Hello stamping friends!  You know that old saying about the best laid plans of mice and men?  Well, that goes double for women too!  Here it is a week after I got back from my visit to my sister's, and I've finally got enough energy to get a post done.  The first couple days at Connie's were stamping heaven.  The fourth day, I woke up with a not-so-lovely fever and I was out of it for the rest of my stay, the drive home, and the next day or so.  Then came the coughing that knocks me off my feet and the recuperating.  So there, you have a rundown of my last two weeks.  Definitely not what we planned, but that's the way it goes sometimes.  I do have a few cards to share that Connie and I worked on, which is good since I haven't been in my stamp room for a long while!

I love the Layers of Beauty stamps, dies, and masks!  They are so quick and easy to work with and I've made several cards featuring these products.  Now I have a "mine and hers" version for you.  

First, we started out by stamping the main image onto a quarter sheet of Basic White cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black.  You need to angle it a little to get it to fit nicely.  After stamping, the image is placed under Mask #1 lining it up carefully.  For this layer, I lightly colored in with Lemon Lolly with a small Blender Brush.  In the areas for the tiny flowers, I added a light layer of Azure Afternoon ink.

Mask #2 has a light layer of Daffodil Delight ink added.  The tiny flowers have another light layer of Azure Afternoon on some of the petals.

Mask #3 has a layer of Peach Pie added for the deeper shading.  The centers of the tiny flowers are added with this mask too using Daffodil Delight ink.

Mask #4 has a light layer of Lemon Lime Twist added on all the leaves.

Mask #5 has a heavier layer of the same Lemon Lime Twist ink to add shading on the flowers.

Next, the image was die-cut using the coordinating dies.  The card base I chose for this card is Lemon Lime Twist.  It's not a color I use often, but I thought it was a perfect complement for the pretty yellows and blues on the image.

The design needed something else for a layer and all ideas I had didn't work.  Connie suggested a doily from her stash, and that was a perfect touch in my humble opinion.

The sentiment is from Thoughtful Wishes stamp set.  It's stamped on Basic White with Tuxedo Black ink.  Then it was fussy cut to fit the design.

The doily was attached with adhesive just in the center area.  The floral image is attached with both regular and Mini Dimensionals to give it some lift.  The sentiment is also attached with Dimensionals.  For a little bling, some Flat-backed Pearls were added.  I thought they really enhanced the look.

When I was finished with my card, it looked a little unbalanced to me.  All the design elements were too high on the card with too much space at the bottom.  I really couldn't take it all apart, so I did the next best thing.  I cut 1/4" off from the bottom of the card to make it just a bit shorter.  Did you notice?

Here are our cards side by side.  If you look closely you can see, we really did start out the same, but we diverged quickly.

For the tiny flowers on the floral image, Connie went with a purple tone.  I think she used Fresh Freesia.

She also kept her roses a lighter golden yellow.  The second layer of green on her leaves is Granny Apple Green which changes the look quite a bit.

I believe she used a sentiment from the Thoughtful Wishes set.  There is also a doily used on her card, but the card base is different.  I didn't write it down, but I think she used Bubble Bath for the card base.  If I'm wrong, she'll let me know.

She had some tiny little cute white flowers that she tucked in around the design, attaching them with Mini Glue Dots.  Nice touch!

Oh, one last thing I almost forgot.  She was using a Stampin' Blends to deepen the shadows on the roses to give her the look she wanted.  I think it was the Peach Pie Light color of Blends, but I wouldn't swear by it!

OK, I think that's all for now.  Besides, I'm wiped out and it's time to rest again.  What a bummer this flu is!!

Don't forget that the extra 10% off Bundles sale is still going on.  It lasts until the end of the month.  If you're planning on ordering, I would appreciate your business.  Thanks!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Happy Sunday!

Hello my friends!  Hope you are having a terrific Sunday.  It's always a good day when you can start it out at church praising Jesus for all His goodness and grace.  This morning was a little different though.  The children presented a musical play portraying both Daniel in the lions' den and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.  There were some glitches and laughs, but all in all the kids did a great job sharing the stories.  What an interesting way have a church service.  

This afternoon I was in the mood to create with the new Layers of Beauty Bundle and the coordinating Layers of Beauty Decorative Masks.  I tried making something with this yesterday, but it was just a little too bright for my tastes.  So today, I worked on a pastel version of my original card.  Oh, my goodness!!  I just love how it turned out and wanted to share it with you right away.

I started with 1/4 sheet of Basic White cardstock.  The large floral image in the Layers of Beauty stamp set was stamped onto this using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  The white layer had just a smidgen of adhesive in two of the corners to hold it in place for the stenciling.  Each of the Masks has a number in the corner to make it easier to color the design in the correct order.  The 1st Mask was held in place with a small piece of Washi Tape on opposite corners.  I used a Blending Brush with Lemon Lolly ink for the first layer on the roses.  The little flowers got a light layer of Fresh Freesia ink.

Lift off the Mask and place the 2nd Mask with another couple tiny pieces of Washi Tape.  This time I switched to Daffodil Delight and added a very light layer.  Another layer of Fresh Freesia went on the little flowers.

Change Masks to #3.  This was another layer of Daffodil Delight ink on the roses.  I made it a little darker for the inner part of the roses.  For the little flowers, I used Daffodil Delight on the flower centers.

Mask #4 was a light layer of Granny Apple Green on all the leaves.

Mask #5 was a darker layer of Granny Apple Green for the shading and detail on the leaves.  Looked good to me so the floral image was die-cut with the coordinating die and set aside until I was ready for it.

Checking the roses against cardstock colors, I chose to use Lemon Lolly for the card base.  I die-cut a 1/4 sheet of Basic White with the 2nd largest Deckled Rectangle die.  I was going to leave the layer plain, but decided a little embossing would add to the design.  Of course, I used the new Eyelet 3D Embossing Folder for this.  (yep, I'm hooked on this!)  There is also a small amount of speckling added using the Granny Apple Green Marker.  Then it was attached centering it on the Lemon Lolly card base using "green glue".

I decided to cut off a section of the rose design to save for the inside of the card.  The larger piece is attached to the card front using Dimensionals.  It is flowing off the white layer to overlap some of the Lemon Lolly base.

The sentiment is from the Heartfelt Hexagon stamp set.  It's stamped on a 3/4" strip of Basic White cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  A small piece of Lemon Lolly cardstock was cut to layer this.  They are attached together with adhesive.  Then attached to the card front using two Dimensionals.

The bling added to this card are the Iridescent Foil Gems.  These are so pretty and have just a hint of a purple/berry color in the tinsel inside the gems.  It was like it was made to go together with this card.

Here's the inside of the card.  The Basic White layer measures 5" x 3 3/4" and is attached with adhesive.  The little floral spray that was cut from the original image is added here.  It's attached with adhesive.  I think it's the perfect touch for the inside of this card.  It really could have stayed as part of the front design, but I kinda like it here.

Hope you love this Layers of Beauty Bundle and coordinating Decorative Masks.  Don't be intimidated by them.  They really are easy to use.  My one really big tip is to start adding the color lightly through the masks.  You can always add more if you want a bolder color.  But once that color is on there, you can't take it off.  My first attempt was overly dark for my tastes.  Hopefully, I'm still going to work it onto a card design, and I may find I totally love it.  We'll see.

Just a quick reminder about the free shipping on Tuesday May 21st on any order of $75 or over.  Don't miss out on the savings!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon 

P.S.  I almost forgot to mention cleaning the Masks.  I wiped them down with a damp cloth when I was finished using them.  Easy peasy.  They're now ready to go for the next project.

Enduring Beauty Anniversary Card

Hello friends!  I'm so happy we made it through all the flooding that was going on in our area yesterday.  It was truly amazing how high our creek came up onto the yard and how swiftly the water was flowing.  To see large limbs just bobbing along in the water at such a quick pace gave me a real sense of the power of flood water.  Not something you want to be out in at all!  Thank God we have no damage here, but my daughter has some water seepage in their house that needs repairing.  Seeing how bright and sunny it is today, you'd never guess all this havoc was going on yesterday.  But on to the stamping portion of this report.  For today's card, I used the Enduring Beauty stamps and dies to create a lovely anniversary card.  Seems like there are a few anniversaries of family and friends that need cards this month, so I've been busy making them.

This is one of them.  To make this card, start with a card base of Lemon Lime Twist that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half. 

The front layer is Lemon Lolly that measures 5 3/8" x 4 1/8".  One of the Foursquare Decorative Masks (A.C. pg 136) was used with a Blending Brush to add the subtle background on this layer.  To hold the mask in place to the cardstock layer, a bit of Masking Paper (A.C. pg 151) was used.  Where it touched the cardstock, I made it less tacky by touching it to my jeans several times.  I used Lemon Lolly ink to keep the design unobtrusive.

After adding the inked background, the largest die in the Stitched with Whimsy set added the meandering stitched design into the layer for added interest.  

The large floral stamp from the Enduring Beauty set (2024 Jan - April Mini Cat. pg 38) was stamped onto Basic White cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Using ink pads and both large and small Blending Brushes, ink was added to the flowers and leaves.

Flowers:  Lemon Lolly and Daffodil Delight with a tiny touch of Calypso Coral

Leaves:  Lemon Lime Twist and Granny Apple Green

A Lemon Lime Twist Dark Blends was used to color in the stems a little to keep them connected.

Because I wanted a much looser look, I did not use the Masks for coloring that are made to coordinate with this set.  I'll have to give those a try next time around.

After coloring, the coordinating die was used to cut the image out.  There are also open leaf dies that I used to die-cut some additional leaves to fill out the design.  These are cut from Granny Apple Green and Garden Green cardstock.

The sentiment comes from an old, retired set.  I chose this old sentiment because I was looking for an anniversary sentiment that would fit the card.  It was stamped on a 1/2" wide strip of Basic White using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  It's attached across a corner with adhesive.  Then the ends were trimmed to follow the edge of the layer.

The floral images were attached to the card front with Dimensionals.  The leaves were tucked in around the image and attached with adhesive.  Then the whole layer was attached to the Lemon Lime card front using adhesive.  

The inside of the card had to be pretty to match the front.  A layer of Basic White that measured 5" x 3 3/4" was cut.  It's stamped with another really old sentiment that fit what I wanted to say.  There's just a little of the Foursquare Mask that's used in the top corner to match the card front.

A small group of leaves from a Sale-a-bration set - Softly Sophisticated - were stamped on the bottom corner using Lemon Lime Twist ink.  The flowers from the same set were tucked in to finish the little bouquet.  Lemon Lolly ink was used for the flowers.

The white layer was attached to a Lemon Lolly layer that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  Then this was attached to the inside of the card.

One of the last touches for this card was the little bit of ribbon tucked under the flowers.  You have to look at the pictures closely to actually see this.  The ribbon is the Gold & Vanilla Ribbon (A.C. pg 144) that seems to be one of my go-to embellishments lately.  I only used about 2 1/2" of the ribbon for this little touch.  It's tucked under the flowers with a Mini Glue Dot holding it under there.

The very last touch is the bling, as usual.  What I chose are the Blooming Pearls that are a carryover from the Winter Mini Catalog (pg 53).  They're kind of easy to miss - I did.  But it's worth finding this embellishment and getting it.  These are so pretty with the spring colors and a golden pearlized finish on them.  I used the Garden Green colored pearls, and they blend with all the greens used on the card.  

That's it for this anniversary card.  One down, several more to go!  I hope you enjoyed seeing all the different pieces of this card come together.  Sometimes it seems to be the little things on a card that you almost miss that truly make it special.  Don't be afraid to use stamp sets and dies that are old and new together.  Sometimes the older sets have just the right sentiment or accent that you're looking for.  That's why I keep telling my hubby I can't get rid of anything.  You never know when you might need just that very item.  😉

Did you notice the Sale-a-bration item tucked in there too?  You've got until either February 28th or whenever the freebies are gone to choose whatever it is you've got your eye on.  From previous years, I want to caution that some of the favorite items have been gone a week or two before Sale-a-bration is done.  If you'd like to place an order with me, I'd appreciate it very much.  Please use the Host Code shown on the blog post to help out.  Everyone that orders always gets a card from me and sometimes there's a fun goodie tucked inside for you.  Thanks so much.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Textured Florals for Birthday

Hello Friends,  July is taking off with a bang.  It's the month that is jam-packed with birthdays for my family and friends too.  So that means lots of birthday cards need to be made.  I've got another one to share with you today.  I just realized it's another Fresh Freesia card.  Guess that's one of my favorite colors for feminine birthday cards right now.  If you like either pinks or purples, this is the perfect color choice to make as far as I'm concerned.  My sister loves purples in any shade, so each year her card always features purple of some kind.  This year it will be Fresh Freesia.  So, let's get stamping!

Hmmm, maybe I should just send her this picture because it looks more purple than the actual card.  LOL  The card starts with a base of Fresh Freesia that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" that's scored and folded in half.  Can you see the faint design on the background?  It's made by using the Foursquare Decorative Masks (page 136), Fresh Freesia ink, and a Blending Brush.  The ink was added very lightly and faded out at the outer edges.  I love the look you get with the random color design instead of a solid coverage.  Remember to keep a light touch!

Next up are all the die-cut pieces.  There are three pieces of greenery die-cut using the coordinating Textured Floral die.  Two of the open, airy leaves were cut and one of the eucalyptus were cut, all from Lost Lagoon cardstock.  

The flowers and stem clusters are from the Textured Floral set (page 65).  The itty-bitty stems were stamped first on Basic White cardstock using Lost Lagoon ink.  The flowers are stamped in either Fresh Freesia, or Orchid Oasis that was off-stamped to keep it a lighter tone.  These were die-cut with the coordinating dies.  

The silver foil branches were cut using a retired set.  I liked how they added a bit of shine to the bouquet.

These pieces were all arranged on the card in a pleasing fashion.  The greenery was added first and was attached with adhesive.  Next the silver foil branches were attached with adhesive over the greenery.   The Orchid Oasis flower cluster was added flat, but the Fresh Freesia flowers were attached using Dimensionals for a little more depth.

The sentiment used here is also part of the Textured Floral set.  I thought this was perfect for my sister.  Smoky Slate ink was used for this.  It's stamped on Basic White and punched with a retired punch that fit the sentiment nicely.  The label was attached with Dimensionals over all the stems to cover where they all come together.  

The gems on this card are Fresh Freesia ones from the Tinsel Gems Three Pack.  These are clear colored gems with a tiny sprinkle of tinsel inside for a little extra sparkle.  A bow was added to the label.  It's attached with a Mini Glue Dot.  The ribbon is from last year's catalog and is one of the 2022-2024 In Color Ribbon.  It was the perfect touch here. 

I added a spatter of Fresh Freesia ink from the matching marker.  I love the added ink dots randomly going across the card.

The final touch came by finishing the inside of the card to match.  Small touches of the Blending Brushes and Foursquare Decorative Masks were added to two diagonal corners. This sentiment is from the Lasting Joy stamp set.  It's stamped with Smoky Slate ink to match.

I hope my sister likes her card.  A lot of thought went into what she might like.  Shhh... don't tell anyone, but this is her 75th birthday.  I thought about adding a big 75 to the card somehow, but I think she'd disown me for that.  😂😁😂

Just a quick reminder about Bonus Days!  For every $50 you spend, Stampin'Up! will give you a $5 off coupon that you can redeem with your order in August.  That sweetens the shopping experience nicely.  And don't forget to check out the Online Exclusives that are available and the Clearance Rack for some incredible bargains.  Any of these that you purchase will be added to the $50 needed to get your Bonus Days Coupon.  Have fun shopping!

Thank you for stopping by today.  Hope this gives you ideas for the cards that you need to make right now. Have yourself a wonderful summer spent with friends and family.  Stay cool and keep stamping.

Happy stamping and creating, 

Sharon