All New Black and White Beauty

Hello friends!  Life has been going along at quite a fast clip, but unfortunately, I've been moving much slower.  Here it is March 6th already and this is only my first post of the month.  So sorry for the tardiness.  I keep trying to post on a regular basis.  Obviously, sometimes I do better than others.  Today's card features black and white in a gorgeous card that I used as a thank you card.  Just changing the sentiments would open the possibilities tremendously.  In case you can't tell once you read the post, I just received an order from Stampin'Up!  All of these new products can be found in the Online Exclusives section of the SU! store.  Seems like I used a bit of each of the new products that arrived.  Let's get to creating this card with all my new toys.

I wish you could hold this card in your hands and see the touches of sparkle that really contrast with the black and white.  Just lovely!

I started with the new Botanical Textures Designer Series Paper.  Choose a print that both sides coordinate well together.  This print piece measures 5 1/2" x 4".  About 1/4" was ripped from the bottom edge to give it a more organic feel.  

The next step uses another new product called Everday Arches dies.  These are so much fun to use.  For this project, I used the 3rd smallest die to cut a piece of Basic White cardstock.  Then I used the 5th smallest die to cut an opening in the piece of DSP we have ready.  This was placed as close to the middle as possible.  The die-cut piece is turned over and this is the darker layer behind the white on the card.  

I was thinking that the card would need some greenery stems of some kind to frame the arched layers.  Since I was already die-cutting, I figured I'd cut the two leafy branches I needed now.  The leafy branch die is from the Mixed Florals Dies.  One branch is cut from Basic Black cardstock.  The other one is cut from Black Glitter Paper that was from last Halloween.  This was a lovely addition for the design as it added another dimension to the blacks already part of the design.

The card base of Basic Black was cut.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" that is scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.  The large piece of DSP was attached to the black card base using adhesive.

The sentiment stamped on the smaller arched piece is another new one called You Are Remarkable.  Love the sentiment and the mixed fonts used here.  It's stamped using Memento Tuxedo Black ink to the center of the arch.

Before layering this onto the darker arch, a piece of Black Glittered Ribbon was wrapped around and tied into a knot on the right side.  Even though you can see only a small bit of the ribbon, it added to the overall look of the card.  

The white layer is attached to the darker layer with Dimensionals.  The Basic Black leafy die-cut is attached to the card base with adhesive.  The bottom part of the stem curves under where the arches will fit.

Next the glitter leafy stem is partially attached to the back of the arches with the upper part curving over the arches.  This is all attached to the card base using Dimensionals.  The arch nicely fits over the opening from where it was cut.  It's attached with multiple Dimensionals to keep it even.

The inside carries on the black and white theme.  The Basic White layer measures 5 1/4" x 4".  The sentiment is from the new Textured Notes stamp set.  I like how this font coordinates with the front.  It's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

The greenery on the bottom corner is also from this same set.  Don't the leaves coordinate nicely with the look of the DSP print?  The stamp was inked then off-stamped before stamping onto the cardstock.  This gives it a softer look.

Last step is figuring out what type of bling to add to the design.  I love the simplicity and sparkle of the Basic Rhinestone Jewels for this design.  It blends in nicely with the Black Glitter Paper and the glittered ribbon.

That's it.  The design is done, and I love the elegant card sitting in front of me.

Thanks so much for joining me today.  Hope you give this idea a try.  I probably went a little overboard with all my new goodies showing up on one card, but they all just blended together so nicely!  I just couldn't help trying them all out as soon as possible!!  Don't forget that you can find them in the Online Exclusives section of the store.

Thank you for all the orders that came through during Sale-a-bration.  I appreciate each and every one of them.  You guys are the very best!

Stay tuned for all the new changes coming to Stampin'Up!  Host orders and using host codes will be totally stopped in mid-April and the new rewards program will be going into effect.  I think you'll love getting a reward every time you place at least a $20 order.  These rewards can be redeemed with your following order, or you can accumulate them to be used on a future order.  Your choice.  I think this will work out well for all of us.  Please remember to choose me as your demonstrator.  😃 Thank You!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Another Side Box Fun Fold Card

 Hey there!  Hope you're having a great day today.  Wouldn't you know it?  As soon as I gave up on making more of the fun fold cards that I shared yesterday, I went downstairs today and quickly put together another one with some of those leftover parts.  I was just stuck on the stamp set I wanted to use.  Once that idea changed, finishing it was a breeze.  So, what did I actually end up making?  So glad you asked!

Didn't this work out nicely?  I love the mix of Bubble Bath with the Lost Lagoon.  As you can see, the basic card is totally identical to the Friendly Seagulls I posted yesterday.  I had cut two of everything at the time because I was planning on making two seagulls cards the same.  But plans change, you know?  I decided I wanted to try something else instead.

I won't go over the directions for the card base again here.  Please check yesterday's post for the dimensions and directions.

Today the Mixed Florals set came to mind and I checked to see how the stamp would fit on the Deckled Circle die-cut.  Enough of the design fit to make it work.  The stamp was inked up with Pebbled Path ink to give the design a slightly softer color.

The images were colored with Stampin' Blends:  Bubble Bath Light & Dark, Lost Lagoon Light, Daffodil Delight Light & Dark, Copper Clay Light, and Soft Seafoam Light & Dark.

Because the image was so small it only took about 10 minutes or so to color.  After coloring it was attached to the Lost Lagoon Everyday Details circle die-cut using adhesive.

It was attached to the card base the same way as before by carefully marking the size of the circle on that 1/2" strip with a pencil.  Then adding Tear & Tape within that space.  Peel off the backing on the tape and attach the circles so they are in the center of the card front.

The sentiment comes from the Hugs For Love stamp set.  It's stamped on a Basic White strip that is about 5/8" wide and is stamped with Lost Lagoon ink.  It's carefully trimmed on the sides to fit.  A small piece of In Color Glimmer Specialty Paper in the Bubble Bath color was used to frame the sentiment.  The piece measures 7/8" x 1 7/8".  Guess it pays to hang on to all those skinny strips.  You never know when you'll need just that little bit.  This has two Mini Glue Dots on the top left area of the label to adhere to the circle.

The circles inside the card match the front ones in size and color.  The sentiment I chose for this is from the Grateful Blessing stamp set.  This will be a perfect "just because" card to send out to a friend or family member.  It's stamped with Lost Lagoon ink to match.  

There was a small flower left over from a huge batch of valentines that I made.  I added it here with a Mini Glue Dot.  I liked that little pop of pink inside the card.

I tried several different gems for that little touch of glitz.  I was surprised that these little pearls were such a good match!  They are the Adhesive-backed Pearl Trio.  I thought they would be too big and purply for the card, but I really like them.

Thank you for coming by today.  Hope you enjoyed another look at this cute Left Side Box Fun Fold card.  Whew!  That's a mouthful.  But I just love how cute this little fun fold is when you want to send a special card.  Hope you give this fun fold a try.  It's not as hard as it looks.  I always try the measurements and scoring out on a piece of computer paper to get the hang of what I'm trying to make.  I am absolutely, definitely not an engineer! 

There's only several more weeks to go until Sale-a-bration will be over and done.  Did you see that a good number of new items have been added to the freebie list?  Don't miss out on something you've been wanting and wait til it's too late.  I'd be happy to be your demonstrator if you're looking for one.  Be sure to use the new Host Code at the top of the page.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

New Mixed Florals!

Happy New Year dear friends!  Yes, this is a day late, but I can explain.  Hopefully you're all having a better transition time from last year to this year.  I was really enjoying all the holiday busyness and then Christmas day with my family.   But the cold and sinus bug decided to strike on the 26th.  And that was that for the end of the year.  So not fun!  I'm finally starting to get back my energy and can think straight again, so here I am.  The cards I want to share today were actually made before Christmas and were a fun Sneak Peek of new things to come, but time has slipped away, and the new mini catalog time is almost upon us.  And not just the new mini catalog, but Sale-a-bration and new Online Exclusives too!!  Wow!  So many good things are coming on January 7th.  What a way to start the new year off right!  

When I saw the new Online Exclusives that would be joining the line-up, something caught my eye, and I just had to order it to play with as quickly as possible.  Of course, it was a floral set!  I thought this would be a cute bundle to work with and I was so right.  I've seen some adorable and lovely cards using the tulips in the new Mixed Florals Bundle, but I was drawn to the daisies first.  So, on with the not-so-early Sneak Peek of both the Mixed Florals Bundle and the Mixed Labels Bundle that're coming soon.  Plus, the card is a Fun Fold!  Bonus!

These were so easy to make, and I loved the look so much that I decided to make several of them.  Here are two with just slight changes between them with the placement of the sentiment.

To make this fun fold, start with a card base that measures 8 1/2" x 4 1/4".  It's scored in half, so when folded you have a 4 1/4" square card.  I used Moody Mauve cardstock on these cards.

As an accent, I added a bit of the new Timeless Plaid 6" x 6" DSP from the new mini catalog.  Isn't it pretty with the Moody Mauve and Petal Pink used together in the plaid?  For the card, I used a 4" x 2" piece to go across the bottom of the card.  It's attached with adhesive near the bottom edge.

Next up is the main section of the card.  A piece of Basic White was cut at 4" x 2 3/4" for stamping the daisies.  Memento Tuxedo Black ink was used for this.  The daisies are a little longer than the cardstock, so they were positioned at the top and any excess on the bottom was ignored.

For coloring the flowers, Stampin' Blends were used.

Daisy Petals (only near the centers):  Petal Pink Dark

Daisy Centers:  Pecan Pie Light & Dark

Stems & Leaves:  Old Olive Light & Dark

Tiny Flowers:  Moody Mauve Light & Dark

After stamping and coloring, it seemed to need a little extra color.  I used the Moody Mauve Light Blends to spatter some color overall.  Then, just because, I spattered Wink of Stella on this to give it a little bit of sparkle too.

To finish making the card, a 3" x 4 1/4" piece of Moody Mauve was cut to back the design.  They're attached together with adhesive.  To fit this onto the card base, place the top over the folded base and measure to keep the height no more than 5 1/2" so it fits in the envelopes.  I ended up with a height of 5 1/4" on mine.  Lightly mark on the back of design piece to gauge how much area needs to be left free of adhesive before you put any on the back.  You don't want to have to try to get the adhesive off, so be careful.

Next comes the sentiment which is from the new bundle called Mixed Labels.  Lots of cute sentiments here to choose from in the set.  I chose a simple friendship one and stamped it with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Then it's trimmed down to make a small tag that measures about 1/2" by a little less than 2".  Just trim to fit.  This is attached with a Dimensionals strip that is only on the part of the label that is on the design area, so it floats on the right edge.

I'm having trouble keeping track of which ribbons are current or not.  This is a retired ribbon that is Petal Pink and 1/8" wide.  Just perfect for the card.  If you have nothing to match, use a Petal Pink Stampin' Blend or Marker on a white ribbon.  Instant match!  My ribbon is attached with Mini Glue Dots to the bottom of the bouquet on this card.

The inside of the card has a 4" x 4" piece of Basic White cardstock.  Another sentiment from the Mixed Labels was stamped with the same black ink used on the card.  There is a smaller flower stamp in the set that matches the front design.  This was stamped with Moody Mauve in the corner to compliment the design.

Just a last up-close and personal look at this design.  I was surprised that it only took about 10 minutes to do the coloring on this design.  So, this a quick card to make when you're in a hurry, but it looks like you spent more time on it than you did.  Plus, a fun fold card always gets a little more attention.

Hope you're excited to see all the new items that will be available coming on January 7th.  I'm sure you'll find a thing or two that is just what you need.  There are so many different styles and products from which to choose. 

IMPORTANT - Stampin'Up! made a change to the Sale-a-bration requirements.  The basic amount needed to earn a free item is now $60 (or $120 on a few larger ticket items).  So please pay attention to the amount of your order and don't miss out on anything.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Hope you have a happy and healthy new year!  And as always, have fun creating and sharing those creations with your family and friends.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon