Autumn Opulence Fun Folds

Hello friends!  What a gorgeous, sunshiny fall day.  I just love looking out over the back yard and seeing azaleas just bursting with rosy blooms all over them.  Also, the hummingbirds have been very busy at our feeders, and they are so much fun to watch.  Seems like I've been spending lots of time enjoying life outside now that it's not so blistering hot.  Only a few of the trees around here have started changing colors though.  That is one thing I miss so much about Michigan - the fall colors which are truly glorious!  So instead of seeing the colors outside, I've been making a series of cards using the Autumn Opulence Designer Series Paper.  I know there's always so much going on in the Online Exclusives section of the website that it's hard to miss things.  This DSP seems to be quite overlooked, and I'll be spending a few days highlighting this gorgeous paper.

Today's post features two cards made with any easy fun fold technique, but one is lined up landscape style and the other is set as portrait style.  Both of the cards really focus on the DSP and have very little stamping, so like I said - very easy to make!  We'll start with the portrait style first.

If you don't know, the Autumn Opulence DSP comes with two pre-cut sheets of printed designs that coordinate with the paper.  That's why the cards I'm sharing with you have minimal stamping.  There are lots of pre-made designs for you to use.  But first, let's focus on the prints on the DSP.  Two of them are used on this card.  Don't you just love them?

To make these fun fold cards, you start with an 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" piece of cardstock for the base.  This card uses Pecan Pie.  The base needs to be scored at 1 1/4" and at 5 1/2".  Both are folded in to make an off-set gatefold card.

The DSP print on the left side measures 2 7/8" x 5 3/8".  The plaid print on the right side measures 1 1/8" x 5 3/8".  These pieces are attaches to the front flaps with "green glue" which gives me a little wiggle time to get them on straight.

The base for the focal image on the card is Very Vanilla cardstock that is die-cut with the Sweet Words & Labels dies.  This one is the 3rd largest label in that shape.  When cutting, another was cut using the 4th largest sized label die for the inside of the card.

To be the focal image on the die-cut, the pumpkin with flowers cluster was chosen to use.  I personally don't care for a large white outline around the pre-printed images, so I fussy cut around the image to "give it a closer cut".

The Sweet Words & Labels die set also has some smaller oak leaf dies.  I cut two leaves from Golden Glow cardstock to tuck in around the pumpkin.  The upper one on the design has a little Golden Glow ink added to it with a Blender Brush.  The one tucked in at the bottom has a little Cajun Craze ink brushed over it.  The pumpkin was attached with only two Dimensionals so there would be plenty of room for the leaves and the sentiment to tuck under around this.

The label on the front was adhered to the front of the card with "green glue".  

TIP - next time I make this card, I'd run the side of my Pecan Pie Marker along the outside edge of this label.  This would give it a little better definition between the label and the background.

The sentiment is from the Banner Sayings stamp set.  I only wanted those two words, so it was inked on only them and stamped onto a 1/2" strip of Very Vanilla cardstock.  Early Espresso ink was used to stamp this.  Then it was punched with the Three Banner Punch.  This was tucked under the pumpkin and attached with a couple Mini Dimensionals.

A bow was made with Linen Thread.  This was attached to the pumpkin with a Mini Glue Dot that was rolled to fit under the knot.

There are several retired pearlized, champagne-colored dots added to the design for an accent. 

Just wanted to quick show how the inside was finished.  Both of these stamps are about 20 years old and not Stampin'Up!.  I tend to have trouble finding the sentiments I want to use in my SU! stash.  I do hang on to sentiment stamps forever, but sometimes you just have to hit the contraband stamps too.

BTW, I have no idea why the pic looks like Basic White was used inside the card.  It is not.  It's Very Vanilla all the way.  Now, on to the 2nd card sample.

This time the card base is Early Espresso.  The measurements are the same - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 1 1/4" and 5 1/2".  This time we're working with a landscape style card, so the opening lands near the bottom.

The DSP is the same Autumn Opulence pack I've been using.  The checked print is the backside of the print used on the first card.  The measurements are the same - larger size 5 3/8" x 2 7/8" and the smaller strip is 1 1/8" x 5 3/8".  They are attached with "green glue".

A strip of Early Espresso cardstock was cut that measures 2" x 4 1/4".  

A strip from a different print from this DSP was cut that measures 1 7/8" x 4".  This was attached to the Early Espresso strip with 'green glue".  Then both of them were added to the card front about an inch from the left side.  Make sure you mark where the top flap ends so you only get the glue on that area and not the bottom area.

Three of the pre-printed images were chosen.  Each of them was fussy cut around the edges to make the white edges less visible.  Then they were arranged on the front flap as shown.  Again, be aware of your placement so no adhesive is on the overlapping areas.  The leaf was attached with adhesive, and the mushrooms and acorn were attached with Dimensionals.

The sentiment used here and inside are from the Thanks & Giving set.  The front one was stamped on a 1/2" wide strip of Basic White using Early Espresso ink.  The right edge was angle cut.  Then the label was added to the design with Dimensionals.

Three of the Earthy Matte Dots in the Cajun Craze color were added to the design.

The inside has a 4" x 5 1/4" layer of Basic White cardstock.  The sentiment is stamped near the top with Early Espresso ink.

There is a 1/4" strip of the checked print DSP added that is the same one used on the front of the card.

Another of the printed leaves in the DSP pack was trimmed and added to the design.

Okay, that's two cards made with the same fun fold and the same DSP pack.  But don't they look different?  I just love how changing colors or orientation can make such a large difference in the finished card.  I never get tired of playing with the same items and seeing what else can be created!

When you're shopping around in the catalog to see what's new, don't forget to peruse the Online Exclusives section of the website.  Sometimes it feels like SU! hides some of the best treasures in that area.  Make sure you look through the whole section, so you don't miss anything.  😊

Thanks for stopping by today.  If you give either the Autumn Opulence DSP or this fun fold a try, let me know what you think.  I'd love to hear from you.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Another Radiant Sunflowers Idea

Hello my friends!  Are you tired of ideas using the new Radiant Sunflowers bundle yet?  I sure hope not, because this is turning into a real favorite with me.  I keep thinking up more things to do with this stamp and die set.  And then add in the pretty Sunflower Fields Designer Series Paper to really have a great creative palette to use.  I'm totally hooked on these products and keep coming up with more things I have to try.  Hang in there.  I'll be moving on to something else soon.  I promise!

I love all these muted autumn colors that are so warm and inviting.  This just puts me in the mood for pumpkin patches and cider.  Mm-mmm.  

I wanted to see how this worked with a Basic Beige cardstock base.  That base seemed to make it so much more muted than on either white or vanilla.  It's stamped with Early Espresso ink then colored with Stampin'Blends.

Sunflowers - Daffodil Delight Light, Golden Glow Light & Dark, touches of Crisp Cantaloupe Light

Centers - Pecan Pie Light, (R) dk brown, Crisp Cantaloupe Light

Flower - Golden Glow Light, Cajun Craze Light & Dark

Leaves & stems - Crumb Cake Light

After coloring the image, it was die-cut with the matching die in the bundle.

I wanted to use this checked print from the Sunflower Fields DSP as a backdrop for the image.  It's cut to measure 5 1/4" x 4".  For the card base, a half sheet of Golden Glow cardstock was cut.  This measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.

A 6" length of (R) Early Expresso Seam Binding ribbon was wrapped around the DSP approximately in the middle and attached in the back with adhesive.  Then a short length of ribbon was tied into a knot around this.  To finish the look on this ribbon, a length of linen Thread was wrapped around the brown ribbon then tied into a bow.  The look of those two together gave this a more rustic feel.

This layer was attached to the folded card base using adhesive.

The main image was added over the ribbon using Dimensionals.  The card looked a little empty with just the colored image added, so I improvised.  

The Fern & Flora dies have a pretty leafy stem that would fill in a little more.  I die-cut 3 stems from Early Espresso cardstock.  These were trimmed into smaller sections that tucked in under the main image and were attached with adhesive.

The same die set has a tiny die with 3 itty bitty flowers.  I used this to die-cut several tiny flowers from Cajun Craze cardstock.  I wanted a little extra color there, but not too much.  These were added to the leafy areas with just a touch of "green glue" to hold.  Did you notice those bitty flowers?

The sentiment used here is from the Banner Sayings stamp set.  It's stamped on a 1/2" strip of Basic Beige cardstock using Early Espresso ink.  Both ends were trimmed with scissors to finish.  In case you haven't noticed, I really like this stamp set.  All these little sentiments are so easy to tuck into a design, and they see to cover just about any occasion.

It's attached near the bottom of the card. This time Dimensionals were used to make the sentiment more prominent.

The final touches for this card are a few dark brown dots added to the design.  These are from the Earthy Matte Dots.  I think they're a nice touch here.

That's it for today folks.  Yes, I seem to be stuck on this Radiant Sunflowers bundle.  But I'm not apologizing here.  There are just too many ideas for using this bundle that I haven't tried yet.  But I promise I'll move on soon.

Hope you're excited about trying out some of the awesome new products coming out in the next catalog on September 1st.  I know there are a bunch of stamps, dies, and other goodies that I'm having fun with, and I know you will too.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Montage of Simply Leaves Ideas

Hello stamping buddies!  I've been playing around with the Simply Leaves stamp set quite a bit lately.  I can't seem to leave it alone!  Unfortunately, I haven't gotten around to posting all the cards separately.  So, today I thought I'd do something a little differently.  Instead of going in depth on a single card, I'd give a thumbnail version of each card and share them all at once.  Let's see how this works out.  I'd love to hear your feedback on what you think about it.

For the first idea, the 2026-2028 In Color Gingham DSP would be used.  Start with Very Vanilla cardstock for the card base.  A 5 1/4" x 4" layer of Very Vanilla was cut and embossed with the Forever Plaid Embossing Folder.  

This layer was softly colored on the edges with a Blending Brush and Golden Glow ink.  Then it was attached to the card base with Dimensionals.  

The Gingham DSP in Golden Glow was cut to 2 1/4" x 5 1/4" and attached to the vanilla layer with adhesive.

Two different large leaves were stamped onto Very Vanilla cardstock.  One used Golden Glow and the other was Cajun Craze ink.  Both were punched with the coordinating punch.  The small leaf was stamped with Cajun Craze ink and fussy cut.  The leaves are arranged on the card and attached with both adhesive and Dimensionals.

The sentiment is from Simply Leaves.  It's stamped on Very Vanilla with Cajun Craze ink.  A little Golden Glow ink was brushes on the edges.  It's attached with Dimensionals.  

A double strand of Linen Thread was tied into a bow and attached with Mini Glue Dots.

Three of the 2026-2028 In Color Dots in Golden Glow were added to the design.

This card starts with a Basic Beige cardstock base.  A 3 3/4" x 5" layer of the same was cut.  It's embossed with the new Swirls of Magic Embossing Folder that will be available in August.  A slight amount of Peaceful Pine ink was added to it with a Blending Brush.  

A 3 7/8"x 5 1/8" layer of Peaceful Pine was added between the two layers.

Three different leaves from the Simply Leaves set were stamped onto Basic Beige cardstock, then punched with the coordinating punch.  Two leaves were off-stamped before stamping to give a lighter color.  

The leaves were arranged and attached to the card front using both adhesive and Dimensionals.

The 3/8" Bordered Ribbon in Peaceful Pine was cut in half lengthwise then tied into a double bow.  It's attached with Mini Glue Dots.

The sentiment is from Banner Sayings stamp set.  It's stamped on a Basic Beige strip with Peaceful Pine ink.  A skinny layer of Peaceful Pine cardstock is added behind the stamped layer.  Then it's added to the card front with Dimensionals.

Two of the red Ladybug Garden Epoxy Shapes were attached to the card for a cute pop of color.

This version has a Golden Glow base with a layer of the 2026-2028 In Color Gingham DSP added.

A 2 1/4" wide strip of Basic White was punched with a retired edge punch to give a lacy design.  This was added across the card front.

Three of the large leaves from Simply Leaves were stamped using either Cajun Craze or Peaceful Pine inks.  The golden one is punched from 2026-2028 In Color Pearlized Specialty Paper.  Nice addition!

The sentiment is from the new Fun For Fall stamp set.  It's stamped with Cajun Craze ink.

There is a bow added made from the Peaceful Pine Ribbon.  It's attached with Mini Glue Dots.

Two of the 2026-2028 In Color Dots in the Peaceful Pine color were added near the sentiment.

The last card is a CASE card from Barb Brimhall - BZBStamper.  Even though I cased the card there are a few changes.

The card base is Basic Beige.  Five different prints from the Paper Medley DSP were used to punch out two leaves each.  The dotted vein stamp was stamped onto each leaf with Cajun Craze ink.  The leaves were arranged on the card then attached with adhesive.  Then any extra hanging over the edges was cut off.

A Sweet Words & Labels die was used to cut a Basic White label.  Another sentiment from the Fun For Fall set was stamped with Peaceful Pine ink.  The label is attached with Dimensionals.

A double strand of Linen Thread was used to tie a bow that is attached with Mini Glue Dots.

One last look at the mix of cards shared today.  I hope you have enough information that you can copy any of these that catch your eye.   They were all fairly quick and easy to create.  I find that to be a good way to build up my stash of cards so I'm ready when something is needed at the last minute.  Any questions you have about any of them, feel free to contact me at sharoncarr50@gmail.com

Thanks for stopping by today.  Please leave a comment and let me know what you think of the new format.  Does less commentary and less info on measurements etc., but more ideas shown work?  Also, do the products in bold type help or hinder your perusal of the ideas.  Just trying to give you a better experience and make it easier to try the ideas yourself.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Another Framed Violets Idea

Welcome back!  I spent some time after lunch picking blueberries.  The heat is well over 90 degrees and pretty unbearable today.   Unfortunately, the blueberry bushes are out in full sunlight with not a scrap of shade in sight.  Whew it was hot and I was sweating so much my curly bangs were dripping!  Can you just imagine?  Yuck!!  So that means I gave up on picking the blueberries before they were all the ripe ones were picked.  I sure didn't want to pass out in the heat!  Guess I'll be out picking some more after dinner when the heat might drop a few degrees.  That's the plan for now.

Enough of that. Let's get back to stamping, shall we?  Yesterday I posted a pretty Highland Heather card using the very new Framed Violets bundle.  Today there is another card with this bundle that's fairly different.  One of these days I need to do a little playing with the lovely DSP that goes along with this.  Can't believe I haven't even touched it yet.  But I will soon.

This card is so striking in person with the pretty Bubble Bath cardstock matched up with black and white.  The card base is Bubble Bath cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.  

There is another piece of Bubble Bath that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  This is embossed with the Eyelet 3D Embossing Folder.  After embossing, a white craft ink pad was dragged across the top to highlight the pretty eyelet lace design.  The white ink really makes the design stand out nicely.

The embossed layer was attached to the card front with "green glue" to hold in place.  A strip of the black and white polka dot print from the Artisan Sketched DSP was added across the card front and attached with "green glue" also.

Next, the violet bunch was stamped on Basic White cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Then it was colored in with Stampin'Blends:

Petals - Bubble Bath Light & Dark, Fresh Freesia Light & Dark

Centers - Daffodil Delight Dark

Leaves and Stems - retired Call Me Clover Light & Dark

After coloring, they were die-cut with the matching die.

I still love the shape of the Branching Out dies even though it is now gone.  The smaller one cut a Basic White layer, and the next size larger cut Basic Black.  The layers were attached together with adhesive, then added to the card front with Dimensionals. 

A birthday sentiment from the Banner Sayings set was stamped onto a 1/2" white strip of cardstock.  It's stamped with the Tuxedo Black ink.  Then the ends were trimmed. 

A 3/4" strip of Bubble Bath cardstock is layered behind this and the edges were trimmed.  It was attached flat near the bottom of the black and white layers.  Then the violets were attached to the die-cut layers using Dimensionals.  The Dimensionals really make the violets stand out from the card.

A few Rhinestone Basic Jewels were tucked in around the flowers to add a little sparkle.

I just wanted to show you a close-up of the pretty Adhesive-backed Blooms accents.  Aren't they darling?  They come in a pack of 30 with 10 white, 10 pink, and 10 lavender.  I love the teeny tiny rhinestone added in the center of each flower.  So pretty!  For this card, I used the soft pink ones.  There's one on each side of the card.

I've been trying to finish the inside of all my cards as I make them.  That just didn't happen with this one, so I have no finished inside to share with you.

That's it for this card.  It's sweet and simple.  I hope you love this idea and want to try it or make something similar.  I just might have mentioned how much I love the pale pink with the bold black accents.   😉

There's just a few more hours left to take advantage of the free shipping.  Don't miss out if possible.  And thank you to all who have ordered from me already.  It is so appreciated!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

CASE and Change It Card Idea

Hello friends!  Sorry I haven't been posting as often as I usually do.  Is it possible to have a sort of brain fog from anesthesia that doesn't want to go away?  That's what's been happening around here and it's frustrating to say the least.  I feel like I'm losing control here!  Okay, that's enough whining for today.  I saw a card idea that Patty Bennett shared on her blog, Patty Stamps, that was posted a month or two ago.  It was very pretty all done up in beige and the very soft Cloud Cover.  I love pastels and light neutrals, so this was something I really needed to try.  Of course, I also needed to make a few changes along the way to make it more mine.

Isn't this pretty?  Very soft and soothing in my opinion.  I started with this interesting floral print from the Beautiful Gallery 6" x 6" DSP pack.  First a strip of DSP was cut from the bottom that measured 1 3/4" x 6".  This was set aside to use another time.  The resulting piece was cut in half lengthwise to make two pieces that each measured 3" x 4 1/4".

The next step was to layer the DSP onto a Basic Beige cardstock piece that measured 3 1/4" x 4 1/2".  After attaching these together with adhesive, a 1" x 3 1/4" strip of Cloud Cover was attached about 2/3 of the way down from the top.

Next a piece of Cloud Cover Ribbon about 11" long was cut.  This was tied into a knot around the layers and centered over the Cloud Cover strip.  The sheen of the ribbon looked so pretty on the card.

The next step was to cut a card base from Cloud Cover cardstock.  This measured 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It was scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.  The layers that were already finished were then attached to the center of the card base using Dimensionals.

I thought the Boutique Blossoms flowers would look pretty with the DSP print.  I stamped the smaller outline flower with Cloud Cover ink onto a Basic White cardstock piece.  Then the two-step part of the flower stamp was also inked with Cloud Cover ink and stamped inside the outline.  I love how softly this 2nd one stamps, because it is not a truly solid stamp.  I also did the same with the stamp with two flower buds.  The little leaf on this was stamped with Mossy Meadow ink that was lightly off-stamped.  Both the flower and buds were die-cut with matching dies.  Then some larger leaves were just die-cut from Mossy Meadow Cardstock - no stamping involved.

The flower was flipped over and the leaves were attached with adhesive to stay where I wanted them.  Then this was attached to the card front with Dimensionals.  The flower buds were tucked in under the flower and attached with Mini Dimensionals under the two buds.  Space was left for the sentiment to tuck in.

The sentiment is from the Banner Sayings stamp set.  First the Triple Banner Punch was used to punch three Basic White banners.  I chose to use the one with a single pointed end.  The sentiment was stamped onto this with Mossy Meadow ink.  Then the pointed end was tucked in under the flower and partially under the ribbon and held in place with Mini Dimensionals.

There were 3 of the Moody Palette Glossy Dots in the Cloud Cover color tucked around the design for a subtle accent.

For the inside, a piece of Basic White was cut to measure 5 1/4" x 4".  On this one of the sentiments from Forever Florals was stamped inside the card using Mossy Meadow ink.

I had made some extra of the flower buds and added one at the bottom of the insert.  Then it was attached inside the card with adhesive.

The Banner Sayings and Boutique Blossoms stamp sets are in the new catalog.  

The Forever Florals stamp set, the Beautiful Gallery DSP, and the Moody Palette Glossy Dots are all found in the Online Exclusives.

Amazing!  I actually made something with all the products still current and not on back-order either!  Hooray.

Well, I hope I gave you all the information needed to make this card and that it all makes sense.  Thanks for stopping in to see what's new.  Thanks to Patty Bennett for her lovely design that I could play around with and make changes here and there to make it more mine.  It's so much fun to find an idea that is inspiring and then adding your own tweaks.  That's what I hope to provide for you.  An idea that you can see yourself starting with and changing colors, stamps, cardstock, or whatever.   Then use what you already own to create your own design.  Oh, I just love this creative process!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon 

Another Card Template for You

Hey everyone.  Hope you're all doing well and having a great day.  Things have been a little crazy the last few days with my heart again.  I'm learning so much about how my heart works or doesn't work sometimes!  I'd much rather be ignorant and have no heart problems though.  It's really cutting into my stamping time!  I did spend time stamping on Monday when I had a little more energy for a change.  Looking through my card layout ideas, I came across another quick and easy idea that I hadn't used in a while.  Looking at the layout, this idea just popped in my head, and I had to give it a try.  It was so much fun, I made two more.  So, I guess it's time to share and get creating here.

This is what I envisioned and it's as pretty as I thought it would be.  My first thought was to use one of the vases in the Artisan Sketched Garden DSP pack.  I first cut a strip from the bottom of this sheet and cut them into separate sections to use.  

Before there was any coloring done, the colors needed to match another print of DSP.  This time I found a pretty Fresh Freesia and Peach Pie print that would work.  The print is from the Lovely and Beautiful DSP.   I'd used the gorgeous gold-touched prints but really hadn't used the back of the prints.  This print was die-cut with the largest square die in the Stylish Shapes die set.  I cut two right away to make two cards at a time.

TIP:  It's best to use a non-directional print for this layout because you're putting it at an angle.

A Basic White cardstock layer was cut to frame the die-cut piece.  The white measured 3" x 3".  The two pieces were attached with adhesive.

A Basic White cardstock piece was cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" for the card base.  A Fresh Freesia cardstock piece was cut at 5 1/4" x 4" for the layer.  This was embossed with the Beautiful Pattern Embossing Folder to give the layer a subtle pattern to go with the delicate floral DSP print.  This was attached to the white card base with adhesive.  Then the diamond layers were attached a little above center using Dimensionals.  

The coloring on the vase of tulips was with Stampin' Blends:

vase - Fresh Freesia Light and Dark

tulips - Peach Pie Light and Dark

greenery - Granny Apple Green Light & Dark

Then the image was fussy cut which only takes a few minutes.  It was attached to the diamond shape with Dimensionals.

The sentiment is from the Banner Sayings set.   This was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto a 3/8" wide strip.  The ends were trimmed to finish it.  Then it was attached to the bottom of the card with Dimensionals.

Three Iridescent Pearls were tucked in around the design for a subtle accent.

Next card uses the same white base with the same embossed Fresh Freesia layer.  The diamond-shaped layers in the middle are the same.  

This time I used some images from the Simply Beautiful set.  They were stamped onto Basic White with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Then they were colored with Stampin' Blends:

flowers - Fresh Freesia Light and Dark

leaves - Granny Apple Green Light and Dark

flower center - Peach Pie Light and Dark

After coloring, the images were die-cut with their matching dies and added to the diamond layers using Dimensionals. 

I thought the sentiment needed to be a little larger to go with these images.  It's stamped on a 5/8" wide strip of Basic White with Fresh Freesia ink.  When trimmed, the ends are a little longer than normal so the pretty gems could be added at each end.

At this point, I wanted to do a little more coloring on those Artisan Sketched Garden DSP, so I reverted back to that paper but kept the same Fresh Freesia color and DSP print.  

I just love these images from the Artisan Sketched Garden DSP.  They are so loose and 'artsy' looking.  They just beckon me to come play with them!  This is another image from that bottom row of the print.  The coloring is Stampin' Blends again.

flowers - Peach Pie Light and Dark

buds - Fresh Freesia Light

greenery - Granny Apple Green Light and Dark

water - Sea Spray Light and Dark  (this is from several years back and I just love this color, so it gets used often)

The image is fussy cut then layered onto the diamond shape with Dimensionals.

For this card, I changed the embossed layer to the Eyelet 3D Embossing Folder.  I love the bolder look of the embossing with the delicate look of the floral print DSP.  It's a nice contrast.

The same sentiment was used as the first card.  It's attached with Dimensionals.  Then three of the Iridescent Pearls were tucked in around the design.

I hope you like this simple card layout.  The diamond shape could be made smaller to fit your take on this layout.  That's part of the process of using layouts to get you started.  Since you are the designer, you can change the layout to fit your needs!

One thing I want to stress here, I absolutely am having so much fun coloring these images from the Artisan Sketched Garden Designer Series Paper!  I need to try colored pencils and water-color pencils too with this.  I was surprised that I could color and fussy cut an image out in about 10 minutes.  Amazing!  And I totally love the look of them.  You might even say I'm getting addicted to coloring them!  I always did enjoy coloring books, and I guess I haven't grown out of that yet.  I hope you enjoy coloring these too.  Let me know when you've tried using this DSP.  I'd love to hear if you like it too.

Thanks for sharing some time with me today.  Hope to see you back soon.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

5 cards with 1 Sheet DSP

Hey there.  Do you have problems trying to figure out what to do with those sheets of DSP that are broken up into segments of different pictures?  Like this one?

This is a sheet of the Lovely Blossoms Designer Series Paper.  I love the colors and prints in this pack of paper, and I've used some of it already.  But it comes with 3 sheets of this design, and it's been a struggle figuring out what to create with it.  All the images are lovely, but I'm more used to stamping or die-cutting the focal pieces on my cards and not just using something ready-made.  So, I chopped this one up and got ready to create with these pieces.  The 2" x 12" section along the bottom didn't get cut into 2" squares but left long.  I turned it over and used the flip side of the design.  Let's see what I came up with, and you can decide if it all worked out well.

Let's start with the design in the top left corner and continue from there.  This piece of the design measured 6" x 4".  It's trimmed down to 5 1/8" x 3 3/4" to fit a card front.  There is a layer of Cloud Cover behind it that measures 5 1/4" x 3 7/8".  This is just enough to give it a skinny frame of color.  The card base is Old Olive cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half.

After attaching the print to the Cloud Cover layer, a piece of Secret Sea Bordered Open Weave Ribbon was wrapped around and tied into a bow.  Then the layers were attached with Dimensionals to the card base.

The sentiment is from the Banner Sayings stamp set.  I intended to use the full sentiment but ended up trimming between the words to get a smaller banner.  This is curled at the left edge a little and attached at the right edge only.

There are three of the green Moody Palette Glossy Dots used as an accent to the design. 

This is the 2nd design across the DSP.  Again, it measures 6" x 4".  The Textured Notes die was used to cut out the design.  Then the DSP was turned over and trimmed to have the DSP measure 5 1/2" x 4" with the die-cut area centered on the paper.  This was attached to a Secret Sea cardstock piece that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is folded in half.  

The die cut piece was attached in the center to cover the hole using Dimensionals.  Looking at the card at an angle you can see a slight edge of the Secret Sea peeking through.

The sentiment is stamped onto a Basic White die-cut using the Textured Notes dies.  It's stamped with Secret Sea ink.  A double bow of Linen Thread was added to the corner.

Three of the Secret Sea dots from the Moody Palette Glossy Dots were added for contrast.

The next card is the 6" x 4" design in the right top corner of the DSP sheet.  This was trimmed to 5" x 3 3/4".  It's layered onto a Secret Sea cardstock piece measuring 5 1/4" x 4".  A length of Secret Sea Bordered Open Weave Ribbon was wrapped around this and tied into a knot.

A card base was made from an 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" Petal Pink cardstock that was folded in half.  The layers were attached to this with adhesive.

The sentiment is from Banner Sayings and punched with the Three Banner Punch.  This was tucked under the knot in the ribbon and attached with adhesive.

Three of the white Moody Palette Glossy Dots were added to the design for interest.

Now we move down to the next row in the DSP design. This piece measured 3" x 4".  There is a layer of Secret Sea cardstock that's cut at 3 1/4" x 4 1/4".

A card base was made from Crumb Cake cardstock and measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  The bottom 2" strip of DSP was trimmed to 5 1/2" and attached along the left side of the card base using adhesive.

The layers were attached to the card base with Dimensionals.  The sentiment is from Banner Sayings and is stamped with Secret Sea ink onto a 1/2" white strip.  The ends were angle cut with scissors.  Then it was attached with Dimensionals.  Three Secret Sea Moody Palette Glossy Dots were added to the design.

This last card I made has a design piece that was trimmed to 3" x 3 3/4".  It's layered onto a Secret Sea piece that measures 3 1/4" x 4".

The card base is Cloud Cover that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  Another piece of the 2" wide strip of DSP was trimmed at 5 1/2".  This was attached on the left side of the card base using adhesive.  The focal image layers were attached to this with adhesive also.

The sentiment is from Banner Sayings again.  It's also trimmed at an angle with scissors.  Then it's attached to the card front with Dimensionals.  Three Secret Sea color gems from the Moody Palette Glossy Gems were added to the design.

Here's another quick look at the five cards I made from this one piece of the Lovely Blossoms DSP.  Seeing them all together, I think they'd make a really nice gift tucked inside a card holder that matched.  Hmmm, I'll have to consider that.  

There are still two pieces of the sheet of paper left that I have no plans for yet.  That will take a bit more thought also.  Hope you liked these card ideas.  They were a pretty easy way to get a card assortment done quickly.  If you don't need thank you cards, just change the sentiments to what you need.  They are all simple but pretty and I think they would definitely brighten the day of anyone receiving them.  

Have you heard about the free shipping Stampin'Up! is giving us?

There is Free Shipping for 3 days!  From February 18 to 20, you can shop and save on all qualifying orders of $75 or more.  You won’t want to miss this chance to stock up on all your favorite products from the catalog, Online Exclusives, kits, and more!

Plus, when your order total reaches $75 (after subtracting any rewards) you are eligible to purchase the Product of the Month for only $5 which is an awesome pack of the Painted Illusions Designer Series Paper!  This is a doubly - great bargain for you.

Thanks for sharing some time with me today.  If I can help you in any way, just get in touch.  I'd be happy to be your demonstrator if you're looking for one!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Another Petals of Beauty Idea

Hello friends!  What do you do when it's cold outside and there's still ice everywhere?  I'm not sure what you do, but I went downstairs to my craft room and had fun creating some more cards.  This has really been a good several days of getting cards made and even sent out a couple today.  So that's a win in my book.  Yesterday I started playing with the Petals of Beauty stamp set.  There were several color combos I tried for the flowers.  I'll be honest, some I liked more than others.  Today's card uses Peach Pie and Calypso Coral together, and this is a combo I really like a lot.  Let's get right to the card.

I was really struggling to get a good shot of this card.  In reality, the card is so warm and almost has a glow to it.  Seeing this, it looks a little dull.  Honestly, it's not!

The card base is Calypso Coral that is cut to measure 4 1/4" x 11".  It's scored at 5 1/2" for a top-fold card.  The print layer is cut with the largest rectangle die in the Textured Notes Die set.  The print is from the Beautiful Gallery 6" x 6" Designer Series Paper.  This is layered onto the folded card base.  You'll notice there is not an even frame of Calypso Coral showing around the DSP as it's wider at the sides.  I think as long as the sides are kept even it doesn't make any difference.

Next the Basic White layer is cut with the 4th largest die from the same set.  I love the interesting designs on all of these rectangle dies!  They add so much interest to the design.  A layer of Calypso Coral was cut at 2 3/8" x 3 7/8".  I was going to have a wider frame showing on this layer, but I didn't like the looks of it.  So instead, it was cut down to make a thinner frame.

The triple leaf stamp was used to stamp near the top and bottom of the white layer.  I used Old Olive ink that was off-stamped before stamping.  Then the detail stamp was added to them with full-strength Old Olive ink.  

Two of the open leaf branches were die-cut from Old Olive cardstock.  These were diagonally attached to the white layer with adhesive making sure sections of the leaves were beyond the layer.

Next, yesterday's extra flowers I had made using Peach Pie and Calypso Coral inks were added to the design.  The centers on all three sizes of flowers were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  The largest flower was added to the middle of the white layer using one Dimensional in the center of the flower.  The group of three tiny flowers were cut apart.   Two were tucked under to the side and one was tucked in at the top of the large flower.  Each of them was attached with a Mini Glue Dot.

The sentiment is from the Banner Sayings set.  I love this sentiment and have used it often.  It's stamped onto a 1/2" strip of Basic White cardstock that was cut to fit and flagged on the end.  There are two Mini Dimensionals under this to hold in place only on the white layer.  Where it is off the layer, it is not attached at all.

So bummed out!  I thought I was using an embellishment that was current.  Wrong!  These peachy gems are from the Opaque Faceted Gems that are NOT current.  Sorry.

The inside of the card has a Basic White layer that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  This has a 3/4" strip of the same DSP print that is used on the front of the card.  There is also a skinny strip of Calypso Coral as an accent at the bottom.

The same Peach Pie and Calypso Coral inks were used to stamp the medium-sized flower to match the front.  And the triple leaf stamp was used to stamp Old Olive ink onto a white scrap to match the leaves on the front also.  Both the flower and the leaves were attached with adhesive.  Lovely accent for the inside of your card, and you still have plenty of room to write that note that you've been putting off.  Well, maybe not you, but I've got several notes I need to write and get in the mail.

Just wanted to share a picture of the two Petals of Beauty cards side by side.  As you can see, many of the elements of the cards are very similar.  But changing the color, orientation, and extra products used, you get quite a different look.  Keep playing with what you have and see what you can come up with by using some of your tried-and-true favorites with maybe something new added to spice it up.

If you have any questions about what I've made or stamping in general, I'd love to have you contact me.  It's always fun to help others enjoy this creative pastime.  There is always something new to learn and something fun to try!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Another Friendly Foliage Card

Hello Friends!  Back again with another card using the Friendly Foliage bundle.  I had so much fun creating with this that I just wasn't ready to put it away back on the shelf.  Why not try it in blues this time?  Or at least the gray/blue colors of both Cloud Cover and Secret Sea?  And why not add one of the gorgeous prints in the Peaceful Garden Designer Series Paper while I'm at it?  That was my plan, and I love the card that was created with those basic parameters.  Let's see what I got...

Cloud Cover and Secret Sea?  check

Peaceful Garden DSP?  check

Friendly Foliage bundle?  check

Love it?  double check!

Let's get started.  The card base is Secret Sea that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.

The first layer is Cloud Cover cardstock that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  Then a layer of the Peaceful Garden DSP is cut to measure 5 1/8" x 3 7/8".  This is a bolder leafy print.  

It is attached to the Cloud Cover layer with adhesive.

Then another print from this DSP pack is cut.  This one is the soft diagonal checked Cloud Cover design that is so beautiful.  It is cut to measure 4" x 2 3/4".  It's attached onto the center of the card front with adhesive.  So far, these layers are all flat with no extra height added.

The next step is to stamp the framed stems.  I used Secret Sea ink on a piece of Cloud Cover cardstock that measured about 2 3/4" x 4" so there is enough room around the image to easily die-cut it.  To cut this, use two of the dies at the same time.  One is the larger outline die, and the other is the detail die that fits inside to cut all around the stamped image.  TIP:  Line them up and then add small pieces of washi tape or a Post-It Note to hold the two dies in place while die-cutting.

After cutting the main image, use the larger outline die again to cut a Basic White piece of cardstock.  This gives you the background behind the image.  Layer the two pieces and attach with Tombow Liquid Glue.  Make sure you have the pieces very straight so there is no white showing around the outside edge of the image.

Attach this to the center of your card front using Dimensionals.

For the sentiment, I used the new Banner Sayings and the new punch that coordinates with it.  I punched the Basic White label first.  The punch makes 3 different labels at the same time, so you'll have some extra to use right when you need it.  The sentiment is stamped with Secret Sea ink.  Don't you love this sentiment?  This will probably be my favorite in the whole set!  I attached it with Mini Dimensionals.  To keep it flat across the card, it uses single Dimensionals on the left side, but it has two Mini Dimensionals stacked on the right side for added height.

For the inside of the card, I cut a Basic White layer at 5 1/4" x 4".  This has a special sentiment from the Gathering Moments set that is stamped with Secret Sea ink.

On the bottom left corner, I stamped a single stem three times using Cloud Cover ink to bring some of the design inside the card to coordinate.  After looking at it, I decided it needed a little something else.  I had a skinny 1/4" strip of Cloud Cover cardstock that I was just going to throw away.  Instead, it seemed like just the right addition to finish the inside of the card and give it just a little extra pop of color.

Thought you'd like another good look at the card.  I love the colors and especially the two prints working together.  Oh my, looking at this made me realize I forgot to mention the three Iridescent Faceted Gems that were added for the bling factor.  They add such a pretty touch to this serene card.  I can't wait to get this is the mail to a special friend.  

Thanks for sticking around to see what is being created around here.  I took a little break from fall and Christmas to make this card today.  I'm finding I love these papers so much together, maybe I need to try a Christmas card using them.  What do you think?

The two new stamp sets used today will be available on Nov. 1st.  Make sure you visit the Online Exclusive store to see all the new products that will be available for you.  I think you'll fall in love with one or two or these great items!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon