More Translucent Florals

 Hello friends!  What a glorious day it is outside.  Blue skies with puffy white clouds, lots of sunshine, and warm weather too.  What the heck am I doing inside?  Well, I figured it had been a while since my last post, so here I am.  I was so happy to see that the Translucent Florals stamp set and matching dies will be in the new Annual Catalog.  But the pretty designer paper that matches it will not.  So, I have this last little hurrah for the DSP to share with you.

Besides being beautiful, one of the things I liked about the paper was that some of the flowers could easily be die cut for a quick card.  This card has both a die-cut paper flower and one that I stamped to use.  I think they blended well together to give me a fuller look.  (I was running out of flowers to cut from the DSP!)

I started with a Basic White cardstock base that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.  The DSP print piece measures 5" x 3 3/4".  It's attached to a Berry Burst cardstock piece that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  They are attached together with adhesive.  Then they're attached to the card base using Dimensionals.

The Blackberry Bliss flower along with the two leaves are from the DSP.  They're cut with the matching die.  The Berry Burst flower is stamped on Basic White and die-cut.  There are two single leaves and one double leaf set that are stamped onto Basic White cardstock.  All of the leaves are a mix of Granny Apple Green and Shaded Spruce inks.  The stamps were inked with the Granny Apple Green and then rolled gently on one edge into the Shaded Spruce ink.  This gives you the two colors that blended into each other.

The little open-work flower stems are a die-cut from the Darling Details set of dies.  I used the Soft Shimmer Specialty Paper Combo Pack.  This is in the retiring catalog, but I just checked and it's still available.  Two of the stems were die-cut from the Berry Burst color of glimmer paper, but only one of the Bubble Bath color.  The Bubble Bath stem was cut in two to make two small accents.

One more punched accent was added to the mix.  The Bough Punch was used to punch three of the flower bud stems.  For this I used Shaded Spruce cardstock.

The sentiment is from the Softly Sophisticated stamp set from Sale-a-bration.  I really like these sentiments, so I'm still using them even though they're not available.  The die used to cut the Basic White label is from the Thoughtful Expressions die set.  The sentiment is stamped on this with Gray Granite ink.

After all the pieces were ready to put together, I played around with the pieces to get something that was pleasing to me.  Both of the flowers and the sentiment are all attached with Dimensionals.  The extra leaves, flower bud stems, and shimmer flower stems were all tucked in around this and attached with adhesive.  

As a final accent to the card, I added three of the Glossy Dots in the Melon Mambo color to the design.  

There you have today's card idea.  I love the small floral print on the DSP as an accent for the larger flowers in the focal images.  I wish more of these items were carrying over to the new catalog, but I'm sure I'll find comparable new items to choose instead.  Hope you like this idea with so many old products that were used.  If you check your stash, you probably have most if not all of these items.  Yes, it's time to get them out and play with them while you still remember you have them!  If you're like me, you tend to play with the new goodies and forget about the good old standbys that were your favorites.  Next post, we'll go totally new - new colors, stamps & dies, embellishments.  What fun!  It's interesting getting the feel for new colors and stamps.  Come back and see what I've been playing with!  You'll be able to order from the new Annual Catalog on May 1st!  Are you ready??

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Translucent Floral

Hello everyone.  Hope you're staying warm and dry today.  My grandsons have their season home opener baseball game for the school team today.  At this time, the weather is only 38 degrees and raining heavily.  Hmm, maybe March 1st isn't the perfect day for a baseball game.  We try to support the boys by going to games, but that's not happening today.  Of course, if we did drive to the game which is 45 minutes away, they'd probably cancel the game and we'd have made the trip for nothing.  Argh!  So, we'll stay snug and dry at home this afternoon.  Instead of worrying about the rain, let's talk about the Translucent Florals stamp set and dies that are carry-overs from the 2023 Sept - Dec Mini Catalog.  I really hadn't taken the time before Christmas to play with these, so I was happy they are a carry-over item.  Plus, the coordinating Delightful Florals Designer Series Paper is available as an Online Exclusive item.  It's so pretty that I decided to focus today's post on the DSP. 

Looking through the DSP prints, I noticed one that was covered with larger single flowers or clusters of flowers that could easily be fussy cut.  So, that was the start of this batch of cards.  There also were the tiny cluster of leaves in a darker green and a couple partial leaves from the cut edge that I also used.  After I had my pile of flowers and leaves cut out, it was time to design my card.

For this first card, I chose Fresh Freesia for the card base.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is folded in half to make a landscape style card.

When going through the DSP pack, I found this tiny floral print that is so cute.  I cut a strip of this 4" wide, then cut it at 5 1/4".  I cut two of these so I could use the other piece for another card.  

I love the embossing folder that was a free item during Sale-a-bration.  It has a lovely delicate design that I thought would enhance the design.  After embossing the DSP, it was attached to the folded card base with "green glue" (Tombow Multi Purpose Liquid Glue).

A focal point was created using the third largest die from the Scalloped Contours die set to cut a Basic White label.  This wasn't attached to the card until the flowers were all attached, and it was ready to go.

The sentiment is from the Sale-a-bration Softly Sophisticated set.  I certainly hope you were able to get this stamp set and embossing folder bundle while it was available.  The font used on this set is pretty and feminine.  This time it was stamped with Blackberry Bliss ink to the right side.  The purple flower was attached with Dimensional and additional leaves were tucked under with a bit of adhesive on the bottom ends.  The daisy-type flower is die-cut with one of the Translucent Flowers dies from the backside of the scraps left over from cutting out all the flowers from the DSP.  The daisy is attached to the card with Mini Glue Dots.  It was also used between the two layers.  

The label was attached to the center of the card front using Dimensionals.   There are three gems attached to the card front that are from the Tinsel Gems Three Pack.  This is the Fresh Freesia color.  I wanted a little bow added to the card but couldn't find anything current that I owned that matched the card.  So...  I have a retired Soft Sea Foam sheer ribbon that worked okay.  It's attached with Mini Glue Dots.  Sorry, there are so many retired items here, but you get the idea for the card.  I know many of you have different embellishments and DSP going back a good number of years, just like I do.  Save those items because you never know when you're going to need them.

On to the second version of this card.  For this one, I chose a different color from the DSP for the card base - Berry Burst.  Right away this gives the card more brightness and spunk.  

This time I did not use the embossing folder on the DSP.  It's just directly attached to the folded card base. 

For this card, I used the second largest die from the Scalloped Contours die set. So, the label is a little bigger and leaves a smaller edge of the DSP showing.  The label was cut from the Basic White cardstock.  The same sentiment is stamped in the top right corner using Berry Burst ink to coordinate with the card base.

This time a flower cluster from the DSP was fussy cut for the card.  I love how these colors all blend together and pick up the mini flowers on the print layer.  The flower cluster is attached to the bottom of the white label using Dimensionals.

At this time, I used a water brush with a little Pretty Peacock ink and spattered lightly over the white background and the flowers.  I liked how this gave a subtle addition of color to all the white space.

The label is attached to the center of the card front using Dimensionals.  

The new Purple Fine Shimmer Gems were used on this card as accents.  These are the berry-colored gems from the pack.  So pretty with the card.

The card needed just a pop of something contrasting to pull it all together.  After trying several ribbon and twine options, I settled on the Black & White Gingham Ribbon to make a small bow.  It's attached with Mini Glue Dots.

Looking at these cards side-by-side, it surprises me how much a few color changes will make on a card.  I like them both, but maybe I like the berry card just a little more.  That pop of ribbon really sets it off.  Maybe I need to rethink the ribbon on the Fresh Freesia card.  Any suggestions?

Thanks for hanging out together with me on this cold and rainy day.  It's so much better spending time with friends.  Check back in a few days so I can show you the new Online Exclusives that will be available.  There are some truly awesome items that I can't wait to get my hands on.  Seems like the deliveries are getting slower each time I order!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Gorgeous Garden and Bird Card

Hello, hello!  What a fabulous day today!  We had so much fun last night at "Groovy Grans".  Last night, I helped twenty-some ladies make the Valentine cards for the shut-ins from church.  Everything was cut, punched, stamped, and ready to put together.  Most of the ladies had never put a card together or even knew how to use a tape-runner or Dimensionals.  Oh boy!  The whole experience was interesting to say the least.  But everyone had fun and the cards were all made, signed, and in their envelopes by the time we were finished.  Many of them said how much fun it was, and they'd like to do this again some time.  What a wonderful feeling it is to introduce friends to the magical art of turning plain paper into beautiful cards!  

Anyway, let's get back to today's card.  Yesterday I shared the framed window card that has a die-cut window.  So, what do you do with those pieces you cut out?  There is absolutely nothing wrong with them.  In fact, they are wonderful labels that need a little love and should be used for something special.  Here's what I did with yesterday's leftovers.

Here's the finished card.  I think the softer Bubble Bath, purples, and greens on the card make a striking contrast to the Blueberry Bushel card base.  The look of this card just perks me right up.  To make this card, start with a piece of Blueberry Bushel cardstock that measures 5 1/2" x 8 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half. 

 A quarter sheet of Basic White cardstock was die-cut with the Gorgeous Garden dies.  After cutting, a small amount was trimmed from each side so the frame looks equal on all four sides.  The top and bottom go right out to the edges of the card.  Small amounts of "green" glue were used to attach this to the card base.

Now we come to those labels that were leftover.  These come from the Scalloped Contours Die set.  The Bubble Bath label has the sentiment stamped on it using Blueberry Bushel ink.  This sentiment comes from the Softly Sophisticated stamp set that is one of the Sale-a-bration items.  Love, love, love this set!  This layer is attached to the Basic White layer with adhesive.

The bird is from the Flight & Airy Designer Series Paper that is a Sale-a-bration item too.  These little birds are all adorable.  One of the pieces of the DSP is covered with water-colored birds like this one.  There isn't a die for them, but they're easy to fussy cut.  I sat down and cut one full sheet of birds so now I have a whole pile of birds to choose from when I need an accent.  I thought this little guy's coloring went perfectly with the Bubble Bath and Blueberry Bushel used on the card.

Here's where it gets a little confusing.  Right now, SU! is offering for purchase an add-on die set if you're a Paper Pumpkin subscriber.  This die set is such a perfect little set.  The word 'love' is one of the pieces, and these leafy branches is another die.  There is also a label and a daffodil in the set.  Just perfect for spring.  If you're thinking on trying a Paper Pumpkin kit for spring, now is the time to sign up for it.  And then you can purchase this little add-on set too.  

I die-cut two branches from Soft Sea Foam and one from Shaded Spruce cardstock.  The light green was just too light for me.  So with a Blending Brush, a little bit of Shaded Spruce ink was added to the tips of the leaves to add some extra color.

The branches were arranged on the label and then attached with adhesive.  The bird was attached with several Dimensionals.  Then the labels were attached to the card front with more Dimensionals.

For added bling to really make this card pop, three of the Iridescent Basic Jewels were added.  These are found in the Annual Catalog on page 140.  These rhinestones tend to pick up any color you're using and really draws your eye in to the design.

The inside of the card is finished off with a layer of Basic White that measures 5 1/4" X 4".  The sentiment is another from the Softly Sophisticated stamp set.  It's stamped with Blueberry Bushel ink.

The little flowers at the bottom of the page are a two-step flower from the same set.  The greenery is stamped with Soft Sea Foam ink and the flowers are tucked in and stamped with Bubble Bath ink.

That's it for this sweet card.  I was really happy with how the mix of colors turned out together.  It's funny how I can try several colors and they just don't really catch my eye.  Then I run across a color that just sings to me.  I love stamping and creating.  Most times I have an idea of what I'm making when I sit down to stamp.  Sometimes I follow directions to a T and know exactly what I'm getting in the end.  Other times, hmmm.  Well, let's just say by the time it's finished most of the idea was thrown out the window and I have something so much better.  I think the whole creative process is so much fun.  You never know just what the finished card will be!

Thanks for reading through my rambling today.  I should blame it all on the sunshine - I want to be putzing outside!  Hope you have a glorious day and find some time to be creative!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Enduring Beauty Anniversary Card

Hello friends!  I'm so happy we made it through all the flooding that was going on in our area yesterday.  It was truly amazing how high our creek came up onto the yard and how swiftly the water was flowing.  To see large limbs just bobbing along in the water at such a quick pace gave me a real sense of the power of flood water.  Not something you want to be out in at all!  Thank God we have no damage here, but my daughter has some water seepage in their house that needs repairing.  Seeing how bright and sunny it is today, you'd never guess all this havoc was going on yesterday.  But on to the stamping portion of this report.  For today's card, I used the Enduring Beauty stamps and dies to create a lovely anniversary card.  Seems like there are a few anniversaries of family and friends that need cards this month, so I've been busy making them.

This is one of them.  To make this card, start with a card base of Lemon Lime Twist that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half. 

The front layer is Lemon Lolly that measures 5 3/8" x 4 1/8".  One of the Foursquare Decorative Masks (A.C. pg 136) was used with a Blending Brush to add the subtle background on this layer.  To hold the mask in place to the cardstock layer, a bit of Masking Paper (A.C. pg 151) was used.  Where it touched the cardstock, I made it less tacky by touching it to my jeans several times.  I used Lemon Lolly ink to keep the design unobtrusive.

After adding the inked background, the largest die in the Stitched with Whimsy set added the meandering stitched design into the layer for added interest.  

The large floral stamp from the Enduring Beauty set (2024 Jan - April Mini Cat. pg 38) was stamped onto Basic White cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Using ink pads and both large and small Blending Brushes, ink was added to the flowers and leaves.

Flowers:  Lemon Lolly and Daffodil Delight with a tiny touch of Calypso Coral

Leaves:  Lemon Lime Twist and Granny Apple Green

A Lemon Lime Twist Dark Blends was used to color in the stems a little to keep them connected.

Because I wanted a much looser look, I did not use the Masks for coloring that are made to coordinate with this set.  I'll have to give those a try next time around.

After coloring, the coordinating die was used to cut the image out.  There are also open leaf dies that I used to die-cut some additional leaves to fill out the design.  These are cut from Granny Apple Green and Garden Green cardstock.

The sentiment comes from an old, retired set.  I chose this old sentiment because I was looking for an anniversary sentiment that would fit the card.  It was stamped on a 1/2" wide strip of Basic White using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  It's attached across a corner with adhesive.  Then the ends were trimmed to follow the edge of the layer.

The floral images were attached to the card front with Dimensionals.  The leaves were tucked in around the image and attached with adhesive.  Then the whole layer was attached to the Lemon Lime card front using adhesive.  

The inside of the card had to be pretty to match the front.  A layer of Basic White that measured 5" x 3 3/4" was cut.  It's stamped with another really old sentiment that fit what I wanted to say.  There's just a little of the Foursquare Mask that's used in the top corner to match the card front.

A small group of leaves from a Sale-a-bration set - Softly Sophisticated - were stamped on the bottom corner using Lemon Lime Twist ink.  The flowers from the same set were tucked in to finish the little bouquet.  Lemon Lolly ink was used for the flowers.

The white layer was attached to a Lemon Lolly layer that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  Then this was attached to the inside of the card.

One of the last touches for this card was the little bit of ribbon tucked under the flowers.  You have to look at the pictures closely to actually see this.  The ribbon is the Gold & Vanilla Ribbon (A.C. pg 144) that seems to be one of my go-to embellishments lately.  I only used about 2 1/2" of the ribbon for this little touch.  It's tucked under the flowers with a Mini Glue Dot holding it under there.

The very last touch is the bling, as usual.  What I chose are the Blooming Pearls that are a carryover from the Winter Mini Catalog (pg 53).  They're kind of easy to miss - I did.  But it's worth finding this embellishment and getting it.  These are so pretty with the spring colors and a golden pearlized finish on them.  I used the Garden Green colored pearls, and they blend with all the greens used on the card.  

That's it for this anniversary card.  One down, several more to go!  I hope you enjoyed seeing all the different pieces of this card come together.  Sometimes it seems to be the little things on a card that you almost miss that truly make it special.  Don't be afraid to use stamp sets and dies that are old and new together.  Sometimes the older sets have just the right sentiment or accent that you're looking for.  That's why I keep telling my hubby I can't get rid of anything.  You never know when you might need just that very item.  😉

Did you notice the Sale-a-bration item tucked in there too?  You've got until either February 28th or whenever the freebies are gone to choose whatever it is you've got your eye on.  From previous years, I want to caution that some of the favorite items have been gone a week or two before Sale-a-bration is done.  If you'd like to place an order with me, I'd appreciate it very much.  Please use the Host Code shown on the blog post to help out.  Everyone that orders always gets a card from me and sometimes there's a fun goodie tucked inside for you.  Thanks so much.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Meandering Meadows Cards

Happy New Year my friends!!!  The tree and all the twinkling lights (both inside and out), and those little bits of Christmas decorating that are scattered all around the house are now put away for another year.  The house always looks so empty when all the trimmings are put away.  sigh.  But on to fun things.  Hope you enjoyed your partying last night.  We had fireworks still going off around here at 3am.  I finally fell asleep when they were still going off.  So much for a quiet New Year's Eve!  Well, are you ready to jump in on the stamping fun?  I'm starting out the new year with two versions of a similar card.  Here we go...

I've been kicking around a plan to use the Irresistible Blooms die to cut the center out and add one of the gorgeous new prints from the Meandering Meadow Designer Series Paper that is an Online Exclusive.  These prints are so lovely I almost hate to cut into them.  But I did and here are the results.  I started with the blue one so that's what we'll talk about first.

This card started out by deciding which print from the Meandering Meadow DSP that I wanted to use here.  I love the all-over print of flowers (lupine or something like that?)  Anyway, they are beautiful, and I wanted to showcase this inside the cute Irresistible Blooms circular frame.

Next step was deciding on the blue color.  I chose to use Blueberry Bushel that was cut at 5 1/4" x 4".  Then the circle was die-cut in the center.

The DSP print was positioned behind the circle and measured to fit.  I trimmed this to about 3 3/4" x 4".  It's attached behind the die-cut area with a little "green glue".  

The Sheer Ribbon Combo Pack in the Annual Catalog has a pretty Bubble Bath colored ribbon that looked nice with the pink flowers.  A length was tied around the side of this layer and tied in a knot near the top left side.  

This whole layer was attached to a folded Bubble Bath cardstock base that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  The layer was attached with Dimensionals to give it definition.

Since the card base is Bubble Bath, the sentiment was stamped on the same color.  The sentiment comes from the Lasting Joy stamp set.  It's stamped with Blueberry Bushel ink onto a 1/2" wide strip.  The ends were trimmed then flagged with the Banner Pick a Punch on both ends.

Using another piece of Bubble Bath, a flowering plant for the matching Garden Meadow stamp was used.  It's colored with Shaded Spruce and Blueberry Bushel Light and Dark Blends.  Then it's die-cut with the matching die set.  

Both the label and the flowers are attached to the card with Mini Dimensionals as shown.  Three of the 2022-2024 In Color Pearls in Starry Sky were added as a finishing touch.

Now let's check out the other version...

This card uses the same sheet of DSP, but this time it's the other side with the tranquil scene.  I still thought the Bubble Bath cardstock worked nicely.  It's cut to measure 5 1/4" x 4".  After it was die-cut, the piece was embossed with the Softly Sophisticated 3D Embossing Folder that is one of the fun items available during Sale-a-bration. It's a combo with the Softly Sophisticated stamp set.  I just love this delicate design!  You can order and get these free starting January 4th!  Woo Hoo!

Again, the DSP was measured and cut to fit behind the circular die-cut.  A little bit of the "green glue" was used around the edge of the circle.  I didn't add any glue to the die-cut design area.  That's left loose.

The smallest die from the Tailored Tags die set was used to cut a Basic White tag for the sentiment.  The sentiment is from the Softly Sophisticated set that you can earn free during Sale-a-bration.  It's such a pretty set that is just my style.  And the three sentiments that are part of this set will become a standard staple for me, I'm sure.

The sentiment was stamped with Starry Sky ink for this card.  After stamping the tag, the Metallic Woven Ribbon in Starry Sky was wrapped around the layer of the card twice then tied into a knot.  The tag was strung on to the ribbon.  Then the rest of the ribbon was tied into a bow.  Adjust the ribbon to where you want it, then use a Dimensional underneath the end of the tag to keep it steady.

The card base this time is Starry Sky cardstock.  It measures 11" x 4 1/4" and is scored at 5 1/2" and folded in half.  For this card, I used two strips of Tear & Tape between the layers to hold it securely to the front of the card.

As I was writing this and looking at the pictures, I realized I had put no bling on it!  Oops!  How could I have forgotten that?  I'm not sure what I'll end up using, but you can be sure that some sort of bling will be added.  Maybe those same 2022-2024 In Color Pearls in Starry Sky will work here too.

One last peek at this card.  Not sure why it looks faded out to almost white here.  It really makes a difference how the light is shining on the cards as to what color I get.  I'm not very good at this photography stuff, am I?  Anyway, I like both cards, but I'm a little partial to this version.  How about you?  Which one do you prefer?  Let me know what you like.

I hope you've enjoyed looking through and dreaming about your new Mini Catalog and Sale-a-bration Brochure.  Have you been making lists of what you simply must have?  Yes, I have too!  If you haven't received your copy yet, please get in touch with me and I'd be happy to send one out to you.  Just a little reminder that ordering from both of these catalogs starts January 4th.  And don't forget to check the Clearance Rack and Online Exclusives that are available to you.  Enjoy your shopping!

Wishing you a very Happy New Year!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon