Neutral Noel Suite CASE

Hey gang!  Today I wanted to share my re-make of one of the cards featured in the new catalog.  Do you ever CASE (Copy And Share Everything) a card when you get a new set and are trying to get a feel for it?  My order came in and the Noel Tidings bundle was part of the order.  I had all these ideas to try until it arrived and I promptly forgot my plans.  Every once in a while, when I don't know where to start with a new set I'll CASE one of the sample ideas.  Get your catalog handy and you can see the inspiration for this card.  Check page 44 to see the inspiration, then read on and see how closely I ended up following the original.

Well, I started out following the card sample, and then I started doing my own thing by the time I finished.  😆😉 The card base is Pecan Pie.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored and folded in half.

The fullest evergreen branch was stamped diagonally on the card front using Pean Pie ink.  Set aside until ready to put the design together.

Next up is the Very Vanilla layer and the 1st change.  I decided to use the new Tile Garden dies.  These square dies are so like the Spotlight on Nature circle dies that I use frequently.  The square I used measures approximately 2 5/8" x 2 5/8".  On this was stamped the bare stem three times using Crumb Cake ink.  Afterwards, all the little berries were added to the stems with the same ink.

Next a 3" x 3" square of Gold Foil was cut for layering behind the vanilla layer.  The gold foil was embossed with the Softly Woven 3D Embossing Folder.  I love this textured look with the foil.  This is the 2nd change. 

The gold foil was attached to the card base slightly at an angle using 'green glue'.  Then the Very Vanilla layer was attached over this using 'green glue' also.  The vanilla layer is attached straight on the design.

The same evergreen branch was stamped twice on Very Vanilla cardstock using Peaceful Pine ink.  The middle-sized evergreen branch was stamped 3 times on vanilla also.  These were all die-cut with the coordinating dies.

The season's greetings sentiment from Noel Tidings set was stamped onto a 5/8" wide strip of Crumb Cake cardstock using Pecan Pie ink.  The words were cut apart at an angle, and the ends were angle cut to match.

The greenery pieces were arranged diagonally on the Very Vanilla layer.  Then they were attached with adhesive.

Next the sentiment was attached over the center of the branches evergreen.  Dimensionals were used for this to give the sentiment more prominence.

I thought the card looked too drab for my tastes.  So, a splattering of Wink of Stella was used over the card front.  This looked so much like snowflakes on the card!  This was another change that I think added so much interest to the card.

The last change was adding a bow.  I used a Gold & White Ribbon that I thought was still current, but it's not.  Oops.  This is a 3/8" woven ribbon that I cut in half lengthwise and made a skinny bow from it.  It's attached to the top left corner of the vanilla layer.  I liked this little bit of extra interest added here.

I thought about adding some form of gold-tone bling, but it seemed just fine without any more extras added to the design.

So that is my version of CASEing a card design.  Yes, I follow the original idea to an extent, then I put my own spin on it.  Don't feel you have to follow someone's design exactly.  Have some fun with it and make it your own design.  And if you really don't like what you did to the design, you can always scrap the idea, pull all the pieces apart and start over.  Now that has happened more than once over here!  😆😆😆

Hope you enjoyed this little walk thru of this card design.  Feel free to use this, or any other card I ever make, as a jumping off place for your own creations.

Are you enjoying perusing the catalog and getting lots of ideas to use?  It's really a treasure trove of ideas that are waiting for you to try.  Of course, if you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with me at sharoncarr50@gmail.com

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Radiant Sunflowers Bundle Sneak Peek

Hello friends!  Whew, still in the mid 90's and that's the forecast for the next week at least.  It's so hard to spend time outside when you can't catch your breath and you feel you're melting on the spot.  I want to know why you can't melt off fat while doing this!  The way I feel in the heat, I'm sure I should be at least 10 pounds lighter by now!  😆  Unfortunately, life doesn't work that way, right?  So, with a mind over matter plan, today's card is another fall themed card.  I suppose it could be used for different seasons if you changed the colors, but this card exudes a strong autumn vibe to me.

See what I mean about a fall feel?  The first thing I did with this card was to stamp this flower cluster from the Radiant Sunflowers bundle onto Very Vanilla cardstock.  This bundle is coming in September, and I can hardly wait for you to use it!  I used Pecan Pie ink for this to stay on the warm side.  After stamping, the coloring began.  

Stampin'Blends were used for this part:

Sunflower petals - Daffodil Delight Light & Dark

Sunflower centers - Pecan Pie Light & Dark

Flower - Daffodil Delight Dark, Timid Tiger Light

Leaves - Old Olive Light & Dark

At this point several extra leaves from the set were stamped with Pecan Pie ink and colored with Old Olive Light & Dark Blends.

All the pieces were die-cut with the matching dies in the set.  Now it was time to decide what to add to these flowers to make the card.  The card base is Pecan Pie cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.

A wide strip 5 1/2" x 3 1/4" was cut from Crumb Cake cardstock.  A sentiment from the set was used to stamp onto this strip in the far bottom right corner.  Then comes the embossing.   I'm lovin' the new Softly Woven 3D Embossing Folder which was used on this to give lots of texture.

This strip was attached to the folded card front using Tombow MultiPurpose Glue to hold securely.

There are some great prints in the Sunflower Fields Designer Series Paper coming in the catalog in September.  This brown-on-brown check highlighted the flowers nicely.  It measures 2 1/4" x 4".   But it needed something extra to set it apart from all the other brown tones on the card.  

I could have used a cardstock piece, but I remembered a golden yellow print from spring maybe two plus years ago now.  I had a few odd pieces of it left, so it's used here.  It measures 2 1/2" x 4 1/4".  The brown checked print was adhered to this with adhesive.  Then both pieces were added to the card front using adhesive.

The design still needed something else.  The grid from the Lily of the Valley die set was used to die-cut gold foil cardstock.  The two pieces were attached under the sunflower cluster using adhesive.  That bit of gold peeking out at the top and bottom was perfect.  The sunflowers were attached over the grids using Dimensionals.  Then the extra leaves were tucked in around the design to fill it out.

Several Gold Adhesive-backed Dots were sprinkled on the design.  Yep, they're in the new in the catalog coming out in September.

A smallish bow was made from the Crumb Cake color jute in the Neutrals Jute Combo that is also new in the catalog coming in September.  It's attached with a Mini Glue Dot.  The jute really continues the rustic feel of the finished card.

Hope this card idea gets you thinking fall.  Yes, I know there's still a couple weeks left in August for those last summer get-aways or picnics at the beach.  But this heat is so rough on me I'm really praying for cooler weather.  I do thank you for visiting my blog and hope you are inspired to give some of these products a try.  If you're looking for a demonstrator, I'd be happy to work with you.  If you are one of my customers and you haven't received your new September - December 2026 Catalog in the mail from me, please let me know so I can see what's going on.  Most of my customers really do become my friends, and I appreciate each one of you!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Fun For Fall Card

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

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

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

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

Hay - Golden Glow Light

Twine - Crumb Cake Light

Beaks - Daffodil Delight Dark

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

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

Corn stalks - Old Olive cardstock (cut 4 times)

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

Fence - Crumb Cake cardstock (cut 3 sections)

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Forever Florals with Arches

Hello stamping friends!  It's back to school time here already.  I keep thinking this summer was so short and hot we really didn't do anything.  But that doesn't make any difference.  School started this past week anyway, and football season is underway.  Normally I really wouldn't care much for football.  I hate to admit it's the one sport that really never made a whole lot of sense to me.  But since my youngest grandson is playing again this year, I'm trying to figure it out.  Wish me luck in this venture!!  That said, it is time for another post sharing what I've been stamping lately.  I've been playing with the Everyday Arches dies on different projects lately.  The shape is easy to work with and can be used in different ways on my projects.  Today's card starts with the arch shape and pairs it with the Forever Florals stamps and dies to create a soft card that makes me smile.  I think anyone would be happy to receive this card in their mailbox.

The base for the card is the lovely Hydrangea Hue which is one of my all-time favorites.  A layer of the denim-looking print in the Paper Medley Designer Series Paper was cut to match.   The measurements are 3 7/8" x 5 1/8".  There needed to be a little more definition between this layer and the card base.  

A layer of 2026-2028 In Color Pearlized Specialty Paper was added.  This measures 4" x 5 1/4".  This creates a very skinny frame around the denim print that shines nicely when the light hits it just right.  It's surprising just how much this skinny layer adds to the overall design.  (If I would have been thinking ahead, I would have die-cut a smaller layer from the inside of this pearlized paper to use later on another project.)

The layers were all attached together with adhesive between them.  This keeps them flat and the rest of the card stands out more.

Next was die-cutting the Basic White arched layer.  The 5th largest Everyday Arches die was used for this.  After cutting, one of the sentiments in the Forever Florals set was stamped near the top with Hydrangea Hue ink.  I really like the four sentiments included in the set and have used them often.

The Forever Florals die set has two different sizes of just tiny flower dies.  Both sizes were used to die-cut Basic White cardstock.  Then they were used again with 2026-2028 In Color Pearlized Specialty Paper to cut several pieces.  There is also a multi-leaf stem in the die set.  This was used to die-cut 3 stems in Peaceful Pine and 2 cut from Soft Sea Foam cardstocks.  All these pieces were arranged and adhered to the bottom of the arch.

The arch was placed onto the card base, but it looked too plain.  It just needed something to break up the large amount of background.  The Lily of the Valley set has a die that makes this pretty trellis look.  It's die-cut from Basic White Thick cardstock.  After cutting, it was attached as shown flat onto the card front.  The arch was added to this using Dimensionals to hold in place.

A few of the 2026-2028 In Color Butterflies in Hydrangea Hue were scattered on the design for a little extra interest.

That's it for today's card.  Seems like I ended up pulling in bits of different sets to create this card.  Sometimes you just need something a little extra to make a design work.  Hope you give this idea a try.  This Hydrangea Hue color makes up into such pretty cards.

It's still August and Stampin'Up! still has its selected cardstock and Designer Series Paper sale going on.  Visit the store to see what is on sale.  Getting ready for Christmas card making, I just ordered several 12" x 12" Two-Tone Cardstock colors that were on sale.  Can hardly wait to get started on some of the ideas I have rolling around in this brain of mine.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Fall Scarecrow Card

Hello my friends.  Are you ready for a cute little autumn themed card?  I hope so, because that's what I have in store for you today.  For some reason I just love a cute scarecrow come fall.  It just seems the epitome of going to cider mills and apple orchards or going to pumpkin patches.  Brings back sweet memories of fun times.  I've got a picture of one of my little grandsons in a patch of sunflowers and a scarecrow that is one of my favorites.  I'm sure he'd be embarrassed by it now, but I love it!  When I saw the cute Fun For Fall stamp and die bundle show up in the Online Store at Stampin'Up!, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.  Here's the first card made with the set.  Just stamping and coloring, no die-cutting the images.

Isn't he just adorable?  He really didn't take much time to color at all, and you can change up the colors to fit your ideas.  I have new plaid DSP on order that wasn't here yet. But I did have a piece of A Little Latte Designer Series Paper left over from last fall.  I really love this plaid and was sparingly playing with it to make it stretch as far as possible.  Isn't it the perfect match for this little scarecrow?

My first job was to find a die that would fit the scarecrow nicely.  I used two sizes of dies from the Sweet Words & Labels set.  The smaller die cut Basic White cardstock and the larger cut Pecan Pie.

The scarecrow and leaves were stamped with Pecan Pie ink.  Then colored with a bunch of different Stampin' Blends:

Misty Moonlight, Lemon Lolly, Timid Tiger, Golden Glow, Granny Apple Green, Lost Lagoon, Petal Pink, Pecan Pie, Darling Duckling, Pebbled Path, and Bronze/Ivory

Whew, that's a lot of colors, but most of them were just a bit here and there.  Of course, you can change colors to fit your design.  I was trying to get most of these colors to blend with the DSP.

After coloring it all, the design was spattered with a Pecan Pie marker to break up the open white background.

The card base was cut from Pecan Pie to blend with the DSP.  The plaid print was attached to the card base with adhesive.  The two die-cut layers were put together with adhesive.  Then they were attached to the card base with Dimensionals.

The tiny sentiment is from Fun For Fall.  It's stamped with Pecan Pie ink then trimmed to shape.  It's attached partially to the labels with adhesive and a Mini Dimensional added on the overlap part.

The inside of the card is a layer of Basic White cardstock.  All the stamps here are from the Fun For Fall stamp set and were all stamped with Pecan Pie ink.  The three of the hay bales were stamped stacked at the bottom.  A scattering of leaves was added to the design.  And we can't forget the two crows to finish it off.  The same Stampin' Blends were used to color these pieces.

Again, the background was spattered with Pecan Pie ink for interest.  It was surprising just how much those little speckles changed the look of the design!

To complete the design, a double strand of Linen Thread was tied into a bow and attached at the bottom of the die-cut layer using Mini Glue Dots.

Several of the 2025-2027 In Color Flat Pearls in the Timid Tiger color were added for a little bling.  Even though the color listed on the DSP was Calypso Coral, I think the Timid Tiger color blended very nicely with it.

Well, what did you think of this little guy?  Doesn't he make up into an adorable scarecrow?  I had lots of fun coloring him to match the plaid.  Now I'm waiting for my new DSP prints and plaids to get here to see how else he's going to show up next.

Hope you're inspired to get out one of your outline images and do a little coloring yourself.  For me coloring is pretty relaxing and enjoyable.  I should really do it more often.

Thanks for stopping in to see what's new.  August is just around the corner, and the new catalog will be sent out soon.  If you're one of my customers, please make sure you've told Stampin'Up! that you want to receive mailings from me so I can send you one!!  There is no time like the present to start thinking about all your autumn projects.  Oh my, maybe even Christmas too!  I think I've totally missed out on Christmas in July to get a start on my Christmas cards.  Guess I'll just have my own Christmas in August instead.  You just never know what I might feel like creating!  I hope you'll check in often to see.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Splash & Relax Ideas

Hello fellow stampers!  Looks like our rainy cooler weather will be gone for another day or two.  Or maybe even a week or more!  We're back in the mid 90's and I gotta tell ya, that's just too dog-gone hot to be hanging outside for this ole lady!  So that means more stamping!  Woo Hoo!  This is the time of month I usually start planning for the cards being sent to the shut-ins from church for the next month.  This gives me a little time to think and plan, and throw out ideas that just won't work, you know?  I decided on an idea that I loved and wanted to share it with you too.

This idea hit me as pure summer.  What could be more fun than spending time at the beach or the pool on a summer day?  The stamp and die bundle used is called Splash & Relax, and it's found in the Online Exclusive section of the SU! store.  Isn't this perfect for a summer idea?  I started with a Thick Basic White cardstock piece for my base which measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half.    Next, a 5 1/2" x 2 1/4" piece of Lemon Lime Twist cardstock was ripped in half along the full length.  These two pieces were attached to the top and bottom edges of the white card base.  I used "green glue" to adhere them.  This way I'd have a little "wiggle time" to get them exactly at the edges.

I'm not sure what these "water rings" are actually called.  I've really not spent much time playing in the water because I burn so badly, so my terminology is sadly lacking concerning beach/water toys.   

Whatever they're called, I stamped three of them using Coastal Cabana, Granny Apple Green, and Lemon Lolly inks.  The two darker colors were off-stamped before stamping the solid ring.  Then full strength in the same color was stamped over with the detail stamp.  I was concerned about how easy it would be to line up the detail stamp, but it was surprisingly quite easy.  Which was a really good thing considering I was prepping for 23 cards!   (What was I thinking?!?)  I only had a little problem with the Lemon Lolly rings because the color was so light it was hard to see through the stamp.  Note to self:  Use slightly darker colors to see them better.

After stamping them, it was easy to die-cut them with the coordinating die in the set.  At this point, I added three Dimensionals on the back of the rings but didn't take off the backing.  This way I could position them and get an idea of how it looked.

The sentiment came next, and it's from the same set.  I didn't want to use the entire sentiment, so only the end of the sentiment stamp was inked.  After trying a few colors of ink, I used the Coastal Cabana color.  It's dark enough that it can be read, and it played well with the other colors.  It's stamped onto a 1/2" strip.  Then the ends were angle cut for interest.

The card looked a little bare at this point, so maybe a cool pair of sunglasses would work.  The main color on these glasses is Shy Shamrock from a year ago.  It was a good contrast to the other colors, but it didn't overpower them.  The lens for the sunglasses was cut from Basic Black cardstock and then attached with adhesive to the glasses.

The rings were attached with their Dimensionals.  Then the sunglasses and sentiment were attached with Mini Dimensionals.

For a bit of splashy bling, the pale blue glitter dots from the Traditional Sparkling Sequins that were around either last Christmas or the year before.  I thought they were the perfect accent.

You would think that this is all I have for you today.  But no, you would be wrong.  Trying to figure out what color sunglasses to add to the card, I tried several different colors to go with the design.  So, what do you do with those extra sunglasses?  Ta-da...

For this card, start with a Balmy Blue card base that is 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".

Next, a layer of Vellum was added.  It's cut at 5 1/4" x 4".  To give it a look of a swirly water background, it was embossed with the retired So Swirly Embossing Folder.  It was attached to the card base by adding adhesive under the covered area.

I've got a die that looks like a film strip that isn't SU!.  Yep, it's contraband.  Shh, don't tell anybody!  But I thought it would be a good way to display my pile of sunglasses.  It's die-cut from Basic White.

It's stamped at the bottom with a sentiment from the Splash & Relax set.  It's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Then this was attached to the vellum with "green glue".  

The sunglasses shown are all the colors I tried for the previous card.  The top one is Coastal Cabana.  The middle one is Granny Apple Green.  The bottom one is Pool Party.  Each of them has two coats of Wink of Stella on them to make them sparkly.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get a decent picture of them.  Take my word for it, they're cute!

The perfect accent for this card seemed to be some iridescent gems.  They're called Flat Adhesive-backed Pearls from several years ago.  Yes, I always hang on to my gems after they retire.  You never know when it will be just what is needed.

Ok, that's it for my bout of sharing for today.  I hope you get in a summery frame of mind seeming these ideas.  I've got several more summer birthdays coming up yet, so this one just might end up as a birthday card.

Be sure and leave a comment so I know you've visited here.  Have fun in the sun if you can handle it.  I wish it was 10 years ago when I was outside playing with my grandsons in whatever scenario their little minds could think up.  It was always so much fun.  Tiring, but absolutely never boring!  Enjoy your summer in whatever way puts a smile on your face!  (like stamping!)

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Sweet Lily of the Valley Card

Hello friends!  Have we all recovered from the 250th Anniversary celebrations?  I guess it's time to get back to work here.  I had some cards lined up to share with you, and then things got a little busy with holiday celebrations and I never did sit down to write the posts.  That means I need to play catch up and start sharing these ideas that are piling up here.  Today's card features the Lily of the Valley stamps and dies and a lovely pastel plaid from the Valley in Bloom DSP.  I wish I could buy a whole pack of DSP in just this Peacock/Lost Lagoon plaid.  I just love it!  In fact, there's so much about this card that I'm happy to be sharing all this goodness with you.

Here it is - a study in darker pastels.  The whole card started with a piece of the plaid Valley in Bloom DSP that was left from a different project.  It measures 5 1/2" x 2 3/4".  It is the perfect shape to make a panel down the center of the card.  I decided the card base would be Lost Lagoon which measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".

It needed something to layer in between.  I remembered the new Luxe White Specialty DSP.  I hadn't really inspected it when it came, but I thought there might be something in there that would work.  Oh my, I didn't know what I was missing by ignoring this paper.  It's simply gorgeous!  The sheets all have a pearl-white print on white background.  Beautiful.  I chose the lily of the valley print and added a layer behind the plaid.  I like the difference between the elegance of the white-on-white print and the relaxed comfort of the plaid.

Next was choosing the focal images.  There are both single and double leaves in the die set.  I used the double leaf with the matching stamp to make leaves of Lost Lagoon cardstock.  The single leaf die has detail lines that give lots of interest.  I used this one to die-cut one Peaceful Pine leaf.

There's a single stem die of Lily of the Valley that I used to cut 2 stems from Basic White Thick cardstock.  The Peaceful Pine Light Stampin' Blends was used to color both of the stems, but not the flowers.

The stems and leaves were arranged on the plaid print leaving a little room at the bottom for a sentiment.  They all are attached only near the bottom of the pieces so there is some movement on the card.

Not sure if you can see how the pieces stand away from the card somewhat.

Also, this is a good picture to get an idea of how pretty the Luxe White Specialty DSP really is.  It's subtle until the light hits it and then it really shines.

The sentiment is from the Lily of the Valley set.  It's stamped with Lost Lagoon ink onto a left-over piece of the Valley in Bloom DSP that's about 1" wide.  The soft background on the DSP doesn't detract from the little flowers.  (I tried white for the sentiment first, but it pulled your eye away from the flowers)

Not sure where the sentiment is from.  I always hang on to all my sentiments and go through bunches of stamps every time I'm finishing a card.  If I don't write it down, you know what happens.  It's one of those many things that are just floating around in my brain that I'll probably never find again!  So just go through your stash and find a sentiment that fits your needs.

The flower at the bottom is also from the Lily of the Valley set.  Both of the sentiments and the flower are stamped with Lost Lagoon ink.  I also added this same flower on the bottom corner of the envelope it's being sent out in.  Love coordinating it all!

Just one little last look at this pretty card.  As I look at it now, I realize there were no embellishments added to the design.  It doesn't look like it's missing anything, so this is how it's staying.  Seems like there have been several cards lately with no extra bling.  Am I going to lose my status as one of the bling brigade?  I'll have to make sure I sprinkle some extra bling on the next card I make.  😄

Have you had a chance to look through all the new goodies that are available in the new Online Exclusives area of the SU! store?  I'm sure you'll fall in love with a few of those items just like I have.

Thanks for stopping by for another dose of creative juice.  I have so much fun sharing these ideas with you.  My fervent hope is that you find a little inspiration in my posts and they help keep you inspired to create something special yourself.  And don't forget to send those ideas on to brighten someone else's day.  We're here to encourage one another and do good. Have a blessed day.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Forever Florals and Peaceful Pine

Hello friends!  It's been a little rough going the past several days.  My AFib seems to be kicking up again and that's never easy to cope with as far as I'm concerned.  But life goes on and I do what I can manage.  I did spend a little time working on today's card.  It's actually taken three days to get it where I wanted it.  This morning I made another change after scutinizing the card again.  I'm happier with this latest "improvement" and I think it's time to share it with you.  I'll post the before picture at the end and you can let me know what you think - before, after, or scrap it.

This is the latest incarnation of the card.  I'm still a little iffy about it, but I'll give you the details on how it was made.  The idea started with the Bloom Boutique Specialty Designer Series Paper which I absolutely love.  The print with tiny white flowers on the Peaceful Pine background was used for this card.  It was cut with the frame die in the Forever Florals Dies to create the greenery frame.

I thought I'd like the print on a white background, but it just looked too busy for me.  So next I thought of creating a frame to go over it with just a small amount of the leaves showing through.  A 5 1/4" x 4" piece of Peaceful Pine was cut.  Then the center was die-cut with one of the Branching Out frame dies.  

I liked the look of these two together, but I didn't really care for it on the white background.  After trying a few possibilities, I settled on using Lemon Lolly for the card base.  The two die-cut layers were attached together with "green glue".  Then they were attached to the card base with the same glue.

Using dies from the same set, one each of the two different flower clusters were die-cut from Basic White cardstock.  The leafy stem was cut from Peaceful Pine cardstock.  It seemed to get lost on the card.   So, using Basic White cardstock and a Blending Brush, Peaceful Pine ink was swirled onto the cardstock until I had a slightly lighter green to work with.  Three more of the leaves were die-cut from this paper.

At this point, I used one of the sentiments to stamp on the Lemon Lolly cardstock inside the frame.  Peaceful Pine ink was used.  As you can see on this card, I wasn't happy with it, and I changed it this morning.

The die-cut leaves were arranged in opposite corners and attached with adhesive.  Then the flower clusters were attached with tiny bits of Dimensionals.  

A double strand of White Baker's Twine was used to make a small bow.  This was tucked in under the flowers and attached with a Mini Glue Dot.

Three of the pretty 2026-2028 In Color Butterflies were sprinkled across the card front.  These are the Peaceful Pine color.

And that's what the card looked like until this morning when I die-cut one of the labels in the set from Basic White cardstock.  The same sentiment was stamped on it with Peaceful Pine ink.  

It was then attached with Dimensionals right over the stamped words.  One of the butterflies had been pried off and reattached onto the label.  Much happier with this version.  The white label seemed to help balance the card better.

I did say I would share the before card also.   So, keep scrolling.  It's right there.

Okay, now I need some feedback.  Was I right to add the white label?  Or should I have left it as is?  Please let me know your thoughts on the matter.

Just wanted to remind you that everything I used to make this card is in the new May - August 2026 Catalog.  The catalog will go live on May 5th - yay!  I can't wait until you can get these products too and have time to play and create with them!  I hope you love all these items as much as I do.  Especially the new In Colors.  They are fabulous and the little butterflies are just darling.  You'll want to add them everywhere!

Okay, that's four of the new In Colors that I've shared so far.  Just one more to go.  I've got a pretty card and also a card layout to share with you to showcase the Barely Blush color.  I think you'll like it.

Hope you're inspired to get out your stamps and paper a go create something special.  And then don't forget to drop it in the mail to make someone happy.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

A Little Springtime Scenes

Happy Saturday to you.  Disclaimer first - if you're only looking for current items, visit with an open mind today.  I've used retired cardstock, ribbon, gems.  Just look at the overall picture and you can see it in lots of other colors instead.  Now on to the cards and the design.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend and maybe catching up on a few things.  I've been immersed in making sympathy cards to create a little stash because I've been going through them too fast lately.  I always find this task hard to do, especially when it's needed right then.  Since that's out of the way for a little while I hope, it was time to move on to something fun and new.  I love playing with new stamps for the first time when there are many possibilities out there, but I'm just not sure where to start.  Sometimes for my first attempt with a new set, I'll grab some cardstock from my retired stash in case I make something that is really ugly.  This time I liked the cards so much I'm sharing them with you anyway using an old favorite - Pear Pizzazz cardstock.  Remember that color?  Using it again reminded me of how much I miss it.  Anyway, these ideas will have to hold you until I get around to creating with current colors.

Since I was cutting the cardstock to measure 11" x 4 1/4", I decided to make two.  The cardstock was scored at 5 1/2" and folded in half.  I had planned on making the cards with the fold on the top but changed my mind as I went along.  

Another piece of cardstock was cut to 5 1/4" x 4" for a layer on top.  This was embossed with the Beautiful Pattern 3D Embossing Folder.  This gives the layer a very subtle texture to enhance the design.

Using the die set, I started with the circle with three leaves inside.  This cut a layer of Old Olive cardstock.  Behind this layer there is a layer of Pear Pizzazz that is cut with the circle with many leafy branches.  This totally got lost on the card base, so an open circle was cut from Basic Beige cardstock.  This tends to have a greenish tint to it when I look at it, so it seemed to be the perfect backing piece.

Before attaching these three layers together, I used a Sponge Dauber and a little bit of Old Olive ink to darken the leaves of the top layer.  Now they stood out better from the other leafy layer.  The three layers were attached together with touches of Tombow MultiPurpose Liquid Glue.  To keep the inner Basic Beige layer connected with the others, I added a few Dimensionals around the edges to catch both layers together.  

While I was doing the die-cutting, I also cut several each of the two different sizes of flower dies from Two-Tone Petal Pink and Two-Tone Pretty in Pink cardstocks.  I also cut several of the two different open-work leaf dies from Old Olive cardstock.  Now I had lots of pieces to work with to create these cards.

When putting the designs together, I started by mixing up the larger flowers with the different color centers, then spreading the pieces across the design area until I liked the look.  The circle layers are attached to the front with Dimensionals.  Then the extra leaves are tucked in underneath to peek out.  The large flower is added with a Dimensional and smaller flowers are tucked in flat around it.

The sentiments for both of these cards are from the More Messages stamp and die set that is retired.  I was just looking for skinny sentiments that wouldn't cover too much of the design, and these worked fine.

The first card made was the upper one shown with no ribbon.  I used pink gems on this because the pink seemed more dominant on the card.

The second card has a Petal Pink ribbon with copper edging added to it.  I think this made it look so much fancier and more girlie.  This time the peach gems were used to pick up the Petal Pink color more than the Pretty in Pink.

Either way, I love how these cards turned out and I'll definitely be playing with the Springtime Scenes stamp and die bundle again soon.  I love the layered look of the leaves in the circle.  Maybe next time I'll have to try each layer by itself instead of together.  We'll see.

Have you spent time perusing the new Online Exclusive items?  The Springtime Scenes bundle is one of the new items and so much fun.  If this one isn't your cup of tea, I'm sure you'll find something else that calls out to you.  Happy shopping!

Thanks for stopping in here to see what I've been creating.  Hope you were inspired to get stamping too.  Be sure to let me know what you've been creating lately.  I find it so relaxing and fulfilling to start with a stamp set and paper and end up with a card (or more!) when I'm done.  So very satisfying!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

More Lovely Arrangements

Hello, my stamping friends!   Hope today finds you all doing well and feeling creative.  I seem to be having trouble leaving the Lovely Arrangements bundle alone.  First of all, that Lovely Blossoms Designer Series Paper is just so gorgeous.  I love the colors and patterns and pretty much everything about it.  So, that means I'm using it again today for a series of five fun fold cards.  If you don't like this DSP, just think of doing these fun fold cards with your favorite DSP.  I'm sure they would turn out lovely.  

First let me share with you the entire batch of cards.  The fun fold is the same for each of them.  There are two different prints in this paper pack that I focused on using with accents from the reverse side to enhance the designs.  They also use different wording and embellishments to make each of them a little different.

Let's focus on the cutting dimensions first.

lg card base - 7 1/2" x 4 1/4" 

score @ 2"

sm card - 8" x 2 1/2"   

score @ 4"

For all my card bases, I used either Cloud Cover or Secret Sea cardstock.

DSP measurements - 

inner piece 5 1/4" x 4"

left front flap - 4" x 1 3/4"

right front flap - 3 3/4" x 2 1/4"  I used the reverse side or a different print for an accent

Basic White inner piece - 3 3/4" x 2 1/4"

This is the first design we'll look at and create.  The Cloud Cover cardstock base is scored and folded on the left side.  The largest piece of DSP is attached inside this card using adhesive.  The 1 3/4" x 4" DSP piece is attached to the left front flap.

The smaller card is folded in half with the fold on the right side.  This is attached to the inside center of the card base.

An accent print piece of DSP is attached to the right front flap with adhesive.

The inner white piece is stamped before attaching.  I also had an extra flower that I attached inside for interest.  On the other cards, I used a partial stamp for the accent.

All the flowers are stamped with Secret Sea ink on Basic White cardstock and die-cut with the matching dies.  For this stack of cards, I used 6 full flowers and 5 half flowers.  The flowers were each attached with one Dimensional in the center so the leaves could be tucked in around and under the flowers.  I also die-cut a pile of leaves to pick and choose from while constructing the cards.  I used Old Olive, Secret Sea, Cloud Cover, and several from a print from the Beautiful Gallery 6" x 6" DSP.  Those made a lovely accent on one of the cards.

Now that you have a basic knowledge of how these cards all go together, let's take a closer look at each of the other cards.

This card has a Secret Sea base with the same print used on both the inside and left flap.  The print on the right flap is the reverse of the print on the last card.  The soft pink color was a perfect accent.  

The sentiment is from the same set and is stamped on a 1/2" strip tucked under the leaves.  The leaves used on this card are both Secret Sea and Cloud Cover.

The bling used on most of these cards is from the Moody Palette Glossy Dots pack.  I'm loving these low-profile pretty dots as accents! 

The left flap on this card uses the reverse side of the print above.

Instead of a DSP layer in the center of the right flap, I used a small Everyday Arches piece for the sentiment.

The flowers here have a bit of Cloud Cover ink blended in the centers to give the flowers more depth.

This time the Moody Palette Dots were added in a line to accent the sentiment.

This card is very similar to two cards back.  The sentiment is different.

The flowers have Petal Pink ink blended in the center for more color.  

The bling is little Petal Pink hearts from a Paper Pumpkin kit 2-3 years ago.  Only had a few left and thought they looked nice here.

Last card of the five and it has the most changes.  The Old Olive print is from the same pack of paper.

The left flap has the circles from a die in the set.  I thought that was an interesting addition.  

The flowers have Cloud Cover blended on them a little heavier than a previous card.  The leaves are a mix of Old Olive, and both Cloud Cover & several from a print from Beautiful Gallery DSP using a different die so they are skeleton leaves.  Just a different look.  

This sentiment if from a different company.  I'm having trouble finding get well sentiments for the cards I've been needing.

 There you have it - a lovely series of cards that use the same fun fold idea and the same DSP and stamps.  But don't they all have their own identity?  I hope you can see how easy they are to put together.  It would be fun getting one of these in the mail instead of a regular card.  I usually do more basic cards, but these were fun for a change of pace.

Don't forget to redeem any of your Bonus Days coupons.  You can only do that through the end of this month.  Don't lose out on them!!

Thanks for stopping by today.  I appreciate the time you take to visit my blog and hope you were inspired to get creative soon.  Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think of my cards or even what else you'd like to see.  I'm open for suggestions.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon 

More Fragrant Layer Ideas

Hi again!  Back with more ideas for using the fun new Fragrant Layers stamp and die bundle.  It seems the more I play around with it the more ideas that start swirling in my brain.  The Fragrant Layers bundle is only found as an Online Exclusive item and not in any catalog.  It really is an interesting set to play with in my opinion.  For these next card samples, I'll still be focusing mostly on the dies again, but stepping it up a bit with another layer that's die-cut to add more dimension and color.  Again, this will be much simpler than it looks, and it's so surprisingly easy!  I was on Pinterest and found a post from Su Mohr at Aromas and Art using this bundle that I absolutely fell in love with and had to try making it too.  You can find her post here.

Doesn't this look like it's really difficult and time-consuming to make?  But it really isn't at all.  Just follow along and you'll see how easy this is to make.

Let's start with the Basic White die-cut layer.  This measures 5 1/4" x 4".  The die is placed about 3/4" from the top edge and centered, then run it through the machine.  Set this aside while the next pieces are die-cut.

There is another die that is a wider outline of just the flowers.  This was used to die-cut Petunia Pop cardstock.  There are also 3 different leaf dies.  These were used to cut Shy Shamrock cardstock.

This picture shows the back side of the white layer.  You can easily see how the flower layer and each of the leaves just nestle right in place on the back.  Little dots of Tombow Liquid Glue (green glue) were carefully added along the white lines of the die-cut images.  Then the colored cardstock was carefully set down right over the design and pressed in place.  Then the appropriate leaves were added to the design.  Just remember a very light touch on the "green glue" and this comes together perfectly.

Next a card base of Basic White cardstock was cut.  This measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.

I was looking through all my DSP to find something that I liked behind the flowers.  I found a left-over piece of something that was subtle stripes in a plummy/purply shade that looked fine with the design.  If I remember correctly, it was a Sale-a-bration item a year or maybe two years back.  Maybe?  Anyway, the piece measured 3 1/4" x 4" and would fit nicely under the design.  It was attached to the card front with "green glue" so there was time to wiggle it into place.

Before adding the front layers to the card, the sentiment was added.  This is from the new Simply Beautiful stamp and die bundle.  I like the mix of two fonts used here.  It's stamped with Petunia Pop ink in the center of the bottom area.

From the previous picture you can see all the Dimensionals that I used to attach this layer to the card base.

I thought the addition of the Brushed Brass Butterflies on the design kept up with the spring look of this card.  They're the perfect touch.

Now, I have a picture of another card I made along with this one with a different color scheme.  I wanted to add a little extra color instead of so much white, so the ribbon was added.  Not sure I'm totally happy with the finished design.  Why don't you let me know what you think??

The colors used on this card are Calypso Coral and Shy Shamrock.  I'm wondering if the addition of the Shy Shamrock ribbon is a little overpowering for the design.  Or should I have used softer colors?  I think I like the gems in the flower centers, but should it be more neutral instead of matching the leaves to stay within the color confines.  Oh my, I'm really picking this one apart, aren't I.  Funny thing is, the more I look at it the more it all doesn't bother me.

While I'm doing all this considering about 'what ifs', I've just had a thought that I really want to try this with only blue and white.  Wouldn't that be striking?  Hmmm.  What do you think?

Before finishing up the post here, I wanted to give you a real close-up view of the die-cut layers fitting together perfectly.  I'm just so tickled with how easy this is yet looks so cool.

I hope today's post has inspired you to give this lovely Fragrant Layers stamp and die bundle a try.  I think it's well worth your time to try it out.  There seem to be so many different ways to use this set, and I definitely haven't tried them all yet.  So, stay tuned for more ideas using the Fragrant Layers bundle.

Thank you for coming by to see what I've been up to lately.  Hope you're staying warm and dry.  This has really been an experience this winter.  I've always lived in Michigan, so I'm used to the cold and snow.  But I've learned houses here in the south are not insulated the way they are in the northern states.  And Brrrrr!  It's been cold around here!  Normally you hear about dressing in layers to stay warm when you go outside.  Shoot, we're doing that inside the house!  Sending "warm" hugs your way!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon