Back to Autumn Again

Hello stamping friends!  We've been having some glorious fall weather here and it's wonderful.  I love the brilliant blue skies juxtaposed against the changing colors of the autumn foliage all bathed in sunshine.  It's absolutely gorgeous today!  So, what the heck am I doing inside?  Well, making a blog post about a card that features those glorious autumn colors in a super simple card.  If you hang out with me much, you've heard me mention making the cards for the shut-ins at my church.  This past year several ladies have been helping me put them together.  I come up with the design, then cut, stamp, emboss, die-cut, and all the other stuff needed before actually putting the cards together.  This means that I've learned that sometimes I need to fashion a simpler version of an idea for the ladies helping since they are not stampers at all.  But they all have a good time chatting and spending time together.

Today's card started out with an idea or two I saw on Pinterest and morphed from there.  I loved the crisp clean lines on this card but could foresee some issues for the ladies putting the card together.  Let me show you what I mean. 

The upper card was my version of ideas I had seen.  Isn't it gorgeous and truly gets the Thanksgiving message across beautifully?  I love the open image design on the Elegant Leaves die-cut leaves, and the colors of Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie, and Golden Glow are pure autumn in my opinion.  But I could foresee adhesive all over the place and possibly some ripping of leaves from the ladies trying to get these leaves to stay in place.  So, it was time to get creative and come up with something similar but easier to put together.

That's where this bottom card comes into play.  It follows the same layout, colors, and Elegant Leaves bundle, but there are definite changes to make it easier to handle.

Let's get started making this card.  Start with a Cherry Cobbler card base that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half.  Next a layer of Pumpkin Pie was added.  This piece measures 5 3/8" x 4 1/8".  The layer of Basic White is cut next.  It measures 5 1/4" x 4".

The white layer has an die-cut inset from a long skinny die in the Elegant Leaves dies.  This is cut about 1" down from the top edge and centered across it.  This is just a cool woodgrain-looking strip that is an accent but doesn't actually cut anything out.  For some reason, this seems to enhance the look of movement for the fall leaves.

The sentiment is from a really old wood-mount Stampin'Up! set.  I just loved the font on this stamp, so it's been saved for years and gotten out for special occasions like this.  It's stamped with Cherry Cobbler ink.

I started out with a full sheet of Basic White cardstock.  This was covered with a blending of Golden Glow, Pumpkin Pie, and Cherry Cobbler.  There were blobs of color (yes, that's a technical term) laid down randomly using Golden Glow ink and a Blending Brush to start.  Next the Pumpkin Pie was added here and there in sections.  The Cherry Cobbler was used next to add some depth to the design.  Lastly, I went back with Golden Glow to fill in any open spots and to blend it all together.  It looks kinda weird at this point, doesn't it?

Next, the medium-sized leaf from the Elegant Leaves set was used to stamp a bazillion leaves.  I tried to use all three of the colors to over-stamp on this paper I made, but only the Cherry Cobbler color stood up to these colors and looked good.  The Golden Glow and Pumpkin Pie got pretty lost in all the color.  After all the leaves were stamped on this background, I realized I didn't have enough leaves for the number of cards needed so another piece of color-blended cardstock was made.

Then came die-cutting all of these leaves one at a time.  Whew, that took a bit of time!  Thank goodness they didn't need to be hand cut!

Adding the leaves to the card front came next.  I made sure the three leaves all had a different mix of the colors some lighter, some darker.  Also, the leaves needed to have a different orientation for each of them.  This helped give the illusion of movement to the leaves on the card front.  Each leaf is attached by just a single Dimensional in the center, so they look like they're floating.

I tried several different embellishments for this design.  I ended up choosing to add the darkest Sunset Sparkle Sequins.  They seemed to mimic all the lovely shades of fall on the leaves.  

Everything is packed up and ready for the ladies to put these cards together in another week.  I think they will have no problem making these cards.  And I'm hoping the recipients will like them.

What do you think about making your own background paper to use on a project like this?  Have you tried it lately?  It really is fun playing with colors and blending them to get a myriad of different shades to work with on your projects.  Let me know if you like this idea and give it a try.

Thanks for stopping by today so I could share my love of stamping with you.  I don't think anyone is either too young or too old to enjoy a little creativity!  Maybe it helps to keep the brain active and keeps me out of trouble too!!  😆😂😁

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Fall Card with Simply Leaves Set

Hello friends!  I don't know about you, but I seem to be a sucker for leaf focused stamp sets.  And this new Simply Leaves stamp and punch bundle is no exception.  Depending on the colors that are used, you can get almost a whole year's worth of seasons covered just by using this one set.  Today, it's hot and humid as all get out around here.  Perfect for looking ahead to the cooler days of fall, don't you think?  For the first card I made with this new bundle, which is an Online Exclusive item, I started with the idea of using the card featured with the set in the store.  I loved the earthy colors used with a glimmer of gold brightening it up.  Of course, my card ended up looking quite different from my inspiration card.  But what else is new!

If you've happened to click onto the SU! Online store and checked out the card sample I'm talking about, I'm sure you see the similarities.  But I have a problem copying anything just the way it's presented.  Always need to put my own spin on it, you know?

I started with a base of Pecan Pie cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is folded at 4 1/4".  I made this into a top-fold card.  For the embossed band across the card, I chose to use the Two-tone Pecan Pie cardstock on the lighter side.  It's such a warm caramel color that worked for the card.  I cut a piece that measures 6" x 2".  This was embossed with the Leaf Fall Embossing Folder that has been retired but worked well for my fall themed card.  

After embossing, a sanding block was used lightly over the embossed areas to enhance the light core of the cardstock.  This gives it more interest but doesn't overpower the rest of the design. 

A piece of Gold Foil was cut at 2 1/4" wide to frame the embossed piece.  The embossed piece was attached to the foil with "green glue" and then to the card front with "green glue" also.  Paper Snips were used to trim off the two excess ends from the angled layers.

Now let's get to those leaves.  One print in the Delicate Dreams Designer Series Paper is a lovely neutral print that looks like a piece of linen cloth.  It would be a perfect base to stamp some of my leaves on.  First, one large leaf shape was punched from this paper with the coordinating punch.  Then the dotted veins stamp was added in the leaf shape with Pecan Pie ink.  Using a Blending Brush and Pecan Pie ink, the edges of this leaf were very lightly darkened. 

The small plaid leaf stamp was stamped once each with Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie, and Cajun Craze ink onto the same linen print.  There's no small leaf punch, so these were all fussy cut with paper snips.  The design looked too plain, so another of the large leaf stamps was stamped onto Basic Beige cardstock with Cajun Craze ink.  This was also punched out.  Another of the small leaf stamps was used with Pecan Pie ink and stamped onto a Basic Beige cardstock piece.  This was fussy cut.

The sentiment comes from this same Simply Leaves stamp set.  It was stamped onto a 5/8" wide strip of Very Vanilla cardstock using Cajun Craze ink.  To add a little more interest, a Pecan Pie Dark Stampin' Blends was used to create stitches around the sentiment.

The leaves were arranged on the card.  The two larger leaves were attached near the stems with adhesive, but the tips of the leaves were loose.  Three of the smaller leaves were attached with adhesive at the stems and a Mini Dimensional near the tip of the leaves.  This helps them stand out from the card base.

A larger bow of Linen Thread was tied and attached behind the sentiment.  Then this was attached at the bottom of the leaves with Dimensionals.  

A sprinkling of the beige Pearls of Beauty was added to the card design.  The pearlized golden finish on these pearls really set off the added gold strips.

Very Vanilla cardstock was used for the inside layer.  One of the sentiments (from the same set) was stamped with Cajun Craze ink.  

I had one small leaf left over and needed another for the inside.  The stamp for leaf veining was stamped onto Basic Beige cardstock using Cajun Craze ink.  It was punched with the coordinating punch from the set.  A Blending Brush and Pecan Pie ink was used to highlight the edges.  The two leaves were attached with adhesive to finish the design.

Even though several of the leaves needed to be fussy cut, this was a quick and easy card to design and put together.  It certainly helped to see the artist's concept card ahead of time to get me started in the right direction.  Please don't ever overlook the huge treasure trove of ideas that Stampin' Up! gives us in the catalogs and online ideas.  It wouldn't be hard to stay busy for a good long time just using those ideas as a starting place for all the card making I do.  Thanks for stopping by today.  I've got a summery card idea ready to roll using the same Simply Leaves bundle.  It uses a very easy fun fold addition to make it just a little different.  Hope to see you soon!

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

Blended Background Prairie Grass

Hello Friends!  Today I'm going to step away from that fabulous Sunflowers 3D Embossing Folder and do a little creating with the new Prairie Grass stamp set I just received.  This is a little stand-alone stamp set that is a real treasure as far as I'm concerned.  There are three silhouette images and five sentiments to use.  You'll only find it in the Online Exclusives section in the online store.

The first time I saw this stamp set, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.  I love doing blended backgrounds and this would be the perfect setting for this large stamp.  The large stamp in the set almost covers a whole card front.  But it's still so delicate looking and the background shines through very nicely.  Let me walk you through the steps to make this lovely card.

The first decision was the color of the cardstock for the design layer.  I chose Basic White because I wanted the sun to be a bright white area instead of a vanilla shade.  The Basic White cardstock was cut to measure 3 3/4" x 5".  Then the large grass stamp was stamped onto this using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  The image was positioned near the left side and the top of the grass was about 1/4" from the top of the cardstock.  This leaves a small bit of the stamp that is off the bottom of the cardstock.

The next step was die-cutting a 'mask' for the sun area.  I used one of the Stylish Shapes Dies to cut a circle from Masking Paper.  This is something I don't use often, but it really comes in handy to mask off an area when needed.  It can be re-used more than once if you're careful putting it on and off, so it's great when making multiples of the same card.

The mask is positioned tucked into the stamped design to make it look like the grasses were partially in front of the sun.

The first color that is blended onto the design is Daffodil Delight ink.  The ink is added heavier near the edge of the sun and blended out at least an inch.  Next some Coastal Cabana ink was very lightly added.  Then Balmy Blue ink was added to the edges in the sky area.

Next up is working in the ground portion of the picture.   First, I tried adding Granny Apple Green, but it didn't have enough depth to ground the card.  Then Old Olive ink was blended onto the design.  Perfect.

Carefully peel off the mask to use again if desired.  

The sentiment used here and inside the card is from the Hope You Know stamp set.  Lots of lovely sentiments in this set.  The hello was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink inside the sun area.

I wanted some birds flying in the background.  The bird stamp in the Sunrise Sailing stamp set was stamped 3 times to fill the design a little.  Memento Tuxedo Black ink was used for these too.

It was time to get the card put together.  This layer was attached to a Basic Black layer that measures 4" x 5 1/4".  They are attached with adhesive.  After adhering together, Linen Thread was wrapped around the bottom of this three times then tied into a knot.  The ends of the thread were frayed.

This was all attached to a folded Old Olive cardstock base.  Dimensionals were used for this.

The inside of the card has a Basic White layer for the sentiment that measures 4" x 5 1/4".  This sentiment coordinates with the sentiment on the front and is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

To coordinate with the front, I stamped part of the large image along the left bottom corner of this layer.

The edges all around this layer also have a small amount of Balmy Blue (top 2/3) and Old Olive (bottom 1/3) blended on.  I liked just a little bit of the extra color added here.  I also added a 1/4" strip of Basic Black cardstock to the bottom edge with adhesive.

This layer was added to the inside of the card with adhesive.

One last look at the final design.  Oops, I forgot to mention that two of the Adhesive-backed Dragonflies & Birds were added to the design.  I thought they coordinated well with the stamped birds and added just a small touch of bling.

Just a reminder that the 2025-2027 In Color Sale is going on through the end of the month of August.  There are actually three pages of products that are on sale for 15% off.  You don't want to miss this sale.

Thank you for stopping by today to see what I've been working on lately.  Hope you give this idea a try and then come back for another idea boost.  Should I add another card idea or two using the Sunflower 3D Embossing Folder?  I still have more ideas, but I don't want to totally bore you with them all.  Just because I'm nuts about this embossing folder doesn't mean everybody else is.  So, what do you think??  Whatever you prefer, make sure you keep creating and then sharing your "art with heart" with your family and friends.  It's sure to put a smile on someone's face!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

sharoncarr50@gmail.com

Another Impressions Abloom Idea

Hello friends and Happy Sunday to you.  If there are any fathers out there, I need to say Happy Father's Day too!  There, I think that covers it all, don't you?  Today I have a really simple card that still looks very nice as far as I'm concerned.  I keep grabbing the pink and purple shades when playing around with the flowers in the Impressions Abloom bundle.  It's just so easy to mix and match those colors.  So, I thought it was time to use some of the warmer orange-y shades for a change of pace.  I was surprised by how much I love these colors together.  They give the card a warm and cozy feel.  Give it a look and tell me what you think.

To make today's card, I started with a Very Vanilla card base that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  This is scored and folded in half.  Another piece of Very Vanilla is cut at 3" x 4" for the focal layer.

I decided on Crumb Cake for layering.  This piece measured 3 1/2" x 5 1/4".  To add some interest to the layer, it was embossed with the Distressed Tile 3D Embossing Folder.  Then about 1/2" - 3/4" was ripped from the bottom edge to add to the visual appeal.  Then it's attached to the card base with 'green glue'.

Now it's time to make that pretty cluster of flowers.  The Impressions Abloom set is a two-step stamp set, meaning you have a stamp with a more solid image and then another stamp that adds all the detail to the image.  These are so much fun for creating multiple color choices for each flower or just going with a simpler color palette like I used here.  

For my grouping, the largest flower is made with Timid Tiger ink.  The detail stamp was used first to stamp on a Basic White cardstock piece.  Then the solid stamp was inked and off-stamped before stamping over the detail to give me these gorgeous flowers.  Since I wasn't sure just how these flowers would be arranged, I stamped a couple extra.  You can never have too many flowers on hand when you're ready to create!

For the medium sized flowers, Peach Pie is the ink color used.  Stamp the detail stamp first with full-strength ink.  Then the solid image is inked and off-stamped before stamping over it.  Again, I stamped a few extras just because you never know when you'll need them.

The leaves were stamped with Garden Green ink.  I only used the detail stamp on these.  And of course, I made extras.

The centers of the flowers were stamped in with Pecan Pie ink.  Only the detail stamps were used for the centers.

All the flowers and leaves were die-cut with the matching dies from the bundle.  That makes it so easy to get a whole garden full of flowers cut in minutes instead of fussy cutting them.  To fill in the design, the tiny flowers were die-cut from Timid Tiger cardstock to match.  Oh good, now I have a whole cluster of pretty flowers to play with!

Time to prep the extra piece of Very Vanilla that you cut.  The sentiment is from the same set.  It's stamped with Pecan Pie ink to stand out.  (This card would work nicely for so many occasions, just change the sentiment to fit.)

Crumb Cake ink and a Blending Brush added a blush of color to anchor the flowers.  I decided to add a light spatter of Pecan Pie ink mixed with a drop of water to add interest to the Very Vanilla layer.  Give it a minute to dry, then attach to the card base with Dimensionals.

Take a little time to arrange the components on the card to get an idea of spacing.  The large flower is the only one that I attached with Dimensionals.  The two medium flowers and the leaves are all tucked around and under the center flower and were attached with adhesive.  Afterwards, the tiny flowers were tucked in.  These were each attached with a Mini Glue Dot.

For the extra bling for this card, I chose the Pecan Pie & Clear Ribboned Adhesive-backed Dots.  They seemed to be the perfect accent for these flowers.

I'm still debating whether to tuck a double bow made from Linen Thread at the bottom of the large flower.  I've put it on and off a couple times now and I just can't decide.  Do you think it needs it?

Hope you like this simple card idea.  It was fun to get out of my comfort zone of pinks and purples for a change.  It seems like whenever I need to make a card for someone, that is the color palette I grab first.  

Hope you've taken advantage of the "BOGO 50% Off Suite Sale" going on this month.  Remember you don't have to buy a complete Suite.  Any of the individual items in the Suite also works too.  TIP - the lowest priced item is always the 50% off item!!  Pay attention when ordering.  For example, I ordered two different times so I could get the higher priced items in the first order.  Then went back to get the lower priced items next.  And of course, Rewards get tallied for your next order (or save them up!).

If you have any questions or are looking for a demonstrator, I'd be happy to help you.  Just email me at the address below or leave a comment in the section below.  Either way I'd love to talk to you.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

sharoncarr50@gmail.com

Ombre and Black Silhouette Card

Hello friends!  Yes, I love the look of an ombre background with an interesting black silhouette contrasting with it.  It has such a crisp, clean look that I'm drawn to.  I've had this idea rolling around for a bit, but I didn't have a really wonderful silhouette die-cut that would really stand out.  My sister, Connie, brought several sets that I don't own yet, so I was able to use one of them to create my idea.  I'm so thrilled with how beautiful it turned out!  I hope you try the idea yourself.  Of course, you can use the materials that you have and use whatever color combo you might prefer when trying this.  I'd love to hear about what you create.

Here is my creation and I love it!  It starts with a 5" x 3 3/4" piece of Basic White cardstock along with an oval die.  I used the Layering Ovals dies that we had a few years back for this card.  I cut a piece of computer paper the same size as my white cardstock, die-cut the oval from it, then used a piece of Scotch tape over the top edge to hold them in place together while color blending.

Then comes the magic.  Get out your Blending Brushes and three ink pads that look nice together.  I used Old Olive, Pool Party, and Lemon Lolly.  I started with the Old Olive and added color to the bottom of the die-cut oval.  I purposely did not go straight across but angled the color a little.  Keep the color darker at the bottom edge and blend up into the 1/3 area very lightly.  Next, I added Pool Party ink blending down into the Old Olive area and up into the top 1/3 area keeping that top edge light.  Lastly the Lemon Lolly was added to the oval.  This time I didn't take the color up to the top edge but just feathered it out near that edge to give the illusion of the full shape.

Peek under the mask.  If the colors are as you like, then take it off entirely.  You can always reuse this mask to make another card if you want.  Isn't it gorgeous?  I went with colors that reminded me of a sunny day with the grass, sky, and sunshine.

It's time to make the silhouette image for the design.  The design is die-cut from the black cardstock piece cut to frame the white layer.  The Basic Black layer measures 5 1/8" x 3 7/8".  The die is from the new Beautiful Motifs Die set.  Isn't it the perfect delicate detailed piece?  After die-cutting, it's attached over the color-blended oval.

Next the sentiment was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.   The sentiment is from the Thoughtful Wishes stamp set.  I love the two different fonts here.  It's stamped to kind of curve around the bottom of the oval.  

After stamping, the white layer is attached to the black layer with "green glue".  The card base is Pool Party cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half.  The layers are attached to it with Dimensionals for a little pop.

Lastly are the lovely Pool Party clear gems that are added to the design.  These are from the Glossy Dots Assortment.  They are the perfect match for this crisp design.  

I love the overall clean look of this card.  It's so serene and calms me right down just looking at it.  Maybe I need to hang it on my bedroom wall so I can calm down and sleep at night?  😉 So funny!

Hope you enjoyed this simple idea.  You could use different shapes, or different color combos and silhouette shapes to make your creation.  The ideas are pretty much endless when you start thinking about it.  I'd love to see what you create.

Thanks for stopping by to see what is going on here.  Just hanging out in my craft room and creating as usual.  I'm happy to have the company.  Feel free to leave a comment to let me know what you think.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Another Seagull Fun Fold

Hello friend!  I'm having fun playing with the Sale-a-bration set called Friendly Seagulls.  For some reason they just make me smile and think of silly ideas.  So today, you've got one seagull trying to get the attention of the second one.  If any of you are moms, you know the annoyance of kids saying, "Mom.  Mom.  MO-O-O-O-OMM!"  That was going through my head as I was designing this card and remembering those days with a mixture of fondness, but also relief that my grown kids don't do that anymore.  Well, except when they're fooling around.  😏 So, this card is sort of a remembrance back to those days of little people running around the house.

I thought this idea would translate well into a fun fold card, so that's what this is.  It looks like a regular, unassuming card, but there's a little twist to it.

The color for the card base is Pebbled Path, one of the In Colors.  It's cut at 11" x 4 1/4", then it's scored in half at 5 1/2".

At this point, you need to add one more score line.  This goes from the bottom corner of the center score line you just made up to the opposite upper corner on the right to create the fun fold.  It looks weird now, but trust me, it is fun.

Next a layer of Basic Beige cardstock is cut to measure 5 1/4" x 4".  Cut two of these - one for the front and one for inside the card.  This is what all the stamping is on.  On the piece for the front, die-cut a circle from a scrap of Basic White cardstock using the smallest die from the Stylish Shapes Dies.  This will be a mask that you will add some sky around.  Using a Blending Brush and Balmy Blue ink, lightly blend on some color around the "sun" and fade out to nothing.  Save this mask!

On both the pieces, use a Blending Brush and Wild Wheat ink to softly add a sandy beach on the bottom edge.  On the front I colored a larger area and built it up on the side a little more.    Both pieces also have the little pebbly sand stamp added to the sandy area.  Use Crumb Cake to lightly ink the stamp and stamp several times before reinking.  Randomly cover the sandy area while still leaving some open spaces.

The flying seagulls stamp is used to add some Pebbled Path birds in the sky.  I off-stamped before stamping the seagulls to keep them very light.  This was done on both inside and outside pieces.

The seagulls were from the batch I made the other day.  These are stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with Stampin' Blends:  Daffodil Delight Light, Gray Granite Light and Dark

After coloring they were fussy cut.

The strip of plaid on the left side is from the Timeless Plaid DSP.  It's 3/4" x 4".  To define it better on the card, a layer of Old Olive cardstock was added behind it.  This measures 1" x 4".  These are attached to the edge of the Basic Beige cardstock using adhesive.

The sentiments added to the front are a combination of stamping and markers.  For the first hey, I only inked that word before stamping, then did the full sentiment under this.  I couldn't find a sentiment that I wanted for the 2nd bird, so he's just done by hand.  Not perfect, but it gets the point across.  Actually, the sentiment looks kind of cranky to me.  The seagulls were added to the front at this time using Mini Dimensionals.

The inside was finished next.  The mask was used for the sentiment inside the card.  If it's not blue enough for your taste, blend a little more of the Balmy Blue ink on it.  The sentiment is from the Hope You Know sentiment stamp set.  It's stamped with Pebbled Path ink.  Then it's popped up near the bottom corner using a Dimensional.  I checked placement with the front of the card before attaching.

There is another of that flock of seagulls added inside just because they make me smile.  He's attached with adhesive, so he sits nice and flat.

When trimming the plaid DSP for the front, there was a 2" x 3/4" piece left.  I decided to punch three small hearts from this and add them to the inside of the card.  This brought the colors and design from the front into the card.  Plus, when the card is sitting up in its fun fold glory, you can see those three little hearts from the side.  They're attached with adhesive.

Then the card sections are ready to put together.  The Pebbled Path cardstock was folded shut.  Adhesive was added inside the edges of that bottom right side triangle.  Keep the adhesive at least a 1/4" from the edge!  Lay the Basic Beige layer onto this lining up all four sides to keep it in the center of the card.  Make sure the adhesive is holding it securely.  Open it slightly and fold on the crease to tuck the bottom edge under the sentiment.  Voila!

I added some Riverside Irregular Pearls to the scene for a little bling. These are an Online Exclusive item. They seem to pick up and enhance a lot of the yellows and greens from the card.

Here's a final look at my Friendly Seagulls.  In Michigan there always seemed to be bunches of them in the parking lots and parks.  And always loud and squawking to get attention.  This design just seemed appropriate.

Just a reminder that this set is one of the Sale-a-bration free items!  And it's definitely fun to create with as I have so thoroughly learned.

I'd love to help you with any of your stamping needs or questions.    If you have questions, send me an email and I'll get back to you.  If you'd like to order, please use the Host Code at the top of this post, and I'll send you a card and surprise as a thank you.  

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog today. I hope you found something to make you smile and maybe something to inspire you too.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

sharoncarr50@gmail.com

More Peaceful Evergreens

Hello my 'stuffed' friends.  If you're like me, you still feel a little 'stuffed' from your Thanksgiving dinner yesterday.  But that's not stopping me from those leftovers today!  It was so nice having family share the day with us.  I think I told Kathy that the day was filled with family, food, and football.  I should have included fun in that mix too.  But today I'm back sharing Christmas ideas with you.  There's still time to make oodles of cards to share with family and friends.  Let's get busy. 

Here's a card that's a little different from my usual Christmas colors, but I totally love the look.  I was actually working on a different project and fiddling with color choices for that card trying to find the right mix.  When I saw these colors together, I was inspired to switch projects right away and make this card instead.  I love pastel colors, and this card really says it all.

For the card, I started with two pieces of Basic White cardstock.  One measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored in half for the card base.  The second piece measures 5 1/4" x 4".  This piece would carry the trees and blended background to elevate the card a little bit.

I was going to use the Deckled Rectangle Dies to finish the edge on this top piece.  Instead, I dug out an old die set.  Remember the Stitched with Whimsy Dies?  This is the largest one and I thought it added just a little fun to this layer.  

Using three different Blending Brushes, I added color to the background.  Bubble Bath is the first color used near the bottom.  Then a band of Fresh Freesia ink was added next.  Lastly, the Boho Blue ink was added to the sky area.  TIP:  when using this dark of a color for the pastel area, I had very little ink left on the brush and kept a very light touch on the brush.

Using the Peaceful Evergreens Dies, the trees were cut.  The largest and smallest detail tree dies cut the Basic White trees.  The smallest tree die was also used to cut one tree from the pack of Berry Burst, Old Olive, and White Glimmer Specialty Paper.  Thought that would make a pretty accent.

The sentiment from the Shepherd's Care stamp set was added along the bottom.  It's stamped with Boho Blue ink.

The largest tree was attached with "green glue" dotted on the back.  It's attached to the left side and down close to the sentiment.  The small Basic White tree was also attached with "green glue" to the right of the card center with a little space between them.  The glimmer tree was attached between those two trees.  I cut tiny bits of Mini Dimensionals apart to tuck behind thicker areas on the tree.  This lifted the tree up just enough to add interest.  Do you notice how the glimmer on the tree seems to pick up the colors on the background?

At this time, I used "green glue" again to attach the white layer to the card base.  The glue was kept well inside the stitched lines.  When the card was put together, the edges look like they are slightly elevated.

One of the ideas I had for embellishing this card, was die-cutting the stars that are part of the die set.  I cut several from the glimmer paper that was used for the tree.  The stars seemed way too big for these delicate trees.  One of the awesome embellishments I tried on this card really stood out and caught my eye.  These are the Iridescent Faceted Gems.  Wow!  They really sparkle and pick up all the colors on this card.  Just perfect.

Yay! Another card finished for my Christmas card stash.  One of these days, I'll have to sit down and count how many I have finished and how many more I'll need.  The countdown is on to get them all finished addressed, and in the mail.  Before Christmas would be nice.  😄  

There are new stamps, dies, paper, and all kinds of goodies that I've been pre-ordering as a demonstrator.  The stack of new items is calling my name and I'm antsy to start playing with them!

When I was thinking over all the blessings that I'm thankful for, you came to mind.  My stamping friends have blessed me beyond measure by the kindness, helpfulness, and loyalty you've shown me.  And I'm thankful for you stopping by today to see what's been going on in my stamp room.  There seems to be way too many stacks of partially finished project ideas that I need to sit down and get serious about finishing.  You'd probably have a heart attack if you saw my room.  Rick thought he made sure I had enough counterspace to work on, but oh my!  I really could use double the space.  Of course, then I'd probably fill that up and need even more space.  Never enough!!  Get stamping!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

My Christmas Tree Version

Hello stamping friends!  I hope you aren't bored by my card today.  So many people have shared their versions of Christmas tree cards this year.  Especially since there are several different tree-centered new sets this year to choose from.  After giving this some thought, I figured why not share one more.  After looking at so many different versions of Christmas trees on Pinterest to get inspired, I feel like I must have seen them all already.  And I hope my version isn't too much like anyone else's card idea.  I think I got idea overload and started mixing up what I saw and what I thought up myself.  Also, I was having a problem finding what I wanted to put together on this card from just my current stash of stamps, punches and cardstock.  So, this card is a real mixture of old and new, but I love how it all comes together into a beautiful Christmas card!

 

Isn't this just the perfect Christmas tree card?  I love how it came together.  When planning this card, I couldn't keep myself from using the retired original Shimmery Paper that we sold previously.  It has a subtle shimmer to it that it's almost unnoticeable, but it is there and makes a lovely backdrop for this tree.

The card starts with a card base of Shaded Spruce that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" that's scored and folded in half.  The first layer is the Shimmery Paper that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  For some added shimmer on this, I flicked a little bit of Wink of Stella on the layer and set it aside to dry for a minute.  I wasn't sure how I'd finish the design until I had a tree to work with, so that was next.

While that was drying, I created my tree(s).  The larger tree image in the Frosted Forest stamp set was stamped on Basic White cardstock with Shaded Spruce ink.  Then I worked with the coordinating stencils to add the rest of the color.  Stencil A was Shaded Spruce added with a Blending Brush.  Stencil B was adding some Mossy Meadow for a shading color.  Stencil C was carefully dabbing and smooshing White Craft ink onto the tree.  Don't rub it on or much of the green will transfer to your white ink pad.  Oops!  After adding the white ink, I added White Embossing Powder to one and a clear glitter embossing powder to the 2nd one.  After heat setting, you can see the difference of the two trees.  For this card, I chose the snowy tree with the white embossing powder on it.

A strip of Shaded Spruce was cut for the card front.  It measures 5 1/4" x 1 1/2".  A strip of the Graceful Greenery Vellum was added over this as a lovely accent.  The strip measures 5 1/4" x 1 3/8".  It's attached to the green strip only under the circle areas to hide the adhesive.  For a final layer on the strip, a length of the Silver & White Sheer Ribbon was wrapped around and adhered to the back.  This was all added to the card front and attached with adhesive.

Two of the Spotlight on Nature circle dies were used next.  The larger one cut a piece of Shaded Spruce, and the next size down cut a circle from the Shimmery White cardstock.  These are layered up together with adhesive.  Then they are attached to the far-right side of the card front using Dimensionals.

The tree was attached to the circles by using Dimensionals also, so it really stands out on the card.

Another retired favorite of mine, the Double Oval Punch, was used to make the sentiment piece.  The larger oval punched out Shaded Spruce and the smaller oval punched Basic White.  Shaded Spruce ink was used to stamp Joy from the Brightest Glow set which I think is retired.  The sentiment fit just right though, so that's what I used.

We're down to the home stretch now.  It was time for any extra bling to go on now.  After evaluating, I went back and added Wink of Stella over all the white embossing powder on the tree branches.  I like the bit of glimmer that added to the tree.  The very last addition was the five tiny Rhinestone Basic Jewels scattered on the tree.  

There, I'm so happy with the entire card, even if it is a mish-mash of old and new.  I really enjoy getting out my retired products and playing around with them.  It reminds me of why I held on to those special items when they retired in the first place.  Of course, I'd be happy to hang on to every single stamp, accessory, and tool I've purchased over many years.  But you know, I really don't want to rent a storage unit to fit it all!  LOL

Hope you had fun creating with me today.  I promise I'll try to stick with more current products next time around.  (Maybe)  Please don't get mad at me if I wander away into the past again.  

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

My Changing Leaves Card Collection

Hello friends!  I've been a little fixated on using the Changing Leaves Bundle.  Guess I've been thinking about autumn and these items work so well for that.  I gave myself a challenge of only using three basic colors and seeing what I can come up with this Bundle.  I'm so pleased with the different looking cards that came from this challenge and I might try this on other stamp and die bundles.  Let's see what I made...

Here is the trio of cards I created for this challenge I gave myself.  I think they all turned out quite different even though the card layers are very similar.  It was interesting working with different styles on each of the cards.  The colors I chose to use on them all are Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, and Peach Pie.  We'll highlight the information on each card so you can see what was done.

The first card was the idea of a stamped background.  The card base is Very Vanilla that measured 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  There is a layer of Old Olive cardstock that measured 5 1/4" x 4".  The stamped layer is Very Vanilla that measured 5" x 3 7/8".

The largest leaf clusters were stamped with Peach Pie ink on the vanilla layer.  The next largest leaf cluster was stamped with Old Olive that I stamped off to make a light shade of green.  Lastly, Pumpkin Pie ink was used to stamp the smaller skeleton leaf randomly to fill in open areas. 

An Old Olive Marker was flicked onto this layer to even out the design a bit.  When dry, the layer was attached to the Old Olive layer by using adhesive.  

The die used is from the Everyday Details Die Set and is cut from Very Vanilla cardstock.  The sentiment is from the Everyday Greetings stamp set and is stamped with Old Olive ink.  I thought the sentiment fit perfectly in this die-cut.   It needed some color behind it to make it stand out.  The Old Olive cardstock used measures 3 7/8" x 1 1/2".  They are attached together with adhesive.

The ribbon is an old Pumpkin Pie 1/4" ribbon that was part of a combo pack that's been retired over 5 years now.  Yeah, I know I keep everything, but it was the perfect addition to help balance the colors here.  It's wrapped around the two layers and attached in the back then added to the card base with Dimensionals.  After adding the sentiment with Dimensionals, the bow was attached with a Mini Glue Dot.  At this point, I added one of the skeleton leaves die-cut from Old Olive cardstock.  It's attached with a little adhesive where it tucks under the sentiment.

The bling added here comes from the Adhesive-backed Speckle Dots.  I love these more natural colors.  Three of the olive color gems were used.

The next card I made turned out so different from the first.  I started with a base of Pumpkin Pie.  A layer of Old Olive was cut that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  Then a layer of Very Vanilla was cut that measures 5" x 3 3/4".

The Very Vanilla layer was embossed with the Exposed Brick 3D Embossing Folder.  After embossing, I used a Blending Brush and Pecan Pie ink over it all to expose the design.  Then a Pecan Pie Marker was used to spatter ink over the background.  After drying, it was attached to the Old Olive layer with adhesive and to the card base using Dimensionals.

The large leaf cluster was inked by using Sponge Daubers starting with Pumkin Pie on the tips and Old Olive ink in the center.  This was off-stamped before stamping onto Very Vanilla cardstock.  It was die-cut with the matching die.  The same leaf cluster was die-cut from Old Olive cardstock also.  These two were attached but off-set a little to let the green stand out against the background.  

Then the smaller leaf cluster was stamped onto Very Vanilla using Pumpkin Pie ink and die-cut.  One of the skeleton leaves was die-cut from Old Olive cardstock as an accent.  And a berry branch was die-cut from Pecan Pie.

The sentiment is from the Changing Leaves set.  It's stamped onto a Very Vanilla scrap using Old Olive ink.  It's die-cut with one of the dies from the same bundle.

The large leaves are attached to the card front with adhesive along with the Pumpkin Pie leaves.  The berry branch and the olive skeleton leaf are attached with some rolled up Mini Glue Dots.

Natural Tones Linen Thead (Online Exclusive) was wrapped around my finger three times and attached to the back of the label.  Then the label was attached with Dimensionals.

Three Neutrals Adhesive-backed Sequins in the brownish color are attached to the card to finish.

The last card I made I wanted to be simpler in looks.  There is a Very Vanilla card base, then a layer of Old Olive that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  Next is another layer of Very Vanilla.

I die-cut a 1/4 size piece of computer paper with the 2nd largest circle die from the Stylish Shapes dies.  Using this as a mask, I used a Blending Brush to add Peach Pie ink to the center.

With the mask still in place, I stamped the largest leaf cluster with Pumpkin Pie ink with only the leaf tips showing.  After removing the mask, the Vanilla piece was embossed with the So Swirly Embossing Folder.  This reminded me of swirls of wind on an autumn day.   This was attached to the Old Olive layer with Tombow Liquid Glue, then using Dimensionals attached both pieces to the card base.

Only the three top leaves were stamped on Very Vanilla cardstock using Old Olive ink and were die-cut with the matching die.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set.  It's stamped with Pumpkin Pie ink onto a Very Vanilla strip, then it's die-cut with the matching die.  Just a small bit of Peach Pie ink was blended around the edges to enhance it.

Both the leaves and the sentiment are attached with Dimensionals.  A small Linen Thread bow was attached to the leaf stem using Mini Glue Dots.  

The bling for this card is the same Adhesive-back Speckle Dots in the olive color that were used on the first card.

WHEW!  That's a lot of stamping and a lot of typing too!  I hope these ideas spark your creativity.  Every time you sit down to stamp - even with the same stamp over and over - you always get something new and exciting.  I just love seeing how you get different looks with the same products.  Stamping is never boring!

I hope you've had a chance to redeem your Bonus Days coupons codes.  If not, please don't forget to get that done before the end of the month.  And don't forget about my own extra 50th Wedding Anniversary promotion.  If you spend $50 with me in the month of August, I'll send you a card and a package of embellishments as a way of celebrating with you.  Thank you so much for your patronage!!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon