Flight & Airy Card Collection

Hello and happy Monday to you!   Do you ever get an idea rolling around in that brain of yours about a card idea that just percolates for a while?  Then all of a sudden, you've got a full-blown idea that you can't wait to try making?  That's what happened with today's grouping of cards.  I love the layout I'll be sharing with you today.  It's one that is a real stand-by layout for me, and it gets used often.  The premise of the layout all hinges on a 2" strip that goes down either side of the card.  From that point, the possibilities are truly endless depending on colors and DSP used.  I hope you enjoy the collection I have for you today.  I tried to stick with a small palette of colors and the Flight & Airy Designer Series Paper that is one of the awesome items you can earn free during Sale-a-bration.  Let's have a look and you can decide if you like this layout, especially with this DSP.

This is the collection of cards that I made yesterday.  All of them use the Flight & Airy DSP as the focal point of the card, but there are different sentiments, colors, die-cuts, and embellishments.  I chose all the colors by using the colors listed on the DSP.  Aren't they a wonderful mix of bright springy colors?  They look like they belong in a gift set, and that might be how they end up.  Or they might all be sent out individually.  Who knows?  Let's get started with the instructions for each individual card.

This one starts with a base of Misty Moonlight cardstock.  The layer of Flirty Flamingo cardstock measures 5 1/4" x 4".  The DSP print measures 2" x 5 1/4" and is attached near the left edge.  The bird is one of the Flight & Airy DSP sheets with all birds.  I fussy cut the entire sheet of birds and will continue to play with the individual birds adding them to cards as needed.  The fussy cutting was very easy as there wasn't very much detail.

The sentiment is from the Perennial Postage set.  It's stamped with Misty Moonlight ink onto a Basic White piece punched with the Heartfelt Hexagon Punch.

The leaves are all punched with the Bough Punch.  The green colors used are Garden Green, Soft Sea Foam, Shaded Spruce, Old Olive, and Lost Lagoon.  They are attached to the label with adhesive.  The label is attached to the card with Dimensionals.  The bird is added to this with Dimensionals also.  The gems are the Misty Moonlight color from the Tinsel Gems Three-Pack.

Next card starts with Boho Blue for the card base.  The layer is Misty Moonlight.  The DSP print is the same as the first and measures 5 1/4" x 2".  It's attached near the left edge.  

The focal point started with a label die-cut with the Perennial Postage set using Petal Pink.  It's attached flat with adhesive.  The same assortment of leaves is attached to the label with adhesive.  One of the birds from the collection was added over the leaves using Dimensionals.  

The sentiment is from Timeless Arrangements.   It's stamped with Misty Moonlight ink on a 1/2" wide strip of Basic White.  The Banner Pick A Punch was used to flag the ends.  It's attached with Dimensionals.  A double bow made from Linen Thread was tucked under the bird and is attached with a Mini Glue Dot.  The beautiful finish pieces are the pink pearls from the Blooming Pearls set. 

The next card in the series has a base of Flirty Flamingo cardstock.  The 2" strip of DSP is a different print than the others that I've used.  This is the back side of the blue print used in the next card.  It has a frame of Misty Moonlight cardstock surrounding it and attached with adhesive.  

A large circle was die-cut from Basic White cardstock.  It has a sentiment from the Perennial Postage set stamped with Misty Moonlight Ink.  The same collection of leaves was used with another bird attached with Dimensionals.  The circle was attached to the card with Dimensionals also.  

A double bow made from the Simply Elegant Trim was added to the sentiment area.  Three of the Misty Moonlight color gems from the Tinsel Gem Three-Pack were added to finish the card.

This is where my card designs changed, and I started adding the embossed background for added interest.  The card base on this one is Misty Moonlight.  The layer is Flirty Flamingo, and the DSP print is the blue background floral.  After attaching the DSP, the cardstock is embossed with the Softly Sophisticated Embossing Folder that is found in the Sale-a-bration brochure as a free combo item.  I love the delicate design it gives here!  Then it's attached to the folded card base.

The Heartfelt Hexagon Punch was used again, as was the Perennial Postage sentiment.  The same assortment of leaves were added to the sentiment.  The bird was attached to this with a Dimensional.  It's all attached to the card with Dimensionals.

A small double bow of Linen Thread was added under the sentiment with a Mini Glue Dot.  A trio of the new Iridescent Foil Gems was added to finish.

This card starts with a card base of Petal Pink.  It's embossed with the Timeworn Type Embossing Folder before adding any layers.  The 2" DSP is back to the pink floral.  It has a thin layer of Misty Moonlight cardstock behind is to frame it.

The large circle punch was used for the sentiment which is stamped with Misty Moonlight ink.  The same assortment of leaves was added.  It was attached to the card with Dimensionals, and a bird was added with Dimensionals also.  

A double bow of Linen Thread was added to the sentiment layer.  Three Iridescent Rhinestone Basic Jewels were added as an accent. 

The last card in this collection starts with Boho Blue cardstock for a base.  The layer is Calypso Coral this time with the 2" DSP layer attached to the left.  It's embossed with the Timeworn Type on both layers.  After embossing, they're attached to the card base with adhesive.  

The Perennial Postage dies were used to die-cut a Petal Pink label.  This is embossed with the 3D Basic cross-hatch embossing folder.  The assorted leaves are attached to this, then it's attached to the card front with Dimensionals.  The bird is added with Dimensionals..

The sentiment is from Timeless Arrangements and stamped with Boho Blue ink.  The ends are angle cut.  Then it's attached to the label with adhesive.

A double Linen Thread bow is added with a Mini Glue Dot.  Three Iridescent Rhinestone Basic Jewels were added to finish the card.

There you have six cards all made with the same basic layout and using most of the same pieces to assemble the cards.  What a pretty set of cards these turned out to be.  The different prints in the Flight & Airy Designer Series Paper pack are all gorgeous and easy to create with.  It was hard choosing what prints to work with.  I still have more ideas for cards using these items.  

I love how the mixture of different greens on the leaves add a lot of visual interest without taking away from the overall look.  I started making these cards with only Garden Green leaves, and it just didn't have the same appeal to me.  Once I planned to use more colors of leaves, I just punched a bunch of each color then picked through the stash to find what I wanted for each card.  So now I still have a stash of leaves and another of all the extra birds that I cut from that one sheet of DSP.  Ah, I see more cards in my future!  lol

Have fun creating your own cards with these ideas.  If you love this Flight & Airy DSP, place a $50 order so you can get the DSP for free.  It's only available through February 29th or until it's sold out, so don't delay on getting this.  It seems to be the most popular item in the Sale-a-bration brochure.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Softly Stippled Quick Card

Merry Monday to you!  What?  You don't think it's merry today?  When I start thinking about the wonderful items you can get free during Sale-a-bration, that definitely makes me feel merry.  Today's card is very simple and really showcases one the Sale-a-bration free DSP packs.  This one is called Softly Stippled and was made to coordinate with the Stipple Roses set found on page 64 in the new 2024 January-April Mini Catalog.  The prints and soft colors used on this DSP pack are really gorgeous and will make up into some lovely cards.  Today I'm pairing two of the prints along with some Pebbled Path cardstock to make this card.

Here's the project that I'm sharing today.  As you can see, it's pretty basic, but there are some fun changes that make it anything but boring.

To start, measure and cut a piece of Pebbled Path cardstock to 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  Cut 1" from the front edge, and score at 4 1/4" to make the card base.  Save the cut off piece for later.

Cut a piece of the floral print to measure 5 1/2" x 3".  This will fit nicely on the front flap.  Attach it with adhesive.  

Cut a 5 1/2" x 3/4" piece from another print from the set.  I chose to use a Calypso Coral print with tone-on-tone roses.  So pretty!  Attach this to the inside back of the card so the print rans along the edge with about 1/8" of cardstock showing on the right edge.

Let's do some die-cutting now.  With that 1" strip that was cut from the card base, die-cut the 2nd smallest tag from the Tailor Made Tags die set.  The die will just barely fit on the strip, but it works fine.  Also cut some Basic White cardstock using the smallest die in the set.

Stamp the sentiment from the Darling Details stamp set found on page 68 in the Annual Catalog.  This is stamped with Pebbled Path ink.  The two tags are held together with a Calypso Coral bit of ribbon from several years ago.  It's been so long, I'm not even going to guess how old this ribbon is, but it worked great here.  

There is a Dimensional between the two tags to hold in the position that I wanted.  Then the Pebbled Path tag was attached with adhesive to the card front.  Be sure you keep the adhesive only on the part that attaches to the card front, not the over-hang.

There is a piece of Basic White that's cut to fit inside the card for stamping a sentiment or writing your own thoughts.  It measures 5 1/2" x 3".  It's attached with adhesive inside the card.  Cutting the cardstock and DSP to the dimensions I gave; you'll end up with a strip of the card base showing through the inside of the card looking like another stripe.

Last picture that shows the little brown sequins attached to the card front.  These are from the Neutrals Adhesive-backed Sequins found on page 141 in the Annua Catalog.  I like how these sequins play off both the Pebbled Path and Calypso Coral tones of the card depending on how the light is hitting them.  Perfect finish!

Hope you enjoyed this simple card sample.  It really showcases this lovely Softly Stippled DSP.  I love it when the Sale-a-bration freebies are so versatile and truly in my kind of color palette.  This DSP is one of the items you can choose to receive free when you place an order of $50 or more.  Make sure you check out the Sale-a-bration brochure to see all the other possibilities for you!  If you don't have a brochure yet, or the new 2024 January -April Mini Catalog, please contact me and I'd be happy to mail one out to you.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Valentines Already?!

Well, I've been told that Christmas is over, and I need to move on and take down all the decorations.  Hmmm.  (grumpy face)  I'm not ready to take all the festive decorations down just yet.  But I can share a card I made today using some new products that will be available on January 4th.  Can't believe another year has pretty much come and gone and it's time to get myself a new calendar.  Really?  2024?  How can that be here already?  Since it is time, I got out some new items that caught my attention to see what I could do with them.  I used the new Adoring Hearts stamp set on page 18 of the new January - April 2024 Mini Catalog.  I liked the images, and the font used for the sentiments was really fun and sort of funky.  I added a Sale-a-bration item to the card to make it special.  Then added an embellishment that is a carryover from the Winter Mini Catalog to pull this card idea together.  Ready to give this one a try?  Let's get started.

I love red roses for Valentine's Day - not that I ever get them mind you!  There's just something so sweet and traditional about them.  Can you pick out all the new products used here?  Just about everything!

The card starts with a base of Basic White that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 2 1/8" and 4 1/4".  This makes a back-fold card base.  The layer after that is Calypso Coral that is 5 1/4" x 4".  Don't attach together yet.

The DSP is a wonderful Sale-a-bration freebie called Most Adored.  It's a 12" x 12" paper pack that has gold foil designs on one side and pink and red designs on the other side.  Looked perfect for Valentine's Day to me.  There are two pieces of the red plaid design cut.  One is 5 1/4" x 1 1/2" for an accent piece inside the card and one at 5" x 3 3/4" for the front.  (I cut both pieces at the 5 1/4" length and then just trimmed off 1/4" from the front layer.)  The larger piece of DSP was attached to the Calypso Coral layer with adhesive.

A length of Silver and White Sheer Ribbon was wrapped around the two layers and tied into a small bow on the right side.  At this point, I used two strips of Tear & Tape to attach the layers to the fold-back part of the card base.  Make sure your adhesive is only where it attaches on the fold-back area, so it doesn't seal the card closed by accident.

Next the focal piece of Basic White cardstock was die-cut using the Everyday Detail Dies.  You can find these on page 28 of the New Mini Catalog.  I love the clean, bold lines of these new dies!  Very striking and fun to play with, don't you think?  The rose bouquet from the Adoring Hearts set was stamped angled at the top to give me space in the bottom corner for the sentiment.  The roses were stamped with Basic Gray ink.  The sentiment is stamped in Real Red ink.

Coloring the roses, I used Stampin' Blends - Real Red Light and Dark, Shaded Spruce Light and Dark, and Pecan Pie for the stem.

The layer is attached over the ribbon towards the left side of the card front using Dimensionals to give it some definition.  

The sentiment inside the card is also from the Adoring Hearts set.  It's stamped with Real Red ink.

The last bits to finish the card sort of surprised me.  After trying a bunch of different embellishments, I added three of the 2022-2024 In Color Pearls.  The Sweet Sorbet pearls looked really nice with the reds and Calypso Coral layer too.  Who would have guessed?  

I think this card will be perfect for my hubby, not too frilly with clean lines.  I need to pack it away until then, so he won't see it sitting out on my worktable.  Then, the big trick will be to see if I remember it come Valentine's Day and can find it!  

That's all I've got for you today.  Hope you had a very blessed Christmas celebrating the birth Jesus.  We had a few sickies with colds that were keeping their distance.  Other than the fact that I forgot to get out the grandsons' stocking stuffers and I still have them, everything was relaxing and fun.  

If you haven't received your new mini catalog yet, please let me know so another can be sent.  Any questions about ordering and Sale-a-bration, please get in touch with me.  I'd me very happy to help you with anything.  Wishing you a creative new year!  

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Love That Friendly Hello

 Hi there!  So glad you've stopped by for a short read.  Both today and tomorrow, I'll be sharing cards that use the Friendly Hello Stamp Bundle from the 2022 January & February Sale-a-bration brochure.  Yes, I know I've shared something already using this bundle, and I've made several cards that I've popped in the mail for friends that you haven't even seen.  I'm just having trouble putting this bundle down.  Since this is February 1st, that means there are only 28 more days that you can get this for yourself.  When you place a $100 order, you can choose this bundle as your free Sale-a-bration item.  The stamps are both solid and line-art, and there are 3 sentiments that are becoming favorites of mine.   And the Friendly Hello Designer Series Paper is just too wonderful for words.  I hate to get too mushy-mushy, but I really do like these prints and colors.  Just perfect for my taste.  Here's the card for today...

This is my first Easter card for the year.  I wanted to make the DSP the main focus on this card.  The print with the bird would be the perfect piece to use.  I actually cut two pieces of this with the bird front and center.  I'll share the other card tomorrow.

Pool Party cardstock was the card base used here.  It's cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half.  The next layer is Basic White cut at 5 1/4" x 4".  The layer of Friendly Hello Designer Paper is cut at 5" x 3 3/4". These pieces are all layered together and attached with adhesive for a more streamlined look.

Before layering together, Stampin' Blends were used on the bird very lightly to enhance the color already there.  Pool Party Light, Pale Papaya Light, and Crumb Cake Light were used to make the bird and branch images stand out just a bit more.

These pastel colors put me in mind of spring, so I thought this would make a nice Easter card.  The sentiment is from the Celebrating You set in the January thru June 2022 Mini Catalog on page 65.  That is a wonderful stamp set that has sentiments for everything but the fall and winter holidays.  This is definitely a keeper!  The sentiment was stamped on Basic White cardstock using Shaded Spruce ink.  It was punched out with the Double Oval Punch.  The scalloped oval part of the punch was then used on Pool Party cardstock to provide a nice frame for the sentiment.

There is a 1" strip of the Pool Party and White print from the Friendly Hello DSP added to the lower portion of the card.  It has the ends punched with the Banners Pick a Punch before attaching with adhesive.   This makes a good base for the sentiment focal point. 

Before adding the punched sentiment, it needed some kind of greenery around it.  The new Bough Punch from the January thru June 2022 Mini Catalog on page 26 looked to be the right size.  I punched out two sprigs of the larger one from Soft Succulent cardstock, and two of the smaller ones from Soft Sea Foam.  Though these two colors aren't technically part of the color array in the DSP, I thought they blended nicely with this very soft looking card.  These sprigs were attached between the Basic White oval and the scalloped oval that is Pool Party.  Then the whole sentiment bundle was attached to the card front with Dimensionals.

Of course, the card needed some bling at this point.  The new Iridescent Rhinestone Jewels were my first choice for this pastel card.  The iridescence of the jewels picks up whatever color they are next to.  Some have a peachier look going on and some look more pinkish or lavender.  Just simply gorgeous! Gotta say these are definitely my go-to bling at the moment.

So last thoughts... Don't forget to check out the Friendly Hello Bundle in the January-February Sale-a-Bration brochure.  It's a real winner and so versatile.  I'll have another version of this card tomorrow so you can see how just a few changes will give you an entirely different card.  That is part of what I like about stamping.  Every time you sit down to create something, even when using most of the same products, you can create something totally new and beautiful.  You don't have to own half of the catalog yourself.  (oops, did I say that out loud??)  You can still create lovely projects that are different each time and uniquely you.

Have a happy creative day!

Sharon

Last Hooray for Counting Sheep

Happy Fall ya'all!     Here it is down to the last two days of Sale-a-bration and I realized I hadn't shared anything that I made with the Counting Sheep stamp set and dies that were two of the Sale-a-bration free items.  How could I have forgotten to do that?  So I must remedy that mistake right now!

This is just a crazy, fun stamp and coordinating die set.  I wasn't sure if I would get it at first, but those silly sheep just kept telling me they wanted to party and not to forget about them.  Once I got the set, I found myself making funny cards and mailing them out.  Of course I forgot to take pictures first, so I had to quick make up one to share before it's too late.

I wanted to make a happy, bright, and sunny card for my friend's birthday.  So let's start out with a nice, bright card base.  This is Mango Melody cardstock cut at 8 1/2" x 4 1/4", scored and folded in half.  I had some Very Vanilla cardstock that I'd been playing around with Blending Brushes and Daffodil Delight and Pumpkin Pie ink.  I thought a piece of that would be good for a backdrop for some frolicking sheep.  This was cut at 5" x 3 3/4" and attached to the card base with adhesive.

The fence is part of the matching dies and I die-cut one from some Early Espresso cardstock.  It was attached to the card front using adhesive, except on the top rung, so a sheep could be tucked under it just a bit.  

The sheep were stamped with Basic Gray ink onto Basic White cardstock, and so was the party hat.  There's just a little coloring done with Stampin' Blends:  Smoky Slate Light and Dark, Mango Melody Dark, and Daffodil Delight Light.  Next was die-cutting the two sheep and party hat.  The two different clouds were cut from Basic White cardstock, and the sun is from Daffodil Delight cardstock.

After deciding on placement of the die-cut pieces, I stamped  the sentiment with Basic Gray ink in the left corner.  The one sheep was attached with adhesive tucking in it's back leg behind the fence.  The other sheep was attached with Dimensionals over the edge of the fence and out beyond the edge of the layer.

The sun was attached up near the top of the layer using adhesive.  The larger cloud was attached over the bottom of the sun using adhesive.  Then the smaller cloud was attached with Dimensionals over the bottom edge of the first cloud and hanging over the side edge of the layer.  The party hat was attached with a Mini Dimensional making it look like it was flying off the sheep's head.

Inside the card is a layer of Basic White cardstock cut 5" x 3 3/4".  Both the third sheep of the group and the sentiment was stamped with Basic Gray ink.  And that pretty much is it.  There's no bling on the card because it just didn't look right to me.  I could be wrong on that, but the sheep weren't insistent that they needed some bling.  So I went with their decision.

Just wanted to plug another reminder about the end of Sale-a-bration in case you still were on the fence about that.    I know some of you have been getting in those orders in the last few days and I thank you immensely!

In case you were wondering where the Host Code information went on this card, I'm implementing a change on my blog.  Up in the top right corner, you'll always see the current host code from now on.  I hope this helps doing it this way so no one else is trying to use a code that is no longer available.  Please always check up on top for the current code.  Thanks for hanging with me while I try to make it easier for all of us.

Enjoy the lovely cooler weather.  I love autumn when the days are still lovely and the nights are cooler.  Still waiting for the leaves outside my window to start in with the gorgeous color change.  I hope that still happens here.  That's one of my favorite things about fall!  (along with the cider and cinnamon doughnuts too!!)

Happy hugs and spicy wishes!

Sharon
  

Nature's Harvest Card

Hi there!  Glad you stopped by today.  I want to share a card idea with you that I think is just lovely.  My friend Ruth shared this idea with me and I fell in love with the soft colors used and how easy it really was to make this card.  You can always take the basics of this idea, change the colors and/or DSP, and come up with a card that looks nothing like this one. That's one of the real joys of making your own cards to share with family and friends - making small changes on an idea that totally changes the card into a really different look.

Since I like pastels, could there be a better card for me?  I don't think so.  This one's just about perfect.  I started with a card base of Very Vanilla cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.  Next there is a layer of Very Vanilla cardstock cut at 5 1/4" x 4".  This was embossed with the Macrame 3D Embossing Folder.  I really like the texture of this embossing folder.  It's very deeply textured and gives a really nice look.  This was attached to the folded card base with Multi Purpose Liquid Glue.  This is my adhesive of choice whenever I have a deeply embossed layer that I don't want to pop up with Dimensionals.  The adhesive gets in the grooves and holds very securely.

The next layer is also Very Vanilla that was die-cut with the Scalloped Contours Dies using the 2nd largest size. This was set aside to get everything together and ready before attaching to the card.

The layer of DSP is cut from the Harvest Meadow Designer Series Paper.  This paper is Soft Succulent in color and has a mottled finish with what looks like writing all across it.  So pretty all by itself!  This was cut at 2 5/8" x 3 3/4".  It was then cut in thirds to make each piece 1 1/4" x 2 5/8".  These strips were spread out on the die-cut Vanilla piece to fit evenly inside the stitching lines.  They were attached with Multi Purpose Liquid Glue.

The silhouette daisy was die-cut from Very Vanilla cardstock using the Harvest Dies.  The die gives just a little bit of texture to the flower when it's cut as an added bonus.  To really add some bling to this very subtle card, I die-cut the 'wheat' looking stems from the Sale-a-bration Be Dazzling glitter paper.  I love the almost mirror-like larger glitter pieces on this paper.  It just makes it so striking!   Even though the stems were so skinny, I had no trouble cutting it very cleanly.   After determining the placement, it was attached to the layer using Multi Purpose Liquid Glue.  The Vanilla die-cut daisy was also attached with the Liquid Glue.

I chose to use the pretty Soft Succulent 3/8" Open Weave Ribbon on this card to blend with all the lovely pastel colors.  It was wrapped around and then tied in a knot near the bottom.  The whole layer was then attached to the card front using Dimensionals.

I chose not to add a sentiment at this time.  This is such a pretty card, I wasn't sure where I'd be wanting to use it, birthday, anniversary, even a sympathy card.  This way I can always add a sentiment to the front later, or choose not to use one at all and just write a note inside.  Definitely my style of card!  A big thank you Ruth for sharing this stunning card idea with me so I could share my version of it with all of you!

Just want to give a big thanks to all of you who have placed an order with me during the month of September.  There are only a few more shopping days left to take part in the Sale-a-bration sale!  I know we all love getting a bargain!  When you place a $50 order with me, you may choose one of the lovely Sale-a-bration items.  There are also some great items you can get free when your order is $100 or more.  Don't let the sale pass you by!

NOTE:  I just noticed today that the Be Dazzling glitter paper is already gone!  Boo Hoo!  It was my favorite!  But there's many great items left to choose from.  But hurry before more of them are also gone.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Hope you like this simple but gorgeous card.  Try changing up the colors, or DSP, or die-cut images and see what you come up with.  Probably a masterpiece!

Happy creating!

Sharon

Nature's Harvest with Blending Brushes

Hi there!  Happy Sunday to you.  Hope you've been able to spend time in worship today.  It's the perfect way to start off your week with your focus trained back on God's grace again.  Always need the reminder and always a blessing.      Today I want to share a card I made a couple of weeks ago to share with friends in Michigan.  It makes use of the awesome Blending Brushes that I really adore to do all the soft coloring!  So it's a win-win for me-pastel looks and so easy to make!

I can't get over how much I like the look of the colors softly blended on the die-cut images.  It always surprises me when I get something this wonderful just by blending ink onto cardstock and then die-cutting an image!  It's just like magic to me!

This card started with a strip of Very Vanilla cardstock, Bumblebee and Pumpkin Pie inks, and a Blending Brush.  I was just playing around with the colors adding in splotches all over, but not covering in totally.  I added in some Old Olive splotches to stay with sort of harvest-type colors, but it just wasn't right yet.  I added some Blackberry Bliss smudges in the last open areas to finish it.  I still wasn't sure what I would do with it.  

I had planned on using the Gorgeous Leaves stamps and Dies for making a card, but the colors just didn't seem bold enough for that. In fact, it looked pretty boring.  Then I remembered the Harvest Dies and thought I'd try die-cutting some of those shapes to see how they looked.  I had just read an article about putting packing tape (!) over the blended colors to make them shiny and brighter, so I had to try that too.  Oh my goodness!  It's so pretty!

Can you really see how gorgeous those blended colors are together?  Now that the 'pretties' were made, it was time to figure out a card that would showcase them.  I figured I'd use Blackberry Bliss cardstock to match the ink, but found that the Rich Razzleberry cardstock blended much nicer with the flowers.  So that's the card base, cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and scored at 4 1/4".  The next layer is Old Olive cut at 5 1/4" x 4".  This was die-cut in the center with the Stitched Rectangle Dies to make a 1" frame around the center opening.  At this point, it was embossed with the Subtle 3D Embossing Folder that is retired.  I liked the look of just a little extra texture it gives the finished card.

It needed a little more brightness to it, so a Stitched So Sweetly scalloped rectangle was cut from Very Vanilla cardstock, then a Stitched Rectangle Die slightly larger than the last one was used to cut a skinny frame of Vanilla to layer onto the card.  

Before putting the pieces together, I die-cut one of the long skinny stems from Early Espresso cardstock to give the flower bundle a little more fullness.  The look of them together was too dark, so I tried a branch from the same die set cut from the Sale-a-bration free Be Dazzling glitter paper.  This was the perfect bit to brighten the whole card up!  This glitter paper is made with larger pieces of glitter so you have an almost mirror effect going on.  Quite striking!

Working with the two frames that weren't attached yet, the pieces were put together in a pleasing look and attached behind the Very  Vanilla frame on the bottom, but overlapped on the top and sides.  After the pieces were all attached, the Very Vanilla frame was attached to the Old Olive frame using Multi Purpose Liquid Glue.  This was all attached to the card front using the Liquid Glue also. 

The inside of the card has a layer of Old Olive with another layer of Very Vanilla  on top of that.   At this time there are no sentiments either on the front or the inside of the card.  Since it looks quite generic,  I can add a sentiment to fit the occasion when I'm ready to use it.

Just wanted to add one more picture to show you the detain that is embossed in the image when you die-cut it.  It's very subtle, but just adds an extra touch of specialness when it's finished!  To me this card not only has visual appeal with the mix of fall colors and the stitching and die-cuts, but it has 'touch' appeal too.  I find myself touching the different textures, from the embossed Old Olive layer, to the embossing on the flower and the almost 'grittiness' of the glitter paper.  I love to pick up a card and not just see but feel all the different textures.  That makes it a real win in my estimation..

Ok, that's it for this post.  I added a few extra pictures this time around.  I hope they give you a real feel for this card.

If you're ordering yet in September, please use the Host Code shown here.  I really appreciate your order.  It's been a real blessing having you still order from me even though I've moved away.  I'm so grateful for the internet and phones so we can still be in touch.  

Reminder:  Sale-a-bration only runs through the end of September!  Time is running out for taking advantage of earning free items!

Hope you're enjoying this slightly cooler weather as we slide a little closer to fall.  I'm curious to find out how fall in South Carolina compares to the fabulous and colorful fall days in Michigan!

Make sure you find some time to relax and be creative.  It's really a good way to rejuvenate your spirit and make yourself happy.

Many Hugs,

Sharon

Sparkling Star Card

Hi Ladies, hope you're all doing well.  Today I wanted to share an easy way to show off the lovely Designer Papers we have at Stampin'Up!  Do you often have trouble deciding which print you want to show off because you like them both?  All too often I find myself with that dilemma where either could work equally well on a card, but which to use?  So why not show them both?  This little trick is super simple and gives you a nice layout to work with too.

Both of the prints shown here are from the Tidings of Christmas Designer Series Paper.  In fact, they come from the same piece of paper!  Here you've got the front and back showing (not sure which one is front and which one is back though).  And don't they coordinate perfectly?

To make this card, start with an 11" x 4 1/4" piece of Cherry Cobbler cardstock that is scored at 5 1/2" and folded in half.  One of the colors listed for the Tidings of Christmas DSP in Soft Succulent, so that is what I chose for the first layer.  This was cut at 4" x 5 1/4" and set aside for a minute.

The DSP print that I chose was cut to 3 3/4" x 6".  Since this paper is from a 6" x 6" paper pack I left it that long.  I ripped off a section of the paper about  2" -2 1/2" from the bottom,  Make sure you check both sides of your printed paper to make sure you're following the direction of the print if there is one!  Believe me, that's really important!  

I attached the bottom piece near the bottom edge lining up the three edges with about 1/8" of the Soft Succulent cardstock showing.  This was attached with adhesive.  Then the top piece was positioned to match up the top and sides evenly.  You'll notice you have about 1" of overlay.  That is as planned in case you rip unevenly, you don't want the base color showing through. 

At this point, I wrapped a length of the 3/8" Evening Evergreen Sheer Ribbon around and tied in a knot off to the side.  The whole thing was attached to the folded Cherry Cobbler card base using Dimensionals to give some lift.

I knew I wanted to die-cut the star from the Christmas Trimming Dies from the Be Dazzling Sale-a-bration 6" x 6" glittering paper that's free.  I hoped it would look fabulous, and it sure did!  I tried the Soft Succulent cardstock behind the star and it just looked sort of blah. I then debated between the Evening Evergreen and the Cherry Cobbler cardstocks, and you can see that the Evening Evergreen won out.  I just love the contrast between the dark green and the glitzy, almost sequin-like paper.  You absolutely have to see this to really appreciate it!  I had layered the Be Dazzling paper onto a piece of the Adhesive Sheet before die-cutting so I could easily attach it to the Evening Evergreen die-cut star.  So gorgeous, but so easy to just peel the backing off and stick it on!  The star was then attached to the card front using Dimensionals.

Lastly was the sentiment from the Tidings and Trimmings set.  The 'noel' was stamped on a Basic White scrap using Evening Evergreen ink.  It was die-cut out using smallest of the Stitched So Sweetly Dies.  Love the little scallop edge and stitch lines.  This was attached over the ribbon using Dimensionals.

It needed a little more something, so I die-cut two Evening Evergreen holly leaves from the Christmas Trimmings Dies.  It already has the vein line in the holly leaves so that gave it extra character.   For bling, I added three of the little Real Red Rhinestones for holly berries.  Just right.

So remember, if you want to use two sides of your Designer Series Paper on a card front, this is an easy way to do it.  Cut it longer than you need!  Then rip it, flip it, and attach one side over the other.  Easy peasy.

The first month of Sale-a-bration is almost over!  Boy, time sure flies.  Don't wait to take advantage of the free items available to you.  For every $50 you spend, you can choose one of the $50 ones.  For the larger ones, you need to place a $100 order.  Any way you choose to do it, it's fun getting something for free!  And there are lots of fabulous choices for you.  

If you're placing an order this month, please use the host code shown here.  You know I appreciate all you've been doing for me!

Happy creating and stamping with many hugs,

Sharon

Mountain Air - Take 2

 Hi all.  Just a quick update.  When I shared the Mountain Air card the other day, I mentioned that I had used a 4 1/4" square of the Sale-a-bration Peaceful Prints Designer Series Paper.  And yes, it is free!  Anyway, I told you I had cut the DSP at an angle and used half on the card I shared.  Just wanted to share with you the other half of the DSP,  namely the backside of it, and the same card with a little change added.

See, basically the same card using the same stamps, cardstock, ink, etc.  It looks a little different using the snowflake-over-plaid Designer Series Paper, which I really like.  Maybe even more than the first version.

But I couldn't leave well enough alone.  I had the scraps left over from the black glitter paper that the center trees were die-cut from.  It was just too pretty to waste.  So I took the tiny star from the Christmas Trimmings Die set, and cut as many stars as possible from the scraps.  Now I have a tidy pile of stars for future use.  The Black Glitter Paper already had the Adhesive Sheets I had put on the back, so it was easy to peel and stick a few on.  Did I get carried away with the number of stars?  Not sure.  I keep going back and forth about that number, but they're on there now, so I guess they're staying.  

Here's a little more of a close-up of the Black Glitter Paper tree and stars.  The paper seems difficult to photograph and really show how pretty it is.  Guess it's just too subtle for my camera  As far as I can tell though, it does look gorgeous on the actual card, so I'll be using touches of it here and there quite often.  I usually go for the more subtle look on cards, so this is right up my creative alley!

Keep playing around with your stamping 'toys'.  It definitely is more fun than therapy!  I'll be back with more ideas shortly.  Stay tuned!

If you're placing an order yet this month to get those Sale-a-bration freebies, don't forget to please use the Host Code shown here.  I really appreciate you wonderful ladies.  I'm already working on goodies to send you next month as a thank you.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Gorgeous Delicate Dahlias

 Hi all!  So glad you've stopped by today.  I just got my new Sale-a-bration free set called Delicate Dahlias and I've got to tell you that I am impressed.  This is a two-step set that's just lovely, and the detail is simply awesome.  On the cards I want to share today, I didn't even use the outline stamps, just the more solid stamps.  And they certainly aren't lacking in any kind of detail.  Let me show you what I mean...

Aren't these cards just absolutely beautiful?  I'm so pleased with how they turned out.  As you can see, I couldn't decide which way to use my favorite color combo, so I made the cards both ways.  I just love the combo of Pale Papaya and Mint Macaron, so I tend to grab those colors a lot.  Hope you're not tired of them yet, because I'll probably be using them for a good long while.  *grins*

For the first card, Mint Macaron in the card base that's cut at 11" x 4 1/4" and scored at 5 1/2".  This is a slightly different way of using that size - usually the card is a top fold, but I put the fold on the side instead.  I added a 1 1/2" strip of the same color, but used a Blending Brush and Mint Macaron ink to add some soft shading on all the edges of it.  Then I ran it through my Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine with the Meadow Moments Embossing Folder.  This was attached to the cardfront about 1/2" from the left edge using MultiPurpose Liquid Glue.  I wrapped a length of Soft Succulent Open Weave Ribbon around the center of this and tied it into a pretty bow.

For the stamping, I chose Pale Papaya ink and stamped the Dahlia in the center of the 3 1/2" square Basic White cardstock piece.  I added two of the 3 leaf stems to this using Mint Macaron ink.  The sentiment was stamped with the Mint Macaron ink also.  I wanted to add a couple of the pretty smaller flowers to fill in, and decided on Pumpkin Pie ink.  Love how that turned out.  And can you see all the detail on those little flowers?  Oh my, just fabulous!  There's a tiny little leaf in the set also, so those were stamped around the smaller flowers.  The edge of the cardstock have color very lightly added with the Blending Brush and Mint Macaron ink.  Then a layer of Pale Papaya cardstock, cut at 3 1/2" square, was layered behind this.  Dimensionals popped it up from the card base.

For the Pale Papaya version of this card, the cardstock is cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and scored at 4 1/2".  The extra strip of cardstock on the front of this card is only 1" and embossed with the Checks & Dots Embossing Folder.  It's also been shaded on the edges with the Blending Brush and Pale Papaya ink.  This time a Pale Papaya Open Weave ribbon was tied around and a bow added with a Mini Glue Dot.

The stamping on this one is all the same as the first one.  The sentiment ended up in a different corner because it seemed to fit better there.  Again it has Mint Macaron ink softly added to the edges with the blending Brushes.  Mint Macaron is the layer behind and was attached with Dimensionals.  The little rhinestone on each card is from the 2021-2023 In Color Jewels.  I used the Soft Succulent color on each card.  

Ok, that was fun.  But I didn't want to stop there yet.  I wanted to try it out using bolder, brighter, sort of fall looking colors.  Here's the next versions...

I think these turned out beautifully!  It's basically the same pieces for the main part of the card and a few tweaks when putting them together.  

The Basic White cardstock piece on both of these was a smidge bigger - 3 1/2" square with backings of either Old Olive or Pumpkin Pie that is 3 3/4" square.  I didn't add any embossing or coloring to the strips of cardstock used as accents on the Daffodil Delight card base. The colors of ink used for stamping on these was Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, and Old Olive.

On these two cards, I added three smaller flowers to each instead of only two like the first version.  Since the cardstock was bigger, I felt it would fill the space better.  Also, I switched up the wording and used the Biggest Wish hello stamped in Old Olive ink to make a card to use at any time.

These two cards also used the 2021-2023 In Color Jewels, but in the Pale Papaya color as accents.  Each card here used three of these lovely jewels.

Ok, there you have it - my soft pastel version and the bolder, bright summer or fall look.  Which do you like better?  Lots to choose from here.  And it's wonderful that the Delicate Dahlias is a stamp set that you can choose for free when you spend $100 or more on your next order.  I have a feeling that this one is going to be one of my favorites and I've just barely started in on what can be done with this set.

If you're planning on ordering in August (and who wouldn't with Sale-a-bration going on!) please use the Host Code on the left.  I greatly appreciate it.  And for those of you who've already ordered this month, Thank You So Much!

Make sure you keep an eye on how much you spend to maximize your Sale-a-bration freebies!  I don't want you missing out on anything special!

Just wanted to mention that we had a great time in Charleston and saw so many interesting things.  But there wasn't near enough time and we're going to have to make time for another short trip.  We didn't even get to go on one of the 'ghost tours' and we really want to try that!  Maybe in October closer to Halloween??  Anyway, it's good to be back and creating again.  I'm all revved up with some great ideas I'm looking forward to sharing with you.  Come back again soon!

Happy stamping and creating!

Sharon

Last Minute Sneak Peek

 Hi everyone!  So excited today.  Yeah, I know - today's the August 3rd so it's not a sneak peek anymore. Just got a little confused there for a minute as I'm getting this set up to post ahead of time.  By the time you're reading this, we'll be in Charleston doing a little sight-seeing for a couple of days.  This is someplace I always thought would be an interesting place to visit, so yes! I'm really excited to be going.  Oh but, that's not really what you're here for today, is it?  Ok, I do have some new goodies on cards to share with you today.  They use both a new stamp set and a Sale-a-bration freebie!  In case you haven't figured it out yet, I thoroughly love those little penguins and friends on the Penguin Playmates Designer Paper!  And it's even free!  Yes, I'm just a little bit excited here.  And talk about taking a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, and then throwing everything together,  That is exactly what ended up happening with these cards.  

When I was planning this card, I couldn't decide on which of the two cardstock colors to use, so I just went ahead and made two.  You can never have too many Christmas cards, right?  These cards each used a strip of Designer Series Paper that is 5 1/4" x 2".  I switched back and forth between Fresh Freesia and Soft Succulent for the card base and the accent strips.  Both of those colors are listed as matches on the Penguin Playmates paper, so either should work just fine.

On the top one, I started with Soft Succulent cardstock, cut in half and folded in half.  Next a layer of Basic White cardstock to build the card on is cut at t 5 1/4" x 4".  Figuring out the placement of the sentiment, I stamped the HAPPY from the Biggest Wish stamp set using Fresh Freesia ink.  It worked out great using the Stamparatus for this in case the word didn't get quite enough ink (which is exactly what happened).   Then I lined up the Merry Christmas from the new Sparkle of the Season stamp onto the Stamparatus for stamping right over the happy.  I had to carefully ink up only the Christmas to get the look I wanted.

After getting the stamping out of the way, the strip of Penguin Playmates paper is attached at the bottom of the white cardstock layer.  A strip of Fresh Freesia cardstock cut 5 1/4" x 3/4" is attached right above the DSP layer.

For accents, I thought snowflakes would be perfect, so I dug out the So Many Snowflake dies that are a carry-over from last year.  I really liked the smaller detailed snowflake for this, so I die-cut three from both the Soft Succulent and the Fresh Freesia cardstocks deciding which ones to use.  Since I made two cards, I just decided to use the color that matched the card base.

Even though the cards are basically the same, because of the color switching they tend to look somewhat different.  The real difference between the two are the type of bling that was added.  On the first card, I used the retired Artistry Blooms sequins in a really light blue shade on the snowflakes.  For the Fresh Freesia one, I used Opal Rounds in the center of the snowflakes.  Again, a different look, but both are pretty.  It really is worth it to check in your stash of goodies every once in awhile to see what's hanging out there and could be used on that project you're in the middle of.  *grin*

Now I have three more cards to share with this same layout.  This one is actually the first one made.  I wanted to use the Biggest Wish set and play around with it a bit.  Loved how this one turned out, so kept on coming up with more cards.

This uses a Poppy Parade cardstock base, You're A Peach DSP, Old Olive cardstock strip, White Crinkled Seam Binding, and Poppy Parade and Petal Pink ink pads. 

This version uses a card base of Pool Party cardstock, with a 1 3/4" strip of Bird Ballad DSP (miss it so much!), a 1" strip of Old Olive cardstock, and the White Crinkle Seam Binding again.  The ink used are Pool Party and Old Olive.  Totally different look.

Lastly, this has a card base of Poppy Parade again with a 2" strip of the retired Peaceful Poppies DSP.  I also used the 3/4" strip of Old Olive on this card.  The ribbon in Mossy Meadow striped was used to give a darker definition between the layers.  The ink colors are Poppy Parade and Flirty Flamingo.

Whew!  That was a lot of sharing today.  Hope you see how you can take a simple card layout and do so many different things with it.  Just change out the colors, DSP, ribbons, wording, etc and you can use the layout over and over again - even for Christmas cards!

Ok, that's it for today.  I've probably got you on total overload right now.  But I just want to remind you, if you're placing an order this month, please use the Host Code shown here.  And yes, you can order from the new catalog today!  And don't forget to choose your free Sale-a-bration item(s) that you qualify for.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me  Even though I'll be in Charleston, I'll still have my phone with me.  *grins*

Happy shopping, creating, and stamping,,,,,

Hugs,

Sharon