Arched Christmas Cards

Hi again.  Today was a wonderfully creative day.  I felt so inspired to create.  Do you ever notice a card idea that one little part just sticks in your mind until you sit down and work with it?  In the last couple of weeks, two different ideas have been percolating.  One was the idea of using the green vellum with white dots from the retired Berry Botanical Vellum for a Christmas background - think snow falling in the forest.  The other idea was using the new Timeless Herringbone Embossing Folder inside an arched frame.  Hmmm...  So, I put those two ideas together and came up with a card idea for you that I just love.  Then I couldn't stop myself and changed up the color a little and made another.  Tell me which one you like better.

I love the look of this monochromatic card.  It's got so much going on that it just tickles my senses!

Start with a Basic White Thick cardstock base that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half.  Then a layer of the Berry Botanical Vellum that's retired was added.  This layer measures 5 1/4" x 4".  I added adhesive only in the area that would eventually be covered by the arched layers, not on the outside edges.

Next the Everyday Arches Dies were used.  I used the 3rd and 5th largest dies to create this arch detail.  Hint - it helps to use either a Post-it Note or piece of washi tape to hold both of the dies in the proper position when die-cutting.  The arch was cut from Shaded Spruce cardstock.

The 3rd largest die was used to cut a piece of vellum.  After cutting, the vellum was embossed with the new Timeless Herringbone Embossing Folder.  Even though this is not a 3D folder, it makes a very nice, detailed impression.

Tombow Liquid Glue was added to the back of the green arch in a thin line.  Then the vellum layer was added and carefully squeezed together so it would stick well.

Next the stamped images from the Noel Tidings set were done.  Two different evergreen stamps were used.  On a piece of white cardstock, the long-needled branch was stamped with Shaded Spruce ink.  The other branch was stamped with Peaceful Pine ink.  These were both die-cut with the matching dies.

The sentiment is also from the Noel Tidings set.  It's stamped with Shaded Spruce ink.  Then it's fussy cut for the card.

Next was making the little ribbon loops for the design.  The two front ones used about 2 - 2 1/2" of Silver & White Sheer Ribbon.  The back one was about 3" of ribbon.  Put adhesive on one end and fold so the two ends are together.  This gives you a pretty loop to tuck into the pieces of greenery.  

Put a heavy adhesive on the back of the sentiment.  Then position the two front ribbon loops and attach.  Next add the two different greenery pieces.  And lastly add the larger loop in the back.  I needed to keep adding adhesive to the back in between the layers to hold everything in place.

I added two strips of Dimensionals along the back of the sentiment to hold everything in place and attached this to the card front.

The inside of the card was finished simply.  The sentiment was stamped in Shaded Spruce ink.  Then the long-needled evergreen branch was stamped along the top edge to let some of the needles to show.

To finish this card, several of the Sparkle Sequins in the silver tone were sprinkled throughout the design on the front.

And in the back on this picture, you can see another card with a few changes.

This is the second version of my design.  I wasn't sure if I'd like the added pop of Real Red in this design, but wow.  I love it!

All of the dimensions and layers on this card were made the same.  In fact, I liked the original card enough that I stamped, cut, embossed, etc. enough to make several more for some of my cards for Christmas.  This one just got a little "extra tweaking" before it was finished.

This time the sentiment was stamped with Real Red ink and fussy cut.  The layers of leaves and ribbon loops was handled the same.

To finish, a sprinkle of the Sparkle Sequins were used again, but this time I used the red.

So, tell me, which version do you like the best?  The silver or red?  I think they're both beautiful.  To me the silver one gives more of a frosty cold winter vibe.  The red one seems a more traditional Christmas look.  What are your thoughts??

Whichever one you prefer, I'm happy that you stopped by to see what's been happening around here.  I love when I feel inspired and get into my stamp room and come up with something that makes me really happy.  And then when I can share my ideas with you?  That's just the very best!

If you're looking for a demonstrator, I'd be happy to help you out with ordering ideas.  It's always fun to meet another stamping friend.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon 

Pink Poinsettias to Start

 Hello friends!  I'm finally getting around to playing with the Pretty Poinsettia bundle.  I don't know why it took me so long to get to this set, but I finally did make two card yesterday.  I started with one using current items, and the 2nd card has a few changes that use retired products.  Let me know which one you like the most.

This picture gives you a side-by-side look at the two versions.  The upper version is all current items that are available right now.  Let's start with that one.

Start with a Peaceful Pine cardstock piece that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.

There's a layer of the beautiful Luxe Foliage Designer Series Paper next.  (This was a September Product of the Month that is still available if you haven't gotten it yet.)  This measures 5 1/4" x 4".  This print is a floral gold foil on Peaceful Pine background.  I figured not enough of the design would show for a floral to be a problem on a Christmas card.  I was just looking for those glints of gold showing through the leaves and around the edges of the design.  The DSP print was attached to the center of the card front with adhesive.

Next a piece of Soft Sea Foam cardstock was cut to measure 5" x 3 3/4".  The leafy border die from the Botanical Expressions set was used to make a diagonal cut on the cardstock.  The edge of the die was about 1" from the bottom edge on the left and about 1/2" on the right edge when cutting to give it that angle. 

The sentiment is from the Pretty Poinsettia stamp set.  It's stamped with Peaceful Pine ink on the bottom right corner. 

The solid edges of the Soft Sea Foam layer were attached to the card front with adhesive.  There is no adhesive on the die-cut area.

Now, for that Pretty Poinsettia.  The 3 largest poinsettia petals were die-cut from Barely Blush cardstock.  Then they were run through the embossing machine again with the Impressions Plate which is a silicone mat.  This gives the petals all that wonderful texture.  The stem and leaves were die-cut from Peaceful Pine cardstock and then run through with the Impressions Plate also.

Before attaching anything, the petals had some White Craft ink brushed over the raised edges to enhance the texture.

The branch of leaves was attached first.  I only used adhesive along the stems, not the leaves so it would be more fluid.  

The largest petal was attached over the leaves using a Dimensional under the center.  The next largest set of petals were attached with a Mini Dimensional.  The last petals were attached with a Mini Glue Dot to hold it well.

The tiny "flowers" were die-cut from Gold Foil Paper.  I cut several to have extra to play with.  One of the larger ones was attached in the center of the poinsettia with a Mini Glue Dot.  Two more were scattered on the design.

A double bow was made from a retired White and Gold Baker's Twine.  It's tucked close to the stem and attached with a rolled Mini Glue Dot.

After this card was finished, I kept thinking it was a little too bland.  I didn't want it to be too bright but just needed a little more color on the poinsettia in my opinion.

For this card, the base and layers were the same.  When I got to the flower, instead of adding white highlights, I dug out a retired Pretty in Pink ink pad and did a little blending on the outer edges of each petal.  It's still a pretty soft pink color, but just a bit darker.

On this design, I also wanted to go a little bolder on the sentiment wording.  Nothing I owned that was current really fit what I wanted here.  So, back to my retired stamps and I dug this one out that has always been a favorite.  I think the boldness balances the card a little better.

I forgot to mention that each of the petals was curved by hand to give the flower more depth before attaching to the card.  I just love how these poinsettias turned out.  These will have to be hand-delivered in my opinion, so they aren't totally crushed by the time the envelope is opened.  But they are so gorgeous, they are definitely worth the effort.

Thanks for stopping by today.  If you haven't heard yet, Stampin'Up! is having a 3-day Flash Sale October 21 - 23.  You can get a 15% discount off selected dies.  This is only while supplies last during this sale.  So check out the availability on some of the dies you are waiting to purchase.  This might be the time to order them.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Another Autumn Opulence Fun Fold

Howdy stamping friends!  How're y'all doin?  Just getting into character a little early for a benefit dinner supporting a "horse therapy" ranch tonight.  This place is called Hope Remains Ranch, and they help traumatized and at-risk children and teens.  We're all supposed to be dressed in our cowboy clothes for the dinner.  I don't really have much that is considered cowboy themed to wear but thought I'd work on my "cowboy greetings" instead.  It is fun to be involved supporting this wonderful ministry, and I'm looking forward to more opportunities to help.  Okay, back to the scheduled card instructional post!

Today is another idea that uses the gorgeous Autumn Opulence Designer Series Paper.  Yes, I've mentioned a few times that I love the prints on this lovely fall themed paper.  The colors are rich and earthy.  Just perfect for this time of year.  Add in an easy fun fold and we've got a winner!

The card base for this is Early Espresso cardstock.  It measures 11" x 4 1/4" and is scored at 5 1/2" to make a top fold card.  There is a cut 3" wide from the bottom edge of the card up to the score line.  This leaves a 1 1/4" flap on the right side of the card front.  This flap is glued down so only the left side of the card front opens up.

Next, the layers of Cajun Craze cardstock were cut.  They are 2 7/8" x 5 3/8",  1 1/8" x 5 3/8", and 4 1/4" x 1 1/2".  The first two pieces are for the two sections of the card front.  The last one is for the cross-piece that has the focal pieces attached to it.

The pieces of DSP were cut next.  The dark print with the mushrooms measures 2 3/4" x 5 1/4".  The longer greenish print measures 1" x 5 1/4".  The smaller piece on the cross-piece measures 1" x about 3".

First, layer the dark DSP onto the correct sized Cajun Craze cardstock using Tombow Liquid Glue.  Then attach this to the loose flap on the card front.

Then the greenish DSP layer is attached to the correct sized layer of Cajun Craze using Tombow Liquid Glue.  Then attach this to the right front flap that has already been glued down. 

Next, the last Cajun Craze layer piece that's 4 1/4" x 1 1/2" is attached to the front flap only.  This should fit perfectly across the card and is about 1" up from the bottom edge.

The DSP piece used was positioned between the left, top, and bottom edges evenly.  It did not come out to the right side.  It just happened to be a piece I had left over from another project.

The Autumn Opulence DSP pack comes with sheets of preprinted designs to pop out and use on cards, scrapbook pages, or other projects.  This card used 4 different pieces of these - the autumn leaves, two green leaves, and the mushrooms.  All of the pieces were attached with adhesive on the bottom of their stems with a Dimensional at the top part of the pieces.  This gives them so much depth when looking at them.

For the sentiment, the 2nd smallest square die from the Tile Garden Dies was used to cut a Basic White label.  The sentiment is from the Thanks & Giving set.  It's stamped with Cajun Craze ink in the center.  Then the label is attached flat to the end of the cross-piece of Cajun Craze.  It's just a teensy bit taller than the strip so a little white shows above and below it when the card is open.  As an accent, two of the tiny acorns that are part of the preprinted sheet were attached to this.

For the inside of the card, a piece of Basic White was cut.  It measures 2 3/4" x 5 1/4".  It uses a different sentiment from the Thanks & Giving stamp set.  It's stamped in Cajun Craze ink.

The bottom of this is decorated with a 1/2" x 2 7/8" strip of the greenish print used on the side of the card.  Over this, a 1/8" strip of Cajun Craze was attached.  Then another of the preprinted pieces from the DSP was added.  Love that acorn and just had to find a place for it!

To finish the card with a really rustic feel, a length of the Neutrals Jute Combo Pack in the Pecan Pie color was cut and unraveled to make three strands.  These were tied into a floppy bow and attached at the bottom of the mushrooms with a couple Mini Glue Dots.  

Several of the retired Cajun Craze & Gold Dots were scattered on the card front to add a little bit of shine.

I'm so happy with the outcome of this card.  It's amazing that it turned out pretty much how I envisioned it.  That doesn't seem to happen all the time, so I'm pleased when it does!

If you've followed my blog for very long, you know I prefer to stamp and color most of my focal images instead of using preprinted images.  With this DSP pack, I'm finding it so easy to use all these preprinted images on my cards.  They're great and I'm just crazy about them.

If you like the components of this card, you can only find the Autumn Opulence DSP and the Thanks & Giving stamp set in the Online Exclusives.  They aren't in any catalog.  Sometimes I think SU! puts most of my favorite products in the Online Exclusives section of the store.  Don't forget to check it out on a regular basis.

Thanks for stopping by to see this warm and rustic Thanksgiving card.  If you love easy fun folds, this one is for you!  Leave a comment and let me know what you think of this quick fun fold and the awesome DSP used to make it.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Thanks & Giving Fun Fold Card

Hello friends!  It's chilly and raining today.  Not too bad considering we're getting some of the aftermath of the latest hurricane.  I'm definitely thankful we don't have to worry about flooding anymore.  What a huge blessing that is.  And speaking of blessings, today's card is one of my Thanksgiving cards.  It features two different prints from the Autumn Opulence Designer Series Paper that really are beautiful.  Plus, it's a fun fold, and that always makes the design even better. If you're looking for this DSP or the Thanks & Giving set that I'm using here, you'll find both in the Online Exclusive section when you're shopping.  Let's get creating.

This fun fold is called the Diamond Pillar fun fold and that's exactly what it looks like.  For my card, I started with Blackberry Bliss cardstock that measures 11" x 4 1/4".  This is scored at 1 1/2", 3 1/2", 5 1/2", 7 1/2", and 9 1/2".  That sounds like a lot of scoring, but it's so worth it!  When folding this, the first score is a valley fold, then three mountain folds, and the last fold is a valley fold.  The two end pieces are glued together back-to-back, and the rest of the cardstock makes the diamond shape.

Next is the cutting of layers for the card.

Crumb Cake - 1 7/8" x 4 1/8" (cut 2)

                      - 1 3/8" x 4 1/8" (cut 1)

                      - 1" x 1" (cut 2) score at 1/2"

                      - 3" x 3"

DSP print #1 - 1 3/4" x 4" (cut 2)

DSP print #2 - 1 1/4" x 4" (cut 1)

Very Vanilla  - 3" x 3" for die cut piece

                      - 1 1/2" x 3" scrap - banner

Vanilla (back) - 1 3/4" x 4" (cut 1)

Blackberry Bliss - 2 7/8" x 2 7/8"

Lay the card down flat in front of you with the glued edges to the right.  Attach the two larger Crumb Cake pieces on the left and center sections.  The smaller Crumb Cake piece goes on the right section.  Use liquid glue to attach these sections so you can line them up easily.

Then the two #1 DSP prints are attached to the left and center sections, and the #2 DSP print is attached on the right side.  The liquid glue was used again to easily position each section.

To add the little 1" x 1" tabs to make the card work, attach one scored side to the very edge of the folded card base about in the middle.  Then attach the second one on the opposite side of the fold in the card base. These flaps will fold back on themselves and give you a surface to attach the focal image layers. 

To make the focal image, the Very Vanilla piece was die-cut with the Tile Garden Dies.  The Thanks & Giving wreath image was stamped in the center of this with Blackberry Bliss ink.  Then it was colored with these Stampin' Blends:  Peaceful Pine, Golden Glow, Pumpkin Pie, Lemon Lime Twist.

After coloring, this layer was attached to the Blackberry Bliss layer and then the Crumb Cake layer.  They were all attached with liquid glue.

Then a small amount of the liquid glue was added to the little attaching flaps, and the square layers were carefully set down in the center of the card.  Let this set a minute or more to make sure the layers are well attached to the little flaps.  Set aside.  FYI - in this picture, the little flaps were in Very Vanilla instead of the Crumb Cake that I used on later cards to blend better.

Stamp the sentiment from the Thanks & Giving set on the piece of Very Vanilla for the back.  Blackberry Bliss ink was used for the stamping.  A little Blackberry bliss ink was used along with a Blending Brush to add just a light haze of color on the edges.  This leaves you plenty of room to add a small note later.

Liquid glue was used to attach this to the back of the card.

The Thanksgiving banner was stamped on the last piece of Very Vanilla using Blackberry Bliss ink. A Blender Pen was used to add a bit of ink to the back areas of the banner.  Then the banner was fussy cut.

It was attached over the wreath using Mini Dimesionals to give it a little lift.

Three of the Low-Profile Dots (retired) in a clear gold were added to the design to finish it.

Hope you were able to follow along with my directions.  It's so much easier to teach in a hands-on class where I can show this in person.  If you do have questions, please email me at sharoncarr50@gmail.com and I can try to walk you through it.

This fun fold is quite easy to do when you've got all your pieces cut and ready to go.

I forgot to mention that this card folds flat and fits into a regular A2 envelope for mailing.  Yippee!

Thanks for coming back for another post using the Autumn Opulence DSP.  I've mentioned how much I love these prints and I sure don't have very much of this pack of paper left!  There are a lot of cards leaving this house for friends and family that use this DSP.  I do have one more idea to share with you.  And it's another fun fold!   Oh goodie!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Autumn Opulence Fun Folds

Hello friends!  What a gorgeous, sunshiny fall day.  I just love looking out over the back yard and seeing azaleas just bursting with rosy blooms all over them.  Also, the hummingbirds have been very busy at our feeders, and they are so much fun to watch.  Seems like I've been spending lots of time enjoying life outside now that it's not so blistering hot.  Only a few of the trees around here have started changing colors though.  That is one thing I miss so much about Michigan - the fall colors which are truly glorious!  So instead of seeing the colors outside, I've been making a series of cards using the Autumn Opulence Designer Series Paper.  I know there's always so much going on in the Online Exclusives section of the website that it's hard to miss things.  This DSP seems to be quite overlooked, and I'll be spending a few days highlighting this gorgeous paper.

Today's post features two cards made with any easy fun fold technique, but one is lined up landscape style and the other is set as portrait style.  Both of the cards really focus on the DSP and have very little stamping, so like I said - very easy to make!  We'll start with the portrait style first.

If you don't know, the Autumn Opulence DSP comes with two pre-cut sheets of printed designs that coordinate with the paper.  That's why the cards I'm sharing with you have minimal stamping.  There are lots of pre-made designs for you to use.  But first, let's focus on the prints on the DSP.  Two of them are used on this card.  Don't you just love them?

To make these fun fold cards, you start with an 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" piece of cardstock for the base.  This card uses Pecan Pie.  The base needs to be scored at 1 1/4" and at 5 1/2".  Both are folded in to make an off-set gatefold card.

The DSP print on the left side measures 2 7/8" x 5 3/8".  The plaid print on the right side measures 1 1/8" x 5 3/8".  These pieces are attaches to the front flaps with "green glue" which gives me a little wiggle time to get them on straight.

The base for the focal image on the card is Very Vanilla cardstock that is die-cut with the Sweet Words & Labels dies.  This one is the 3rd largest label in that shape.  When cutting, another was cut using the 4th largest sized label die for the inside of the card.

To be the focal image on the die-cut, the pumpkin with flowers cluster was chosen to use.  I personally don't care for a large white outline around the pre-printed images, so I fussy cut around the image to "give it a closer cut".

The Sweet Words & Labels die set also has some smaller oak leaf dies.  I cut two leaves from Golden Glow cardstock to tuck in around the pumpkin.  The upper one on the design has a little Golden Glow ink added to it with a Blender Brush.  The one tucked in at the bottom has a little Cajun Craze ink brushed over it.  The pumpkin was attached with only two Dimensionals so there would be plenty of room for the leaves and the sentiment to tuck under around this.

The label on the front was adhered to the front of the card with "green glue".  

TIP - next time I make this card, I'd run the side of my Pecan Pie Marker along the outside edge of this label.  This would give it a little better definition between the label and the background.

The sentiment is from the Banner Sayings stamp set.  I only wanted those two words, so it was inked on only them and stamped onto a 1/2" strip of Very Vanilla cardstock.  Early Espresso ink was used to stamp this.  Then it was punched with the Three Banner Punch.  This was tucked under the pumpkin and attached with a couple Mini Dimensionals.

A bow was made with Linen Thread.  This was attached to the pumpkin with a Mini Glue Dot that was rolled to fit under the knot.

There are several retired pearlized, champagne-colored dots added to the design for an accent. 

Just wanted to quick show how the inside was finished.  Both of these stamps are about 20 years old and not Stampin'Up!.  I tend to have trouble finding the sentiments I want to use in my SU! stash.  I do hang on to sentiment stamps forever, but sometimes you just have to hit the contraband stamps too.

BTW, I have no idea why the pic looks like Basic White was used inside the card.  It is not.  It's Very Vanilla all the way.  Now, on to the 2nd card sample.

This time the card base is Early Espresso.  The measurements are the same - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 1 1/4" and 5 1/2".  This time we're working with a landscape style card, so the opening lands near the bottom.

The DSP is the same Autumn Opulence pack I've been using.  The checked print is the backside of the print used on the first card.  The measurements are the same - larger size 5 3/8" x 2 7/8" and the smaller strip is 1 1/8" x 5 3/8".  They are attached with "green glue".

A strip of Early Espresso cardstock was cut that measures 2" x 4 1/4".  

A strip from a different print from this DSP was cut that measures 1 7/8" x 4".  This was attached to the Early Espresso strip with 'green glue".  Then both of them were added to the card front about an inch from the left side.  Make sure you mark where the top flap ends so you only get the glue on that area and not the bottom area.

Three of the pre-printed images were chosen.  Each of them was fussy cut around the edges to make the white edges less visible.  Then they were arranged on the front flap as shown.  Again, be aware of your placement so no adhesive is on the overlapping areas.  The leaf was attached with adhesive, and the mushrooms and acorn were attached with Dimensionals.

The sentiment used here and inside are from the Thanks & Giving set.  The front one was stamped on a 1/2" wide strip of Basic White using Early Espresso ink.  The right edge was angle cut.  Then the label was added to the design with Dimensionals.

Three of the Earthy Matte Dots in the Cajun Craze color were added to the design.

The inside has a 4" x 5 1/4" layer of Basic White cardstock.  The sentiment is stamped near the top with Early Espresso ink.

There is a 1/4" strip of the checked print DSP added that is the same one used on the front of the card.

Another of the printed leaves in the DSP pack was trimmed and added to the design.

Okay, that's two cards made with the same fun fold and the same DSP pack.  But don't they look different?  I just love how changing colors or orientation can make such a large difference in the finished card.  I never get tired of playing with the same items and seeing what else can be created!

When you're shopping around in the catalog to see what's new, don't forget to peruse the Online Exclusives section of the website.  Sometimes it feels like SU! hides some of the best treasures in that area.  Make sure you look through the whole section, so you don't miss anything.  😊

Thanks for stopping by today.  If you give either the Autumn Opulence DSP or this fun fold a try, let me know what you think.  I'd love to hear from you.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Lots of Painted Pumpkins!

Hello stamping friends!  Do you like autumn and especially all the pumpkins in the many sizes, shapes, and colors they grow in?  I do, I do!!  I kind of went a little crazy the last few days playing with the Painted Pumpkins bundle and those fun coordinating stencils.  I seem to have a whole pumpkin patch growing on my worktable and now I'm creating cards with them. So much fun!   Are you ready for a pumpkin patch visit?  I've got five cards ready for sharing already, so instead of a separate post and going in depth on each one, it's going to be a fairly quick overview on each card.  OK? 

I'll start with this one.  Using the stencils and Basic White cardstock, I made two batches of pumpkins.  One batch was using just Crisp Cantaloupe for all three layers of stencils and darkened the color each stencil.  On the last stencil, a little Pumpkin Pie ink was added to it to darken the color on some of the pumpkins.  The fourth stencil makes the stems  which I colored with Crumb Cake and just a tiny bit of Pecan Pie to darken.  (The stencils can make 6 pumpkins at a time.)  

After wiping and drying the stencils, I did the same thing with Crumb Cake ink on the layers of stencils.  On the 3rd stencil layer, a little blush of Pumpkin Pie was added to a few like you can see on the front pumpkin on this card.

All the pumpkins were die-cut along with a bunch of leaves and curly stems.  For the leaves on this card, Lost Lagoon cardstock was used.

A layer of Soft Sea Foam cardstock was stenciled with the all-over leaf background stencil using Soft Sea Foam ink.

The card base is Crisp Cantaloupe that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  The stenciled Soft Sea Foam layer measures 3 3/4" x 5".  It's backed with a Lost Lagoon layer that measures 3 7/8" x 5 1/8".  The two layers are attached together with adhesive then added to the base with Dimensionals.

All six pumpkins and the greenery were attached with adhesive, except for the front pumpkin which was popped up with Dimensionals.

The sentiment was stamped onto a 3/4" strip using Crumb Cake ink.  It's trimmed and added to the card front with Dimensionals.

Several of the 2026-2028 In Color Butterflies were added to the design.  I used the Crisp Cantaloupe and White butterflies for this card.

The next card is very similar in coloring as I was using more of the pumpkins made for the last card.  This time, the Lost Lagoon layer was attached to the card front with adhesive.  Then the stenciled Soft Sea Foam layer was attached to it with Dimensionals.

The fence from the die set was used to cut some Wood Grain Wonder DSP.  This has not only the printed graining, but the die also has graining when it cuts.  The sections of fence were attached with adhesive about an 1" from the bottom of the card front.

Then four of the pumpkins were arranged staggered in front of the fence and attached with Dimensionals.  Lots of the Lost Lagoon leaves and curly stems were tucked in around the pumpkins and the fence.

The sentiment used here is from the Thanks & Giving stamp set that is an Online Exclusive set.  I don't remember where I got the circular die from, but it worked.  The sentiment was stamped with Lost Lagoon ink to match the leaves.  This is popped up in the corner with Dimensionals.

I decided not to add any sort of bling to this design.  It was nice as it was.

For this next card, I went back to the pumpkin stencils and made darker pumpkins.  These started out with Pumpkin Pie ink for the three layers. Then some Cajun Craze ink was added on the 3rd stencil to add more depth to them.  The stems were still Crumb Cake ink.

This time a batch of leaves and stems were die-cut from Mossy Meadow cardstock.

The card base is Crumb Cake cardstock.  There is a layer of Mossy Meadow cardstock that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  This was embossed with the new Softly Woven 3D Embossing Folder.  This detail shows up so nicely here.  It was attached to the card base with "green glue" to hold securely.

There is a layer of the checked 2026-2028 In Color Gingham Gallery DSP in Golden Glow cut.  This measures 3 1/4" x 4 1/2".  

Before attaching to the base, a 12" piece of Early Espresso jute from the Neutrals Jute Combo Pack was cut.  Then it was unraveled to get three strands instead of one bulky one.  This was wrapped around the DSP layer and tied into a knot.  Then the layer was attached to the embossed layer with "green glue".  

Next a piece of Crumb Cake cardstock was cut to 2 3/4" x 3".  This piece has some splattering from Early Espresso ink and water mix and flicked on with a water painter.  After it dried, a little Early Espresso ink was blended on the edges with a Blending Brush.

The larger pumpkin was attached with adhesive with the smaller one added with Dimensionals.  The leaves and curlicues were tucked in around the pumpkins.  

The sentiment comes from the Thanks & Giving set. It's stamped on Basic White with Early Espresso ink.  Then fussy cut around the words.  It's attached with Dimensionals.

Three of the Sunset Sparkle Sequins in an orange-y color were added to the design to finish.

I still had more pumpkins to play with yet.  These are two of the Pumpkin Pie/Cajun Craze and one of the Crumb Cake with a blush of pumpkin on it.  This time I die-cut Old Olive leaves and stems to use.

The card base is Golden Glow that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  The wood-grain print is from the Country Woods DSP in a weathered wood look.  It measures 5 1/8" x 3 7/8".  It's backed with a layer of Early Espresso cardstock.  This measures 5 1/4" x 4".  The two layers are attached with adhesive, then attached to the card base with adhesive also.

The three pumpkins are arranged on this, then attached with Dimensionals.  The leaves and vines are tucked in all around them.

The sentiment this time comes from the Elegant Leaves stamp set.  They are stamped with Early Espresso ink on a 1/2" x 4" strip of Basic White cardstock.  This is layered onto an Early Espresso cardstock piece that measures 3/4" x 4 1/4".  It's attached with Dimensionals.

A short length of a Neutral Jute Combo Pack in Pecan Pie is tied into a bow.  The ends are frayed.  Then it's attached at the bottom corner of the sentiment strip using a Mini Glue Dot.

Five of the Sunset Sparkle Sequins in the orange-y color are scattered around the design to finish.

Okay, we have come to the last design and the one I think I like the most.  Two of the pumpkins this time are made with Pumpkin Pie/Cajun Craze inks.  The middle one has Timid Tiger added so it's a little brighter.  The leaves and vines are cut from Peaceful Pine cardstock this time.

The card base is Peaceful Pine cardstock.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  There is a layer of Country Woods DSP added.  This measures 5 1/4"x 4".  It's attached to the card base with adhesive.

There is a gate cut from another print of the Country Woods DSP that is quite dark but has a nice, weathered look.  The fence section was not cut this time, just the gate.  It's attached to the card front at the left side with the right edge not glued down yet.  

One of the pumpkins was tucked partially behind the gate, then the gate was fully attached over this.

The other two pumpkins were attached in front of the gate using Dimensionals.  The leaves and vines were tucked around the pumpkins and into the gate.

The sentiment is another from the Thanks & Giving stamp set.  The words are stamped on a piece of Basic White cardstock using Early Espresso ink.  It's die-cut with a small Perennial Postage die. 

After die-cutting, a Blending Brush and Pumpkin Pie ink was added lightly around the edges.

A large bow was made from Linen Thread and attached behind the sentiment.  Then Dimensionals were added behind to hold in place.

Several Low-Profile Sparkle Dots in the dark blue color were added to the design.  I liked how the golden sparkles in the dots really tied in with the warm glow of the pumpkins.

Whew!!  That was a lot to get through.  I hope I gave you enough info to CASe any of these that you would like to try.  If you have questions about any of these specifically, please feel free to contact me at sharoncarr50@gmail.com .  I'm always happy to talk with you about anything I've made or any other questions you might have.

Thank you for spending your time here with me today.  Yes, I've given you a lot to take in, but I truly hope you give this bundle of goodies a try.  I totally love these stencils for coloring the pumpkins.  It's so easy to add a blush of another color over what you've already made, and it changes the look so much.  It's definitely something to play with and try combining different colors for these cool pumpkins.  Time for a color play date!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Late Glow of Harvest DSP

 Hey friends!  Running late as usual. Yesterday was the final day for getting the Glow of Harvest Designer Series Paper as the Product of the Month.  I was hurrying to get some samples made to share with you and I just ran out of time.  So, for those of you who own this lovely pearlized paper, I'm just sharing a few more ideas for using it.  Because I've got a good size collection, I'm not going into a lot of detail on each card.  Just a quick blurb will have to suffice, but it will give you a starting place if you're interested.

Stamps - Radiant Sunflowers and Botanical Expressions

Cardstock - Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze, Golden Glow, Basic White, and Pecan Pie

Specialty Papers - Glow of Harvest DSP

Dies - Party Banners and Radiant Sunflowers

Embossing Folder - Softly Woven 3D

Ink - Golden Glow, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Old Olive

Extras - White Gel Pen, Sponge Daubers, Mossy Meadow & Very Vanilla Gingham Ribbon, 2026-2028 In Color Butterflies

Just a quick peek inside.  Stamped edges and cardstock layers along bottom to accent.

Stamps - Poetic Petals (outside sentiment) and Botanical Expressions (inside sentiment)

Cardstock - Basic Beige, Cajun Craze, Basic White, and Early Espresso

Specialty Papers - Glow of Harvest DSP

Dies - Elegant Leaves

Ink - Cajun Craze

Extras - Cajun Craze & Gold Dots, Gold Striped Mesh Ribbon

Quick peek inside.  Skinny strip of DSP layered onto Cajun Craze cardstock for an accent.

Stamps - Radiant Sunflowers and Sweet Words & Labels 

Cardstock - Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Golden Glow, Cajun Craze, and Basic White

Specialty Papers - Glow of Harvest DSP

Dies - Sweet Words & Labels

Ink - Early Espresso and VersaMark (for background stamping)

In case you're wondering, the small oak leaves and the acorns are also part of the Sweet Word & Labels die set.  Awesome!

Stamps - Sweet Words & Labels

Cardstock - Crumb Cake, Pecan Pie, Cajun Craze, Golden Glow, Basic White

Specialty Papers - Glow of Harvest DSP (two different prints)

Dies - Sweet Words & Labels

Embossing - Seasonal Cheer Mini Embossing Folders (leaves)

Ink - Early Espresso and White Craft Ink

Stamps - Radiant Sunflowers

Cardstock - Cajun Craze, Golden Glow, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Basic White

Specialty Papers - Glow of Harvest DSP

Dies - Sweet Words & Labels, Radiant Sunflowers

Ink - Early Espresso

Extras - Linen Thread

As you can see, this is a fun fold card.  The measurements are 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 1 7/8", and 3" from both ends.

The center panels measure 2 1/4" x 5 1/4".  One is DSP and the one on back is Basic White.

The DSP on the side panels both front and back measure 1 5/8" x 5 1/4".

This gives you a cute card that stands up very nicely on its own.

Whew!  That was a lot to take in.  Hope you use this as a resource for using your own DSP.  Pay attention to all the different ways to lay out the elements.  Layers really do stand out in this batch of cards.  Of course, if you like these ideas, you can always change DSP and cardstock colors to match any season at all.  Have fun doing the mix-and-match game to see what prints you like together and what colors really set them apart.

Can you believe it's finally September 1st today?  Seems like I've been waiting forever for it to get here.  But that means all those holidays are coming up one after another, and we better get started on them.  If you have any questions about these cards, I'll be happy to answer them.  Just get in touch with me at sharoncarr50@gmail.com  and I'll get back with you as soon as possible.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Painted Pumpkin Stencils

Hello stamping friends!  Happy almost fall y'all.  So, let's talk a minute.  What are your thoughts on stencils for cardmaking?  Have you tried them?  Do you like them?  I'm totally hooked on the idea, so I of course had to get the Painted Pumpkins Bundle found on page 30 of the new catalog.  I'll admit that the colors SU! chose for displaying the suite aren't quite my cup of tea for fall.  But that said, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the stamps, dies, and coordinating stencils.  They are so much fun to play around with to get different color combos.  I've got my first card made with these stencils to share with you.  It's just a simple card with a few layers including some pretty DSP and a few stenciled and die-cut pumpkins to round it out.  Psst - if you don't like seeing any retired items used, then you don't want to go any further.  This uses a retired die, woven trim, and bling.  Sorry, sometimes you just have to use what works!

The first thing done to make this card was to stencil the three pumpkins onto Basic White cardstock.  The stencils in the Painted Pumpkins bundle have 4 stencils for the pumpkins and 1 stencil that is leaves and vines that would cover a card front size area.  So far, I've only used the pumpkins stencils, but will get around to the leaves at a later date.

The first batch of pumpkins stenciled used Crisp Cantaloupe ink and stencils labelled 1-3 to build the pumpkin colors.  Then a bit of Timid Tiger was added to the third stencil layer to darken it a little.  The fourth stencil adds the stems to each of the pumpkins.  For this I used Crumb Cake ink to keep the pumpkins on the light side.

After the stenciling was finished, these pumpkins were die-cut with the matching die from the set.  While die-cutting, I also cut several loose leaves and all the vines that are in the set.  For cutting, I took a section of Basic White Thick cardstock and Blending Brushes with several green inks - Garden Green, Old Olive, and Peaceful Pine.  The colors were swirled, light and dark, and blended into a fun mixture that was perfect for die-cutting all the leaves and vines.  You can see multiple greens on each piece.  Now that all the pieces were ready, it was time to plan the card.

The layer needed for these pumpkins to reside on was die-cut with the (R) Textured Notes dies from Peaceful Pine cardstock.  I really liked the contrast of this green with the pumpkin colors.  This die measures approximately 4 3/4" x 3 1/4".

Next, a length of (R) Irregular Weave Trim was wrapped around this and taped in the back.  The earthy neutral trim fit in well with this design.  After attaching the trim, the pumpkins were arranged on the right side.  The largest was attached flat with adhesive, and the other two were layered on with Dimensionals.  One of the vines was tucked in over the pumpkins, and the other one was tucked behind.  The leaves on the vines each have a Mini Dimensional behind it to give it depth.

The sentiment is from the Thanks & Giving set.  You'll find this in the Online Exclusive section starting Sept. 1st.  It's stamped with Pecan Pie ink onto a Basic White scrap.  Then it was cut with scissors.  It's attached to the layer with a Dimensional in the center.  Then a couple of loose leaves are tucked under it.

Now, on to the card base.  This is Pecan Pie cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half.

It took a while to decide on a DSP print to use.  I wanted to stay rather muted and let the pumpkins shine.  Looking through my stash, I found this lovely muted Peaceful Pine print in the new Autumn Opulence Designer Series Paper that I just love.  It's so unassuming, but it was just what this design needed.  This will be another Online Exclusive find on Sept. 1st.  A layer was cut that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  It's attached to the card base with adhesive.  Then the Peaceful Pine layer that was just finished was added to the center with adhesive also.

Several (R) Low-Profile Dots in a soft Petal Pink color were added.  Surprisingly these looked perfect with the Crisp Cantaloupe pumpkins.

Now, to finish off the inside of the card.  Another piece of the Autumn Opulence DSP was added.  This measures 5" x 4".

Then a layer of Basic White was cut that measures 4" x 3".  On this, another one of the sentiments in the Thanks & Giving set was stamped in the left corner using Pecan Pie ink.

There's also a tiny pumpkin stamp in this set that is so cute.  It's stamped in the bottom right corner with Pecan Pie ink.  Then Crisp Cantaloupe and Crumb Cake Stampin'Blends were used to add a little color.  Then the white layer was attached inside the card with adhesive.  And that's it.

Thanks for hanging out with me today.  If you haven't tried using the Decorative Masks (stencils) yet, I hope you give them a try.  It's really fun seeing how the colors blend and change as you keep adding layers until you have the final design.

Remember, the new catalog starts September 1st, just two more days to wait!  I'm so excited to see what you'll be getting and the fun things you'll make.  I'd love to hear what you're creating!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon