Goodbye, Wisteria Wishes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now for the next card...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Playing in the Rain

Hello, hello!  It's almost time to say goodbye to so many of my favorite stamps and designer papers.  So today I'm sharing a card that focuses mostly on some DSP but uses the stamps and dies that coordinate as well.  The whole Rain or Shine Suite of products in the Mini Catalog are just too cute and fun to use.  I know the Rain or Shine Specialty DSP will not be available when the new Catalog comes out and it makes me sad.  It's been enjoyable to just die-cut some of those sweet animal images from the DSP and plop them on a card and it's almost finished!  Just that fast.  When you need something cute in a huge hurry, it doesn't get much quicker than that.

I love how quick this came together, but it's still adorable.  Start with a Balmy Blue card base that measures 11" x 4 1/4".  It's scored at 5 1/2" and folded in half.  The raindrops are from the Playing in the Rain stamp set.  They were stamped with Balmy Blue ink spaced out on the card front.

The Basic White cardstock for the focal point was cut with the Stitched Rectangles Die set that is in the Annual Catalog on page 174.  The rectangle size I used is about 2 5/8" x 4".  The same raindrops were stamped on the top half of this using the same Balmy Blue ink.  The sentiment is from the Nested Friends set page 25 in the Mini Catalog.  It's stamped with Memento Black ink.

The fox and turtle were both die cut from the Rain or Shine DSP with the coordinating dies.  Truthfully, the turtle is not fully there.  It was at the edge of the DSP and the edge of his shell was cut off, but I figured I could use it anyway and it wouldn't be a problem.  I think he looks just fine peeking out from the side of the layer.  In fact, if I didn't mention it, you probably wouldn't even notice.

Before adding the animals, a retired Balmy Blue ribbon was wrapped around the white layer and tied into a bow off to the side.  Then the turtle was tucked behind the top corner.  Both the white layer and the turtle were attached with Dimensionals.  Then Dimensionals were also used to attach the fox with the umbrella to pop it up on the white layer.

I just wanted to point out the glossy accents on the turtle and fox.  The turtle shell and daisy are glossy.  The hat and raincoat on the fox are also glossy. These are just fun touches to make the card special.  

Thank you for checking in again to see what's new.  This is just a fun card idea for you.  Hope it's just what you need.  Just wanted to remind you that the retiring list will be coming out soon and the new catalogs will be arriving soon after.  Keep watching the mail for your copy of the new Annual Catalog.  They'll be mailed out about the middle of April.  

Don't forget to order any of your ink refills you need now!  Stampin'Up! is doing a Color Refresh this year and we don't have all the information yet.  I know the In Colors usually retire each year.  So, if you need any of those refills, please order them now so you are able to get them.  It's good to be prepared.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Beautifully Happy Cards

Hello Ladies!!  Hope you're enjoying your week so far.  Have you been having crazy weather too?  It's gone from freezing to the high 60's in just a couple of days.  There seems to be no rhyme or reason to what's going on here.  If I need to go out, I have to actually go outside to see just how cold it is, and then check how cold it will be when I plan on getting back.  The other day the temps showed 37 degrees, but I was going out to a Bible Study where I'd be gone 2 hours.  By then, the temps were in the low 60's.  Just how are you supposed to dress for that?  I feel kind of a "weather schizophrenic" at times.  Is there such a thing?  Oh well, enough of this craziness.  

What I want to share with you today, was actually made over two weeks ago and I never got around to sharing it with you.  So sorry it's taken me so long to do this!  These cards use the Beautifully Happy stamp set that is part of Sale-a-bration.  It's a gorgeous, two-step stamp set that has lovely line art that you can use alone, or stamp with the 2-step images that fill in the lines perfectly.  Either way, it's just gorgeous!  I've made a handful of them and no matter the combo, I love them!

Each one of these cards has the same layout and the same stamps used.  In fact, the only differences are which of the Fancy Flora Designer Series Paper prints were used on the card.  I was only going to use one of the prints.  But as I put the finished image layer on each print, I couldn't decide which one to use.  Hence, we have a whole cluster of them to choose from.  Another weird thing about them, I used Flirty Flamingo and Mint Macaron inks to fill in the images.  Neither of those colors are listed as coordinating colors for the DSP.  So obviously, the Fancy Flora DSP is fabulous to use for many different reasons - not the least being that it's just plain beautiful!

So let's get started making these simple, but gorgeous cards.  This is the first combo I tried.  I love these colors together.  They just make me feel so happy!  Each of these cards were made in the same way.  Start with some Basic White Thick cardstock for the base.  I made them 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half.

Next the white layer was die-cut from Basic White cardstock using the Rectangle Stitched Dies. The 4th largest die was used for this.  The 3rd largest die was used to cut a Mint Macaron layer for it.  

I've found for using the fill-in stamps, the Stamparatus is invaluable.  After you get it lined up just right, it's so easy to just keep stamping! Place a scrap of paper where you will place your die-cut.  On one of the Stamparatus's hinged flaps, place the outline image where you want it.  On the other hinged flap, line up the floral part correctly.  Then pull the flap out, flip it around to the other side, and line up the greenery part of the image.  Then you can place your die-cut piece, stamp with the outline image, then stamp the two fill-in stamps in whichever order you prefer.   In other words, line up all the stamps correctly, then stamp away.  I used Basic Gray for the outline, Flirty Flamingo for the flowers, and Mint Macaron for the greenery.  You can make as many of these as you want in very short order.  In fact, they were stamping so nicely, I wish I'd have cleaned the ink off the stamps and tried several other color combinations.  Oh well, hindsight is always smarter.

See how nicely they stamped?  The white layer was then attached with adhesive to the Mint Macaron layer you die-cut already.  I chose to use a sentiment from the Country Bouquet stamp in the January-April Mini Catalog.  This sentiment allows for just about any other kind of sentiment inside the card.  Very versatile.  I wanted to stay with the stitching on the sentiment, so I used the smallest thin Rectangle Stitched Die to cut this out.  The sentiment was stamped with Basic Gray ink to give it a less harsh look. 

The pretty Designer Papers were cut at 5 1/2" long and 3" wide, so they go top to bottom on the card front.  They are attached to the folded Basic White Thick card base using Tombow MultiPurpose Liquid Glue.  I found this worked well for easy positioning of the DSP.  The two layers for the focal image were attached using Dimensionals.  The sentiment layer was attached with adhesive on the right side and a Dimensional on the left side to keep it level.

For an accent for these cards, I used the pink Polished Dots.  Sorry!  Yes, I know they are retired, but I liked the very soft pink toned color with these cards.  Sometimes you just need to use what you like, whether it's current or not.  

Now let's take a look at cards made with some of the other gorgeous prints in the Fancy Flora DSP.

As you can see, I was having so much fun making these cards.  There's even more that I made, but I thought this might be enough to get you thinking about this idea.

If you don't have this Beautifully Happy Sale-a-bration stamp set yet, you're sadly running out of time.   It's only available until the end of this month or it's sold out, whichever is first.  But happily, this gorgeous DSP is in the Mini Catalog so you have a little more time to stock up on this.  You won't be sorry you did!

Thanks for hanging out with me today.  Hope you enjoyed this gorgeous handful of cards.  It was so much fun making them, I had trouble stopping!  

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Soft Seedlings Card

 Hello again!  I'm back with another two-fer card idea.  I saw a card made by Mary Hanson that just drew me right in.  I loved everything about it - the colors and layout, and especially the stamp set she used.  I knew I just had to sit down and make one like hers.  Well, between then and now, things changed.  When following her directions, I couldn't get my card to look nice like hers at all.  So it was time to figure out how I could get the same look my way.  I guess I'll show you the autumn-colored version first and explain how I did it and then end up with my version of Mary Hanson's card.

I love the rich colors of autumn.  They just make me happy, so this was my Thanksgiving card idea.  I started with a piece of Basic White that was die-cut with the Rectangle Stitched dies.  I made sure the stamp fit on it with little room to spare.  

To stamp this multiple times, I attached it to the Stamparatus and used the magnets to hold the die-cut rectangle in place.  Lightly ink up the stamp with Old Olive ink, then use a sponge dauber to add Crushed Curry and Pumpkin Pie to different areas of the stamp.  After stamping, I added more of the Crushed Curry and Pumpkin Pie inks and stamped again.  Since these were all mid-tone colors, stamping twice gave me enough coverage and color to the image.

At this point, I also spattered with an Old Olive Marker.  Then spattered over that with Wink of Stella and put it aside to dry.

In the meantime, I cut a piece of Crushed Curry cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  This is scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half for the card base.  A piece of Old Olive measuring 4 1/4" x 3" was embossed with the new Leaf Fall 3D Embosing Folder.  Love the detailed leaf images this leaves behind!  It's attached to the card front with MultiPurpose Liquid Glue a little lower than the middle.

To continue with the fall colors, I wanted to have a layer of Pumpkin Pie to frame the stamped image.  The 2nd largest die in the Scalloped Contours Die set fits perfectly around the Rectangle Stitched die-cut piece we already stamped on.  This was cut from the Pumpkin Pie cardstock and then attached behind with adhesive.  It was then attached to the card front with Dimensionals.

The sentiment is one of four in the Soft Seedlings set.  I love the font that's used on these, very loose and looks hand-written.  It was stamped on Crushed Curry cardstock using Early Espresso ink.   It was die-cut with the Stitched Rectangles dies.  Then it's attached to the card front using one Dimensional on the left side to hold it up and adhesive on the right side to stay flat. 

After looking around at all the bling I own both current and retired, I decided to use some very old sparkle dots in a yellow tone.  I'm not even sure which color they were supposed to be, but they brought out the yellow and orange tones in the card.

Here's my version of Mary Hanson's gorgeous card.  I have so many changes from her card, it's hard to know where to start explaining.  First of all, she used Soft Sea Foam and Pool Party - I changed it to Balmy Blue with the Soft Sea Foam.

She said she inked once and dabbed on Pool Party with a Sponge Dauber and stamped.  With mine on the Stamparatus, I believe the Balmy Blue was added 3-4 times before I got a look I liked.  

I also changed the sentiment layer and the retired sequins that are used.

I think that might be all the changes.  I still love the overall softness of the colors used for both the stamping and the cardstock.  I would strongly suggest that you use the Stamparatus when stamping this set.  I totally love the softer looks and it's worth the bit of extra effort that goes into it.

Just a reminder that Stampin'Up! is having special weekly sales throughout the month of September.  There are different items listed for sale each week.  Check the Stampin'Up! website each week to see what's new.  You don't want to miss out on them!

And the Perfect Partners sale is going on through the entire month of September.  I sent flyers showing these six new dies that match six stamp sets in the Annual Catalog.  These coordinating dies will be available all month long, but only while supplies last.  If you don't have the stamps yet, you can get the stamps and dies at the bundle price which is 10% off.  Don't forget to check out these bargains!

Thanks again for shopping and stamping with me.  You are so appreciated!!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Splendid Thoughts Today

Hello Friends!  Have you ever sat down with an idea, and you knew just what you were going to make?  Then oops! - the second cut you made in your cardstock was almost a whole inch off!  What was I thinking?  And where did I ever learn to measure?  Yikes!  Actually, I put the piece of cardstock aside for a few days and went on to do what I'd originally planned.  Today I just now got back to it.  The new card idea turned out pretty cool, I think.  It looks totally different than what I made originally, but that's what makes it so fun!  

This card starts with an 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" piece of Cajun Craze cardstock.   It's scored at 4 1/4" and has 1 3/4" cut from the open right edge. Like I said, not sure what I was thinking when I cut that, but I was determined to work with this piece!  The Rustic Pumpkins Designer Series Paper was sitting out and there were some cut pieces sitting there left over from the other project.  I had used the other side of this paper that has these awesome pumpkins on a black background. The bold stripes were a little daunting for me, but why not?  I liked how they angled differently but met up in the middle quite perfectly.  It was like they were made just for this card.  How crazy is that?  The right-side piece measures 1 1/2" x 5 1/4" and the left side measures 2 1/4" x 5 1/4".  They are both attached with adhesive.

A panel of Cajun Craze cardstock was cut with the Rectangle Stitched Dies to hold the focal point of the card.  I cut a piece of Mossy Meadow cardstock that measures 2 3/4" x 4 1/8" to back the Cajun Craze piece.  These are layered together with adhesive.

Then it was time to find something bold that would work with the Cajun Craze and also with black & white stripes on the card.  No easy task there!  After looking at several different stamp sets and almost choosing the Celebrate Sunflowers set, I decided to try the Splendid Thought stamps and dies instead.  Good choice, I think!

I stamped two of the leafy images with Mossy Meadow ink.  This time I used the Water Brushes to add light touches of both Mossy Meadow and Cajun Craze inks.  The water softened the stamped edges and blended the two colors onto the leaves.  If I had wanted crisper edges on the leaves, I would have stamped them with Stazon Jet Black ink instead.  After water coloring, they were die-cut with the matching Splendid Stems Dies.  To add a little filler behind the stems, another leaf stem was die-cut from Mossy Meadow cardstock.  This open-work stem gives just a hint of more greenery behind to fill.

To go with the bold look that was developing for the card, Gold Foil was die-cut with the half-circle die in the set.  Afterwards, it was embossed with the Hive 3D Embossing Folder to give it lots of texture and interest.  Stampin' Seal was placed on the backside of this near the top to carefully attach the water-colored stems as desired.  The openwork greenery was attached to the Cajun Craze panel with MultiPurpose Liquid Glue near the top.  Then the planter with plants was attached over this using Dimensionals. 

One of the sentiments from the Splendid Thoughts set was used to stamp onto Basic White using Mossy Meadow ink.  I wanted to use one of the Rectangle Stitched dies again, but none were the right size so I die-cut it with the edge of the sentiment near one of the ends.  Then moved the die closer to the other end being careful to keep the stitching in line and ran it through again.  I don't think you can tell which end has the second cut at all.  Very handy trick to get the right size die!

The focal images were attached to the card front only on the open flap.  It's set over more to the left side to accommodate the sentiment.  It's attached flat with adhesive.  The sentiment was attached with adhesive to the planter and one Dimensional onto the corner of the Cajun Craze panel.  The rest of the sentiment is unattached.

To finish up the card, a panel of Basic White that measures 2 3/8" x 5 1/4" was attached inside the card.  To be a little different, I attached three of the inside pieces die-cut from the open-work stem on the front of the card.  They're just attached in the corner to look like another plant inside the card.  Just a little fun addition.

Lastly, what to do about bling?  Tried several options and decided on the Brushed Brass Butterflies.  They have a little shine, but don't compete with the awesome planter.  Just enough.

Hope you like today's card save.  You just never know what you'll come up with when you're struggling to use a miss-cut piece of cardstock.  Most times I end up using it for scraps on other projects, but this time I felt like addressing a challenge.  So glad I did, because this card is really out of my comfort-zone.  It's bold and I don't see a pastel color anywhere!  Of course, while water coloring with those dark colors, I did manage to keep them a little softer!  😁

Thanks for stopping by today.  Don't forget Sale-a-Bration is still going on until the end of August.  Get your goodies while you can!  If it's too hot to be outside, take time to stay in and get creative.   It's a wonderful way to spend some of your summer!

Happy stamping and creating!

Sharon

Wonderful World Take 1

Hello Friend!   Oh my!  How did we fly through July already and land in August? The summer has really flown by this year.  Time seems to be going by quicker and quicker.  Of course, it really doesn't, but it sure feels that way lately.  Since we're in August already, this is a gentle reminder that Sale-a-Bration is half over.  And two of the items are already gone - the Pool Party & Soft Sea Foam Cards and Envelopes pack, and the Tree Lot Dies.  I'm so bummed because I was waiting to get the Tree Lot Dies this month.  😞😢 Oh well, I'll have to set my sights on something else instead.  One of the items you can receive free with a $100 order is the Wonderful World stamp set and Wonderful World 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper combo.  Lovely?  Oh yes and make that a great big yes!  The stamp set is a 'DistINKtive' stamp that means lots of lovely detail etched right into the stamps.  So every time you stamp, you have great detail! And the DSP is a lovely mix of prints in a pleasing color palette that you'll love.  Those are the items I've been working with the last day or two.  Here's the first card idea.

I've been sending out lots of anniversary cards the last two months and I've totally run through my stash.  I made this one as an anniversary card to start filling up my stash again.  I guess June, July, and August were great wedding months!  

This card starts out with a Starry Sky base that's 11" x 4 1/4", scored at 5 1/2" and folded in half.  I love how the Starry Sky cardstock really enhances the colors of the Wonderful World DSP print that I chose.  The DSP measures 4" x 5 1/4" and is attached to the card base with adhesive.  

To stay with the rectangular card shape, I cut a piece of Basic White cardstock with the Stitched Rectangle Dies that just framed the Bachelor Buttons stamp.  To stamp it, the whole stamp was first inked with Rich Razzleberry.  Then I used Sponge Daubers with Old Olive ink on the stems and leaves, and Starry Sky ink to add color to the center of one flower and very lightly on the outer edge of the top flower.  Make sure you 'huff' on the stamp before stamping.  It's amazing how just a little extra ink on a Sponge Dauber can change the look of the flowers so dramatically!

You can get a good look at how the sponging of a little color really makes a big difference.  I didn't worry about getting the Old Olive color sponged right to the edge by the flower.  Just get it close and it works fine.  Any part that's still darker just looks like shading.

After stamping, the rectangle was attached to the card front with Dimensionals.  It's placed a little higher than the middle. 

The sentiment comes from the Celebrating You stamp set found on page 17 of the Annual Catalog.  This is a set of sentiments that cover pretty much anything you need throughout the year.  I love when you're able to go back to use a set over and over again.  Lots of different fonts too.  I stamped the anniversary one on a 1/2" strip of Basic White cardstock.  Starry Sky ink was used on this.  After stamping, it's trimmed shorter and then punched with the Banner Pick A Punch on each end.  To make it stand out even more, a skinny strip of Silver Foil that measures 3 1/4" x 1/4" was added.  This attaches behind the sentiment strip, then it's added to the card front with Mini Dimensionals.

A triple bow of the pretty Metallic Starry Sky Ribbon is attached under the sentiment using Mini Glue Dots.  For some extra bling (besides the Silver Foil and Metallic Ribbon), three Rhinestone Basic Jewels were scattered around the flowers.  

Last look at our card.  So pretty and perfect for the next anniversary that comes along.  Like I mentioned in the beginning, this paper is simply gorgeous!  Very feminine prints and the colors are lovely too.  That's it for the first card.  It's fairly simple and comes together quickly.  Tomorrow's card will be another look at this combo.

Don't forget to get your orders in as soon as possible so you don't miss out on your freebies!  Items do 'sell' out quickly and the stock won't be replenished on any Sale-a-Bration item.

There's a new special coming on September 1st that you'll love.  I'll have information coming soon for you.  So stay tuned for further info!

On a side note, I've been dealing with A Fib issues again and running a little slower than usual.  My meds are being adjusted to try to get it back under control.  Please pray.  I'd appreciate it!  Thank you, my good friends!!

Happy stamping and creating!

Sharon

Blue Honeybee Home Card

Hey there!  Hope you're doing well this Friday.  Had lots of fun going out to dinner and then back home to play games with family.  Have you ever played a game called Pit?  It's loud and crazy and the six of us had so much fun.  Guess who ended up with a negative score.  Uhhh, yes.  That would be me.  For some reason I just couldn't get anything to work right last night, but I still had a blast.   I so enjoyed spending my birthday with my favorite people!!

This card didn't quite work out like I thought it would, but I still like it anyway.  I think I'll need to revisit this idea again.  There's a window in the front flap, and another in the inside flap.  I like the double window, but I think I'd like to use a thinner rectangle die for the window.  And maybe wider cardstock too.  We'll see...

This card idea started out with a piece of Basic White cardstock that was cut to 5 1/2" x 11".  The scoring was at 4 1/4" and 8 1/2".  A 5 1/4" x 4" layer of the Heart & Home 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper was attached to the card front using adhesive.  Love that vintage-looking print!  Unfortunately, it is being retired.  Too bad, it has some lovely prints.  Since it's in the January - June Mini Catalog, you still have to June 30th to order this!  Yay!!

The Rectangle Stitched Framelits were used to die-cut the rectangle window in the front flap.  Then it was marked on the inside flap with a pencil so I'd know where to place the same Framelit for the inside cut to match up. 

While the card was closed to check on placement, the sentiment from the new Wisteria Wishes stamp set was used.  The two sentiments were stamped in Night of Navy ink one underneath the other.  Since it's a Photopolymer set, it's easy to get the stamps lined up the way you want.

The floral stem from the Honeybee Home set was stamped on the piece of Basic White cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  The coloring was done with Stampin' Blends:  So Saffron Light and Dark, Daffodil Delight Light, Soft Seafoam Light and Dark.  After coloring, it was die-cut using the coordinating dies from the Honeybee Blooms Die set.

These flowers were too pale by themselves, so two of the Meadow Dies were used.  The floral stem cut out a piece of Night of Navy CS, and the twig cut out Silver Foil.  Together, putting these behind the colored flowers was enough of a contrast to work.  The two Meadow stems were attached flat with adhesive, and the flowers used Mini Dimensionals to pop them up.  

About 6" of one of the gorgeous new ribbons was used to make a small bow.  These new ribbons are 1/8" wide Metallic Woven and come in the new 2022-2024 In Colors.  I used the Starry Sky color and think it works well with the Night of Navy on the card.  It was attached over the stems with a Mini Glue Dot.

Here you can see the inside of the card better.  I stamped the floral stem again, but this time with Night of Navy ink.  This is off to the side.  My thoughts are that I'd write a note on the left side of the card.  Guess it'll be just a short note because there's not much space.

When I was using the Meadow Dies, I also cut a butterfly in Night of Navy.  It was attached inside the window area for an accent using a Mini Glue Dot.

The very last addition was the three rhinestones.  I used my favorites of course - the 2021-2023 In Color Jewels.  These are the Pale Papaya color, but as you can see, they blend in very well with the yellows on the flowers.  Have I mentioned how much I'm going to miss these jewels?  I did stock up on another pack, just because I love them so much!

That's it for today's post.  Hope you like the idea and make something similar yourself.  I love the look of blue and yellow together and adding in the pretty vintage-looking DSP - it just makes me happy.  Thanks for stopping in again.  I'm trying to keep the posts coming on a regular basis.  Some days I do much better than others in that regard.  But hang with me, I've been playing with some new sets and those posts are coming soon.  Looking forward to sharing all my favorites with you!  Some of you have been sending me texts and/or emails to show me what you've been making.  I Love It!!  Send more when you can.  It's so fun to see what you're doing too!

If you're placing an order with me, please use the Host Code shown at the top of the blog posts.  It's greatly appreciated.  There are only a few days left to order from the old Annual Catalog.  It ends May 2nd to make way for the new.  You may order from the new 2022-2023 Annual Catalog on May 3rd!  Mark your calendars ladies!!  Woo Hoo!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon