A Garden of Zinnias

Hi Friends!  I've just spent a good number of hours playing around with zinnias.  It's been raining here again so that means everything is gray and dreary.  So, what could cheer me up?  Some bright and happy zinnias that I can 'plant' on cards, not outside in the dirt.   I started out with a basic layout and made five cards with that layout but using different color combos.  I'm so happy with my latest 'garden' I want to share it with you.  Each card is slightly different, so I'll share each one individually.  Hope you enjoy them.

Card Base - Melon Mambo

Layers - Basic White and Flowering Zinnias DSP

Stamps - Simply Zinnias and Go to Greetings

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black and Melon Mambo

Dies - Scalloped Contours for white layer

Colors for flower layers - Calypso Coral, Berry Burst, Melon Mambo, and Calypso Coral that has Melon Mambo ink sponged on the outer petals, Pumpkin Pie, and Daffodil Delight.  Garden Green and Old Olive for stem and leaves

Embellishment - Adhesive-backed Shiny Sequins

Punch - Banners Pick a Punch

Card Base - Daffodil Delight

Layers - Basic White and Flowering Zinnias DSP

Stamps - Simply Zinnias and Go to Greetings

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Dies - Deckled Rectangle Dies

Embossing Folder - Basics 3 D

Colors for flower layers - Pumpkin Pie, Copper Clay, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Copper Clay, and Pumpkin Pie.  Garden Green and Old Olive for stem and leaves.

Embellishment - Adhesive-backed Shiny Sequins

Punch - Banners Pick a Punch

Card Base - Melon Mambo

Layers - Basic White and Flowering Zinnias DSP

Stamps - Simply Zinnias and Go to Greetings

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Dies - Deckled Rectangles Dies

Embossing Folder - Zinnia 3D

Colors for flower layers - Melon Mambo, Melon Mambo with ink sponged on petal tips, Berry Burst, Calypso Coral, and Pumpkin Pie.  Garden green for stem and leaves.

Embellishment - 2022-2024 In Color Pearls

Punch - Banners Pick a Punch

Card Base - Daffodil Delight

Layers - Basic White and Flowering Zinnias DSP

Stamps - Simply Zinnias and Go to Greetings

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Dies - Deckled Rectangles Dies

Embossing Folder - Basic 3D

Colors for flower layers - Crushed Curry, Crushed Curry, Lemon Lolly, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Lemon Lolly.  Garden Green for stem and Old Olive for leaves.

Embellishment - Adhesive-backed Shiny Sequins

Punch - Banners Pick a Punch

Card Base - Lemon Lime Twist

Layers - Basic White and Flowering Zinnias DSP

Stamps - Simply Zinnias and Go to Greetings

Ink - Melon Mambo

Dies - Deckled Rectangle and Stitched Whimsy

Embossing Folder - Softly Sophisticated (SAB)

Colors for flower layers - Pumpkin Pie, Flirty Flamingo with a touch of Melon Mambo ink sponged on petal tips, Pumpkin Pie, Flirty Flamingo, Copper Clay, Pumpkin Pie, and Lemon Lolly.  Lemon Lime Twist for stem and leaves.

Embellishment - 2022-2024 In Color Pearls

Close up on the first card.  You can see where some sponging was added to the petals on some flowers, but not all of them.  

A bone folder was used to curl the petals before the layers were put together.  This gives the flowers so much depth.

Dimensionals were added to each card, but not on the same layers of all the cards.  But each of the sentiment banners were attached with Dimensionals.  I also found I like the flower centers popped up with a Dimensional.

I used the zinnia stamp and a coordinating color of ink to stamp in the bottom corner on the Basic White layer on the inside of each card to finish them off.

One last picture of all the cards together.  Even though they are all made in the same fashion, because of the different colors used for the petals each one is unique.  This was really fun.  You should have seen the piles of different color flowers all die-cut and ready to create my garden.  If you want to spend some happy time, just grab a handful of different color cardstock and start die-cutting layers.  Then keep layering them together until you get flowers that make you happy. 

Hope you've gotten the items you've been wanting from the retiring list.  Items are going fast, and some are sold out already.  They will no longer be available after the end of April.  And then May 1st the new annual catalog goes live!!  Yah!  If you haven't gotten your catalog from me yet, please get in touch and I'll send one out to you.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

CASE-ing Peggy Noe

Hello, hello!  Hope you're all doing well and staying happy.  Of course, if you're stamping and creating, you must be happy!  Right?  It always makes me happy to create even when things don't go quite as planned.  You know what I mean?  This morning I was looking at a blog post by Peggy Noe at prettypapercards.com.  I saw a lovely simple card idea and I just had to make it - my way.  Now that it's finished, I might like her version better than mine, but that's all right.  I like to look at someone's idea (or more than one someone's ideas) and go downstairs to my stamp room and create by making my version of "what I remember".  That sometimes really makes me laugh because my version ends up being nothing like the original.  But that's ok too.  So it was with this card.

Here's the simple card I ended up making.  If you go to her blog, you'll see some glaring differences.  First the color.  I changed it from Berry Burst to Pool Party.  Big difference!  I added the card base of Pool Party that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" that's folded in half.  The Basic White layer measuring 5 1/4" x 4" is also cut.

The dragonflies were punched from Basic White cardstock with the current Dragonfly Punch.  One large and 5 small ones were punched.  I kind of got carried away with the number of small dragonflies.

Another large dragonfly was punched from Vellum.  A last dragonfly was punched from a scrap of More Dazzle Specialty DSP in the Champagne color.  The wings were trimmed off this last one to keep only the body.

We're not done punching yet.  The smaller oval in the Double Oval Punch was used on Basic White for the sentiment.  The Bough Punch was used on Basic White cardstock to punch 3 sets of leaves and 3 flower stems.

Next it was time to do some coloring.  Using Pool Party ink and a Blending Brush, a minute bit of color was added to the center of the white layer that was already cut making sure to keep it very light.  The white dragonfly and the 3 flower stems were colored with the same ink and Blending Brush.  This time the color was added more heavily.  Then the sentiment from the Go To Greetings was stamped in Pool Party ink onto the center of the punched oval.  

Just about all that's left to do is assemble it all.  The Vellum dragonfly was attached to the colored one using Mini Glue Dots on the body only.  The glittery body was layered onto this with Mini Glue Dots also.  It was attached to the card front with Dimensionals cut in skinny strips to place under just the body so the whole dragonfly hovers above the card.

The white leaves were trimmed at the stems and tucked under the dragonfly.  The oval sentiment is attached with Dimensionals.  The little dragonflies were attached with one Mini Glue Dot on the center of each body to hold in place.

The Dark Pool Party Blends marker was used to add the spatterings.  Just flick the tip from the inside of the lid to get the spatters.  You can add as few or as many as you like.  Just be gentle with the tip of the marker so it doesn't get ugly and unusable.  This is a juicy new Blends marker that I used so the spatters are fairly large.

Lastly the gems were added to the dragonfly.  Yup, this really upped the glitz factor on the card.  Peggy only used one on her card, but I got carried away again.  These gems are from the Glossy Dots set and are the Pool Party color of course.

Ok, that's my version of her simple card.  It only took about 30 minutes or less to make, so it's a perfect idea for when you're in a hurry and need a card now.  I'm thinking that changing the colors, sentiment, and amount of dragonflies and gems would give you a very versatile card that would be handy to have on hand.  I've still got a few ideas rolling around in my brain about changes to the card idea.  Hmmm, I might have to make another card soon and go with these other ideas.

Okay, today's reminder is about using your Bonus Days coupons.  Don't forget that at the end of August they expire.  So use them soon!  The Kit Sale is going on this month also.  Some really great kits for you to choose for yourself or as a gift, and they're 30% off.  Woo Hoo!  

And last, but certainly not least, your new September - December Mini should be arriving in your mailbox soon!  Yay!!  Ordering will commence September 6th.  Are you excited?  This always gets me revved up to start on my Thanksgiving and Christmas cards.  If you do Halloween cards, there are some adorable ideas that you'll just love.  

Be sure to stop in again soon to see what's happening here.  

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Goodbye, Wisteria Wishes

Hello there!  I've spent the last week rearranging my stamps and inks into areas that are current or retired.  And wouldn't you know it, every once in a while, I needed to sit down and play with one of the retiring sets.  I'm so sorry to see some of my favorites being shunted to the retired area.  I'll truthfully say, once they hit that area, they just don't get as much love and attention as they should.  The lovely Wisteria Wishes was moved to that area earlier this week.  But before it was banished, it needed to have a last hurrah.  Or something like that.  Last I checked, it's still available for the next few days if you're interested.  So here you go.  You probably won't see this on my blog anymore.  I'll still use it for my personal pleasure, but it's not business anymore.

As you can see, I had to make two cards.  They are very similar.  One card uses retiring In Colors, the other uses current In Colors that we still have for another year.  I love how these cards might be pretty much the same layout.  But because of the colors used, they still look fairly different.  One is soft and feminine, while the other has a much bolder approach to it.

Let's start with the Fresh Freesia card.  First of all, did you hear that Fresh Freesia will be one of the new core colors?  I'm so happy about that as it's a definite favorite of mine.  Woo Hoo!  Now, if they would have just kept Soft Succulent in the lineup, I would have been ecstatic.  But alas, they didn't so this is a goodbye to my favorite green.

The card starts with a base of Soft Succulent cardstock the measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half for your basic card layout.  The first layer is from the Dandy Designs that was a favorite Sale-a-bration item.  Well, if I make a card that's featuring retired items, I guess this counts too.  I loved the colors in this DSP, especially the Fresh Freesia prints.  This layer measures 5 1/4" x 4".  It's attached to the card front using adhesive.

The next layer is made from the Fine Shimmer Paper in the Soft Succulent tone.  Isn't it absolutely lovely?  Of course, it is not in the new catalog, but there is a new Soft Shimmer paper that will be available in colors that look so yummy.   This time it's die-cut with the Scalloped Contours Dies which leaves this lovely stitching inside the scallops.  Oh by the way, the Scalloped Contours dies are in the next catalog!

For the white layer I used Basic White cardstock and it's cut to fit right inside the stitching lines.  It measures just under 2 3/4" x 4".  There's actually nothing stamped on this layer.

The 'wisteria' (or maybe salvia or bluebonnets because I used them upright) were stamped on another piece of Basic White.  I inked them with Fresh Freesia then tapped in some Highland Heather ink near the bottom edges of the flowers.  The stems and leaves were inked with Soft Succulent ink and then tapped in with Evening Evergreen ink to get that two-toned look.

After die-cutting with the matching dies, these pieces were attached to the white layer.  The stems are attached with adhesive while there are Dimensionals under the flowers for lift.  There is a quarter inch piece of the Soft Succulent Fine Shimmer paper attached across the stems.  Then this layer is attached to the card front using Dimensionals.

The final touches on this card include the sentiment that's from the Go To Greeting set that is stamped with Soft Succulent ink on a Basic White strip.  The sentiment set is carried over to the new catalog thank goodness because I use it often.  The ends of the strip are flagged with the Banners Pick a Punch which is also carried over.  The sentiment is attached with Mini Glue Dots.  I've found if I roll them a little before attaching, they are slightly lifted off the base, but not as much as Dimensionals.  Sometimes I want just a bit of lift, and this works great.  

There are three of the pink Pastel Adhesive-Backed Sequins.  These are also carried over to the next catalog which I'm very happy about.  They seemed to be the perfect addition to the flowers.

Now for the next card...

The card base used here is Starry Sky - one of the In Colors that's sticking around for another year.  It's a lovely dark blue, and if you haven't used it yet, you should.  Take my word for it, you'll like it.  The cardstock is cut to 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" like the first card, but then a 3/4" strip is cut off the front flap.  

There is a layer of Basic White for the inside of the card that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  The white layer on the card front measures 5 1/4" x 3 3/8".

The plaid layer is cut from the In Color 6" x 6" paper in the retiring catalog in Starry Sky.   This is cut at 5 1/4" x 3 1/4".  There's also a strip that measures 5 1/4" x 1/2" for the inside edge of the card.  Attach both of these pieces to the white layers, then attach to the front and inside of the card.  The layer on the front of the card needs to shift right to the edge of the front flap.

Next is the focal point of the card.  Both the Basic White and Silver Foil layers are cut with the retiring Stitched Rectangles Dies.  What will I do without these??  Oh my, I just realized the Silver Foil Specialty Paper is also being retired!  What??  OK, calm down Sharon.  You'll figure it out and find new papers to use.  Anyway, I used two of the Rectangle dies to cut these pieces.

For this card, I used Lemon Lime Twist for the stems and leaves and tapped on Granny Apple Green ink for the 2nd color.  These I stamped directly to the die-cut white piece.  The flowers were inked first with Starry Sky ink, then was tapped on with Night of Navy ink.  I was surprised there was such a difference between those two colors.  The flowers were die-cut then attached with Dimensionals.  

The same Go To Greetings stamp was used here.  But this time the sentiment was die-cut using that really skinny Stitched Rectangle die to match with the other layers.  It is attached to the card front using Dimensionals making sure part of it is outside the front layer.  There are three of the 2022-2024 In Color Matte Decorative Dots in Starry Sky added for a little extra bling.  These Dots are not carrying over to the next catalog which is too bad.  They were definitely a fun addition to projects.

Okay, that's it for now.  I need to get back rearranging my stash so everything fits.  Last I checked, these items are still available in case you're interested.  If you need to place an order for any of these items, please use the host code shown at the top of this blog page.  I'd love to hear what you think of the new catalog - what your favorites are from the new and what you'll be missing from the old.  It's an exciting time whenever there is a change with all kinds of goodies to get used to.  Have fun checking it out.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Hues of Happiness Meets Fancy Flora

Greetings friend!  I hope you're keeping warm wherever you may be.  Today is rather frigid with the temperature reaching only 14 degrees.  Brrrrrr!   That can't be right, can it?!  I don't think this is what I was expecting when we moved down here.  Oh well, guess it feels like Michigan today so I'm right at home!  With the weather being so cold, I've been stamping with flowers and pastels while I pretend spring is right around the corner.  Hope this brightens your day.

Now, doesn't this look like spring?  I love the soft colors with that punch of dark flowers to balance it.  Plus, it's a fun fold card which always makes it special to me.  

The card starts with a Fresh Freesia base that measures 5 1/2" x 6 1/2" and is scored at 2 1/4".  When folded, this makes a regular size card and fits in the envelope with no problem.  There are two other pieces of Fresh Freesia cardstock.  They measure 3 1/4" x 3 1/2" for the side flap and 2 1/2" x 3 3/8" for the inner sentiment.

Next the Fancy Flora Designer Series Paper is cut.  You can see two different prints that look like paint dabs.  These are the two different sides of one paper.  The pieces are cut to 2" x 5 1/4" and 2 1/2" x 3 1/4".

Lastly, the two inside Basic White cardstock pieces were cut.  These measure 4" x 5 1/4" for the back piece.  The smaller sentiment piece measures 2 3/8" x 3 1/4".  This will leave a small frame of Fresh Freesia cardstock around it, and it will fit behind the flap and not show when the card is closed.  Ok, let's start putting this card together.

The first step is to score the 3 1/4" x 3 1/2" Fresh Freesia cardstock piece at 1/2" along the longer side.  Fold this and use a bone folder to give it a really good crease.  Put Tear & Tape on the outside of the fold.  Attach this to the inside edge of the card base as shown in the picture. 

Emboss the large Basic White layer.  I used the Gingham Embossing Folder for my card, but there are other embossing folders that would work nicely too.  This was attached inside the folded card using Tombow Multi Purpose Liquid Glue.  This hides the edge of the flap you glued to the front of the card and gives it a nice finish.

Stamp a sentiment on the smaller white cardstock piece.  I used Night of Navy ink and used a birthday sentiment from the Framed Occasions stamp set.  Attach it to the Fresh Freesia piece, then to the inside of the card using the Tombow Liquid Glue. Make sure that it's tucked behind the flap so it doesn't show.

On to the front of the card.  Attach the larger DSP piece to the outside of the front of the left side of the card using adhesive.  Attach the smaller DSP to the outside of the opposite flap so it shows when everything is closed.

Instead of stamping and coloring flowers for the front, I die-cut two flowers from the Hues of Happiness DSP with the coordinating dies called Blossoming Happiness dies.  I did stamp the different leaves and colored them in with Soft Succulent and Evening Evergreen inks and a Water Painter brush, then die-cut them also.   They were arranged on the card front then attached with Dimensionals.

The birthday sentiment was stamped on Basic White strip with Night of Navy ink.  It is from the Go To Greetings set.  The left end was punched with the Lovely Labels Pick a Punch.  The right end was tucked in under the rose and leaves and attached to the car with adhesive.  Make sure your adhesive doesn't extend past the edge of the flap.

A large Opal Round jewel was attached to the end of the sentient to accent it.  And two extra Opal Rounds were attached just under the flowers at the bottom of the flap.  Simply beautiful.

I loved how this turned out.  The Fancy Flora DSP is just so gorgeous, and I know you'll love it.  It really makes it fun to design your cards just using the colors in the prints.  That print I used almost reminds me of a minty ice cream flavor I get at the beach.  Oh yeah, I'm thinking warm sunny days as I sit here in the cold!

If you haven't received your new Mini Catalog and Sale-a-bration brochure, please let me know.  All of them should have been delivered by now.  Have you had a chance to look through them yet?  I know with Christmas right upon us, it's hard to take the time for yourself.  But I hope you can sit back with your coffee or tea (or maybe a glass of wine?) and enjoy yourself.  It's good to dream a little and get your creative juices flowing!  You don't want them freezing up on you!  LOL

I just want to wish you a very blessed Christmas as we pause in our busy lives to ponder the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  May He bless you with His mercy and grace.

Merry Christmas!

Sharon