (cut enough to fit stalks)

Fence - Crumb Cake cardstock (cut 3 sections)

Before adding anything to the white layer, the sentiment was stamped near the top of the layer.   I used Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

The ears of corn were attached behind the greenery with a little dab of adhesive.  Then 3 of the stalks were positioned on the left of the card and attached with adhesive.  Then 2 of the fence sections were attached over the corn.  Used adhesive for this. 

 

Then the right side was worked on.  First the 3 stacked hay bales were attached with adhesive.  Then 3 of the crows were added.  I didn't want to use Dimensionals, but wanted a little definition.  So, each of the crows have two Mini Glue Dots rolled up and placed behind them to hold in place to add just a little height.

I couldn't resist the "hay there" sentiment, so it was stamped under the first sentiment.  I'm still wishy-washy about whether I should have added it.  But it's there now, so it's staying!

The white layer was finished so it was attached to the card front with adhesive.  (I tried Dimensionals, but I didn't like it, so they were peeled off)

For the inside of the card, I thought it would be fun to have a mini version of the card front added inside too.

The bottom of the layer has a small band of Old Olive ink blended along this to mimic the front.  I added the last corn stalk set to the right with the fence added in front of it.  

The sentiment is another one from the Fun For Fall set.  It's stamped with the same black ink.

I couldn't forget the last couple of crows that were left.  They were added to the inside with Mini Glue Dots also.  Then this white layer was attached inside the card to finish it.

There's no extra bling added to this card.  With all the die-cut layers going on, there didn't seem to be a need for anything else.  I think it would just get too busy looking.

Thanks for hanging out with me on this fall adventure.  There will be a few more coming soon.  Hope you're ready for fall.  Since kids are back to school now, it seems to be the right time for fall themed creations.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Thankful for You Card

Hello Friends!   Today's card idea is a real mishmash of a whole stack of stamp sets and dies.  It consists of a touch of this and a little smidgeon of that with a sprinkle of something else.  This is what happens when you've got lots of bits of leftover pieces from the last several cards just lying there staring at you.  I decided to find a way to put them all together and this is what I've come up with.  Let me know what you think.  Try to be kind, please! 

I wish the colors were a little truer on this photo compared to real life.  The background layer looks so washed out in the picture when in reality the pumpkin is stamped on the same color cardstock with the same color ink.  It really shouldn't look so different!

The base layer for the card is Peach Pie that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and then embossed with the Bark 3D Embossing Folder to give it some interest.

The first layer is one of the prints in the Elegant Pines Snowflakes Designer Series Paper pack.  It is a lovely Old Olive watercolor print that I have enjoyed using with the Delicate Pines stamp and die bundle.  I'll get back to that on another day.  This is cut with the 2nd largest die in the Branching Out set.  I love this shape to make the layers really stand out.  This layer is attached to the folded card base with "green glue".

The next layer is where all the action is going on.  It's the 2nd smallest die from the same set - Branching Out.  This time it cuts a layer of Basic Beige cardstock.  I thought this matched nicely with the design of the Elegant Pines Snowflakes DSP.  Before attaching it to the card front, a sentiment was stamped on it.  The sentiment is from the Gathering Moments stamp set and Memento Tuxedo Black ink was used.

There is a die that is a lovely spray of leaves in the Delicate Pines Die set.  This was used to cut a pile of leaves from the Splendid Autumn 6" x 6" DSP pack.  I have so many partial pieces of paper left from cards previously made using this paper that it's great to use some of these "scraps" up!

The oak leaf at the bottom of the design was also cut from this DSP.  The leaf die is part of the Amber Autumn die set.  And the leaves surrounding the pumpkin were also cut from the same DSP pack.  Like I said, love the paper and lots of scraps put to good use!

The pumpkin used is from the Beautiful Pumpkins bundle.  It's stamped onto Peach Pie cardstock with Peach Pie ink for the base color.  The detail stamp over this is stamped with Pumpkin Pie ink.  Then it's die-cut with the matching die.  The stem is cut from the same DSP print as some of the different leaves.

The pumpkin and leaves were attached to the design first using Dimensionals.  Then all the other leaves were clustered around the design.  Some needed to be trimmed before being used if they didn't fit quite right.

After trying several different kinds of embellishments for this design, I liked how the Cajun Craze & Gold Dots blended in with all the colors on the card.  They seemed to enhance the nice fall colors of the leaves.

Just need one more look at this autumn design.  If you were counting along, how many stamp and die sets did you count?  How many different DSP packs?

Hope you like this idea using multiple sets of stamps and dies to pull a card idea together.  You just never know what will work together until you start playing around with different elements of a design.  Get creative and play some mix & match with your stamps and dies.  It's fun!

Thanks for stopping by to see what's going on around here.  Hopefully I'll be back soon with another installment.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Autumn Wishes for You

Hello, my lovely creative friends!  I just love the look of the easy autumn card I have for you today.  Do you have the Gathering Together DSP yet?  If not, you really need to get this gorgeous autumn themed paper pack.  There isn't a print in the whole pack that I don't really like - a lot!  The fine gold detail accent lines just make this DSP pack over the top.  Let me show you the simple, but elegant, card that I recently made to share with you.

My card starts out with a Basic Beige cardstock base that matches the background of this particular print.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.

Next there is a layer cut of the same Basic Beige.  This measures 5 1/4" x 4".  On the bottom right corner, a sentiment from the Amber Autumn bundle was stamped.  Early Espresso ink was used for this so it's nice and dark.

Then the layer is embossed with the Exposed Brick 3D Embossing Folder to add extra texture.  I think this really adds to the overall look of the design.

After embossing, the layer was attached to the front of the card base.  I used "green glue" for this to get a really good bond.

I think you can get a good look at the texture the embossing adds in this picture.

Next a 3" x 3" piece of the Gathering Together DSP print was cut.  Since it's got an all-over print, I had to decide which way I wanted to be up.  I chose to focus on the brown mushroom for orientation.

A layer of Cajun Craze cardstock was cut to frame the print.  It measures 3 1/4" x 3 1/4".  I love how the Cajun Craze really makes this print really pop.  I was planning on using a smaller layer to give just a small frame of color to the DSP, but I liked the bolder look of this.

It was then attached to the card front with Dimensionals to make it stand out nicely.

This is where I kind of went off the rails a bit.  I was working on some cards for the church shut-ins right before making this card.  I try to use up some of my retired supplies while making these cards.  One of my favorite colors recently has been Copper Clay.  Remember that one?  Well, I had cut several leaves from an Amber Autumn die from the Copper Clay cardstock.  I seemed to have a few left over when I was finished with the cards.  So, one of them meandered right onto this card and decided to stay.  I really could have cut one from the Cajun Craze, but why not use what was sitting right here?  It's attached with just a few touches of "green glue" to hold it steady and keep it from "falling" any further.

Lastly was deciding what bling this card needed.  Just plain gold to pick up the gold details?  No, I chose to use the Cajun Craze & Gold Dots for the card instead.  There are three of them sprinkled on the design and I think they're the perfect accent.

Hope you liked this idea.  It is a wonderful layout when you want to make the most of those fabulous DSP prints.  If you need multiple cards of the same design, you can get 16 pieces of 3" x 3" DSP from just one sheet.  That gives you the wow of the DSP just in smaller pieces.

If you happen to be reading this between October 6th and 8th, you're in luck!  Did you hear that Stampin'Up! is offering all their kits at a discount of between 10 -30% these 3 days?  You can get your favorite kits on sale.  Yes, you heard me right.  I'm sure there's a kit or two that you've been eyeing and now's the time to get them.  Plus, there are several new kits that have just been added to the line-up.  Make sure you check this out and don't miss your opportunity.

Thanks for spending time with me today.  Hope you have time to get creative and crafty and have some relaxing fun.  And then make sure you send your fabulous creations out to family and friends to put a smile on their faces too.  That just makes everybody happy!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

New Beautiful Pumpkins

Hello, hello!  What do you think?  Are you ready for fall?  The children have been back at school for two weeks already in our area. It's gotten a little cooler lately (only in the 70's and 80's instead of the high 90's).  So, I'm declaring that fall is here and it's time for pumpkins!  Yay!!  I love this time of year and I'm always ready to jump into new autumn ideas.  Are you ready to join me?  Just a few more days and you'll be able to see the new batch of Online Exclusive items that will span autumn/Halloween through Christmas/winter and everything in between.  How exciting!  As a demonstrator I was able to see and purchase these offerings early and I've been having fun with the new Beautiful Pumpkins set.  Let's jump right in to see what I made first.

When I was creating with the Prairie Grass stamp set recently, I stamped an extra couple of Basic White cardstock pieces with the tall grasses.  I just love the look of them, so I figured it would be interesting to see what I could use with them.  Enter the new Beautiful Pumpkins set.  Don't them work nicely together?  Just a reminder - if you're looking for either the Prairie Grass or the Beautiful Pumpkins sets in the catalog; you won't find them there.  Only in the Online Exclusive section!!

The Basic White cardstock is 5" x 3 3/4" with the grasses stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink to the left side.  Old Olive ink was added with a Blending Brush to the bottom third of the cardstock.  Pool Party was added with the Blending Brush to the upper 2/3 section with blending in the middle.  I chose Pool Party for the sky area because Pumpkin Pie is opposite the color wheel and a great contrast.

This layer was attached to a Basic Black layer that measures 5 1/8" x 3 7/8".  This gives just a tiny black outline to define the design layer.  Then this was attached to the folded Pumpkin Pie card base using adhesive to keep the card thinner for mailing.

Now we start in on those pumpkins.  This is a two-step stamp.  That means the stamps will add all the detail for you with the successive layers of stamping.  For myself, I think the pumpkins were easier to stamp with the darker detail layer first and then stamp the more solid lighter area last.  For the two darker pumpkins, I stamped the detail with Cajun Craze ink and then the Pumpkin Pie solid stamp over this.  For the lighter pumpkin, Timid Tiger ink was stamped with the detail first and Pumpkin Pie solid over this.  Because I stamped these onto Basic White cardstock, the highlight detail seemed too white, so I used a Water Brush and lightly moved the ink into the white areas leaving a soft peach tone instead.

The stems were stamped with Pecan Pie ink.  Then both the stems and pumpkins were die-cut with the matching dies in the bundle.

There are several die options for leaves available in the bundle.  I used the three smaller leaves for this card.  They are all cut from Old Olive cardstock.  Then the pumpkins, stems, and leaves were all arranged at the bottom of the design layer.  One pumpkin was attached flat, with the other two popped up on Dimensionals and the leaves tucked in around them.

The next step is finding a sentiment that worked for the card.  The Wonderful Thoughts stamp set has a nice small sentiment that worked nicely here.  It's stamped onto a Basic White strip that's just a touch wider than 1/2".  I used Memento Tuxedo Back ink to stamp it.  The ends were angle cut to give it some extra interest.  There was a 1/4" strip of Basic Black on my desk and I liked the look of just a small amount showing at the bottom edge.  I taped them together then trimmed the ends to match the label.  This was attached to the card front with Dimensionals.

The last step was finding the perfect bit of bling for the card.  I've been watching a good number of butterflies in our yard this year, so that's what I tried for this card.  I think the butterflies added a nice, understated look here.  

And that's it for the first 'test-drive' of the new Beautiful Pumpkins bundle that will be available in September in the Online Exclusive section of the Stampin'Up! store.  Make sure you take the time to check this out and all the other fabulous new items available there.  I think some of their very finest products are to be found in the Online Exclusive section!

Thank you for dropping in today.  Hope you like this look at one of the newest offerings by Stampin'Up!.  It was fun creating and should put a smile on someone's face.

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

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

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

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

Autumn Latte Card

Hello my friends.  Do you like those autumn specialty beverages?  I love pumpkin spice lattes, chai teas, and spiced cider.  When fall rolls around, I'm ready for some wonderful, tasty beverages.  For this first card I've made using the new More Than Autumn Bundle, I went with a pumpkin spice theme.  Next one?  Who knows.  It'll probably depend on which one I'd like to be drinking at the time!  Grab your favorite autumn beverage and let's make a card.

Doesn't this just make you want to grab a pumpkin spice latte?  Yum.  For this card, I stayed with the basics of Cajun Craze and Very Vanilla with a few other colors thrown in for contrast.

Start with a piece of Cajun Craze cardstock that measures 5 1/2" x 5 1/4".  This is scored so there is a 1" flap on the left side.  

Next a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock is cut to measure 5 1/2" x 4 1/8".  This is embossed with the Distress Tile 3D Embossing Folder.  A Blending Brush and some Crumb Cake ink added a light blending of color over this layer.  The Very Vanilla layer was lined up with the backside of the card.  Adhesive was added to the inside of the card's front flap, then it was folded down to hold the Very Vanilla layer in place.

A 3/4" strip was cut from a print from the Iconic Celebrations 6" x 6" DSP.  The strip was trimmed to measure 5 1/4" to fit the card.  It's attached to the front flap with adhesive for a nice contrast of color and texture.

A piece of the Country Woods Designer Series Paper was cut to 5 1/4" x 3 1/4".  The largest rectangle die from the Everyday Details set was cut from the center of this.  The outer edge was saved for another project and the inner rectangle was used here.  A 4" x 2 1/2" piece of Cajun Craze cardstock was cut to frame this.  The two pieces were attached with adhesive.  Set aside.

A strip of 1/2" Very Vanilla was used to stamp the sentiment with Cajun Craze ink and trimmed to fit after stamping.  The sentiment is from the More Than Autumn Bundle.  A 3" x 3/4" piece of Cajun Craze was cut to frame the sentiment.  Set aside.

A 3/4" x 2 3/4" piece of Early Espresso cardstock was backed with an Adhesive Sheet.  Then it was die-cut with the "Nothing's Better Than" die from the same set.  The rectangle that was previously made was positioned on the card so it and the die-cut sentiment would fit.  The rectangle is attached with Dimensionals.  The backing from the adhesive layer was stripped from the die-cut and then the sentiment was attached above the rectangle.  Adding this adhesive layer is the easiest way to attach these word die-cuts.

A cup was stamped with Early Espresso ink onto Very Vanilla cardstock.  The pumpkin image was added by stamping with Cajun Craze ink.  The cup was colored with Blending Pens - Pool Party Light & Dark and Crumb Cake Light.  The pumpkin was colored in with a Blender Pen just moving the ink that was already there.  The whipped cream was stamped with Crumb Cake ink onto Basic White cardstock.  The Blender Pen softened the edges of the whipped cream before cutting.  Both the cup and the cream were die-cut with matching dies from the set.  Both the cup and cream were attached to the rectangle with Dimensionals.  The sentiment that was done earlier was attached diagonally to it using Dimensionals also.

After trying multiple embellishment ideas, I settled for the Adhesive-backed Swirl Dots that are an Online Exclusive.  They echoed the swirls in the cream and also in the woodgraining.  I liked the subtle coloring for this card too.

The inside of the card has a 5 1/4" x 4" layer of Very Vanilla cardstock.  The sentiment is stamped with Early Espresso ink.  The pumpkins along the bottom are the same as on the cup.  They are stamped with Cajun Craze ink and a Blender Pen is used to soften the color as on the front.  I love how you can still see the detail of the embossed layer when the card is open.

Hope you love this idea and want to try making it too.  You can use many different images to go on the rectangle if you don't have a hankerin' for some latte or cider.  Think flowers or trees for fall.  Use your imagination and have fun trying your ideas.

Just a reminder that the new 2024 September - December Mini Catalog is available for you to shop from right now!  There is an abundance of cute and interesting new products to choose.  Stampin' Up! has your stamping needs covered from now through Halloween and Christmas!  There's just the right item in there for you.  Have fun making your list and dreaming about all the wonderful items you'll be creating in the coming days!  Then go shop!  Don't forget to shop in the Online Exclusive area too.  There are new items that have just been added.  If you'd like to have me for your demonstrator, I'd be happy to help you out.  Please use the Host Code shown at the top of this blog post.  Thank you!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon 

Another Autumn Leaves Card

Hello!  What a lovely fall day we have going on here.  I'm not sure why we had no trees turn brilliant red last fall, mostly just yellow and brown.  But this year we are graced with wonderful color.  We have four of the most gloriously red trees to enjoy.  Talk about beautiful!  To honor this display of color, I decided to share one more card using the Autumn Leaves set.  I've truly enjoyed creating with this set and the lovely All About Autumn DSP that coordinates with it.  The designs almost create themselves.  So, here's the last one these (until I break down and make another one!)

Don't you love these lovely rich colors together for fall?  I sure do.  Let me tell you how it's made.  Start with a card base of Copper Clay that's cut to 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half.  Next there is a layer of Crumb Cake cut to 5 1/4" x 4".  I built on this layer before putting it on the card.

Next comes the layer of the Tartan Foil Specialty Paper.  This is an Online Exclusive product and is absolutely gorgeous!  The prints I used on this card are two sides of the same Copper Clay paper.  There are also Lost Lagoon and Pebbled Path coordinating colors and they're all lovely.  A piece was cut 5" x 3 3/4".  Then 1 1/2" were cut from the bottom and flipped to show the white side.  These pieces are attached with adhesive to the Crumb Cake layer.  

A 4 1/4" length of the Natural Wavy Trim was attached where they come together.  Just run adhesive along the seam and adhere the trim.  I was worried that the stickiness of the adhesive would come through the pattern of the trim, but there was no problem.  Trim off the excess from the ends after attaching.

Using the Autumn Leaves Bundle, I stamped the oak leaf in Pretty Peacock and another in Pecan Pie ink.  The leaves that are together were stamped twice (without re-inking) using Copper Clay ink.  All leaves were die-cut using the coordinating dies.   

Using the small single leaf die, cut 3 leaves from Pretty Peacock cardstock and 1 from the Oxidized Copper Specialty Paper.  Two of the veining die were cut from the Oxidized Copper paper and 1 from Pretty Peacock cardstock.  I used these pieces as branches instead of veins.

The sentiment comes from the Autumn Leaves stamp set.  It's stamped with Copper Clay ink onto a Basic White cardstock piece.  It's then die-cut using the coordinating die from the set.  I love the notched corners and stitching on this die for extra interest.

All the leaves and branches (veining pieces) were layered up in a pleasing fashion.  Since there were so many pieces, I didn't use any Dimensionals under them.  The sentiment was placed over these pieces with Dimensionals on the ends to keep it flat.  

This whole layer was attached to the folded Copper Clay card base using Dimensionals.  The Neutrals Adhesive-backed Sequins were added to the card for a little extra bling.  I've been using these sequins on so many cards lately.  They are such a nice addition, especially because they're so flat and don't cause problems when mailing your cards.

The final touch was the double bow of Linen Thread that matches the Wavy Trim.  The bow is attached with a Mini Glue Dot.

I just had to share another photo of this pretty Thanksgiving card.  This photo shows the lovely tone-on-tone look of the Tartan Foil Paper off perfectly.  It truly is very pretty in real life.  You know these photos never do the specialty papers justice!

Don't forget Stampin'Up! has the Annual Sale going on right now.  Trims and ribbons, papers and envelopes, and all sorts of inks and pads are on sale November 14 - 16.  All of the sale items are from the Annual Catalog.  Plus, there are many clearance items to choose from too.  Time to stock up on cardstock and envelopes for sure!

Thanks for shopping with me when you can.  I always appreciate it.  Please use the Host Code at the top of this blog when your order is less than $150.  If it's $150 or more, you receive host rewards instead.  Thank you so much!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Wild Wheat Autumn Card

Hello there!  Hope you are all doing well on this gorgeous day!  I'm really getting into fall mode here.  Made my first pumpkin pie of the season.  So yummy!  It got me focused on fall themes again, so here we are with another Autum Leaves card.  This time I thought I'd try using Wild Wheat as the base of the card and pair it with the All About Autumn DSP.  Love it!  Wild Wheat is not one of the colors listed to coordinate with this paper, but for this print, I really like the looks.  Hope you do too.

Wow, in the picture it looks like Old Olive for sure.  But take my word for it, it really is Wild Wheat.  It seems to make everything look a little brighter and warmer than Old Olive, and I love how this turned out.  Let's get to the specifics!

Card base is Wild Wheat that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half.  Next there is a 5 1/4" x 4" layer of Wild Wheat cardstock.  This is die-cut with the large maple leaf and one of the small ones too.  (Keep these for later use.)  I made sure I had room at the bottom for adding my sentiment later.  After die-cutting this layer, it was embossed with the Distressed Tile 3D Embossing Folder found in the Mini Catalog on page 75.  I love the tiled look, but the uneven distressed look really adds so much to the overall look.  After embossing, a Blending Brush and Wild Wheat ink was used on the edges to darken a bit and make the detail really stand out.

The next step was to add the layer of All About Autumm DSP behind the leaves.  For this I chose the print looking down on the colorful forest of trees.  The DSP was trimmed to about 3 3/4" x 4 1/4".  There was no point in covering the whole back of the layer when only a portion of it would actually show.  (Now I've got more to use on another project!)  I thought of attaching it to the card base and the Wild Wheat layer added with Dimensionals above, but changed my mind and attached it to the back of the embossed and die-cut layer.  This way it showed up better than having the shadows darkening it.

The veining for the large leaf was cut from the Oxidized Copper Specialty DSP.  I love the mottled look of this so the veining doesn't smack you in the face.  Used here, it's more subtle than a solid gold or copper paper.

A small maple leaf was die-cut from Cajun Craze cardstock.  This was added slightly off-set over the small maple leaf on the card front using just one Dimensional.  I didn't want to totally cover the DSP, but I also didn't want it to be just the DSP showing like the large one.  So this was a good compromise.  There was also a 4" x 1" strip of Cajun Craze cut for the card.  I had a piece of the DSP left over from another project that measures 3 3/4" x 3/4".  Figured this would make a nice band across the bottom of the card.  I planned on adding the sentiment over this, but you can see I changed my mind on that idea.  This strip was attached to the card front with "green glue" right near the bottom edge.  At this point, the Wild Wheat layer was attached to the card front with Dimensionals.

The inside of the card has a layer of Very Vanilla cardstock that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  This is left plain, but a little Blending Brush and Wild Wheat ink could be added here.  It was attached inside the card with adhesive.  There were two leftover leaves from die-cutting the front layer.  These had a little Wild Wheat ink added to them with a Blending Brush.  The sentiment from the Autumn Leaves sets was added across the large leaf stamped with Cajun Craze ink.  Both the leaves were attached flat to the inner layer.

The sentiment for the card front was inked with a Cajun Craze marker to get just a part of the sentiment.  It's stamped onto a scrap of Very Vanilla cardstock.  I used my Paper Snips to fussy cut around the sentiment.  It's added to the card front with Mini Dimensionals.

To finish the front of the card, the copper ribbon from the Copper & Natural Ribbon Combo Pack was tied into a smallish bow.  It's then attached to the card front with Mini Glue Dots.  

For the bling, three copper sequins were added.  They're from the Neutrals Adhesive-backed Sequins found on page 141 of the Annual Catalog.  These copper sequins have been a must-have embellishment for my autumn cards!

That's it for today.  I keep sneaking in more fall cards and I've been putting off really diving into my Christmas cards.  Since this is basically the end of October (yikes!!), I really need to get motivated on that!  I promise I'll get creating on them very soon!  Come back and see what's happening here and keep me focused on those Christmas cards!

Thanks for stopping in today.  Feel free to leave a comment.  You know I love hearing from you.  If you're placing an order soon, I'd appreciate if you'd consider ordering from me.  And if you do, please use the Host Code at the top of this post.  Thank you so much for your patronage!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon