Another Impressions Abloom Card

Hello friends!  I've got a lovely, bright card idea for you today.  I wanted to use the Beautiful Bokeh Designer Series Paper, so that was my starting point for the card.  For some reason the Impressions Abloom stamp set keeps handing around my worktable, so I thought it would be a good match for those gorgeous DSP bokeh prints.  And I had seen a card design by Tami Hewlett using the Everyday Arches die that really pulled all these ideas together.  Thank you, Tami, for inspiring me!

The mottled background on the arch is the basis of the flower colors I used, and they complement each other so nicely.   Like I said, the first step for this card was choosing which print to use.  This one is a blend of Calypso Coral and Fresh Freesia.  I used the Everyday Arches die to cut the DSP.  Next the choice for a card base was made for Basic White.  This let the other colors be the main focus.  

Instead of just placing this on the card front, a layer of Basic White was cut to measure 5 1/4" x 4".  This layer was embossed with the Exposed Brick 3D Embossing Folder to give it lots of interest and texture.  This layer was attached to the card base with "green glue".  The DSP arch was then attached to this layer with the "green glue" also.

Now for the focal point of the card.  Using the Impressions Abloom stamp set, I started stamping the large flower using the detail stamp and full-strength Calypso Coral ink onto Basic White cardstock.  Since I was stamping anyway, I stamped a few extra for future projects.  Next, the solid stamp for this flower was inked with Calypso Coral ink, off-stamped, and then stamped over the detail image I had already stamped.  This is easy to line up because there is one petal that is longer than the rest.  I love the two-tone look on the flower from having the solid image stamp much lighter.

Next the daisy style flowers were stamped in the same fashion with the detail being full-strength and the solid background being off-stamped.  These were stamped with Fresh Freesia ink.  

The centers of the flowers were stamped a little different.  The solid stamps were inked with Lemon Lolly ink and stamped inside each flower.  Then the detail stamp was stamped over this using Crushed Curry ink.

The leaves were stamped with just the detail stamp.  For the best color choice, I checked the Color Coach for inspiration.  I made some of these Coastal Cabana to be light and fresh, and others were stamped with Lost Lagoon.  After all the pieces were stamped, they were die-cut with the coordinating dies.  When finished, there was a whole bouquet of flowers to play with.  I loved the combination of all these colors together and dove right in.

When arranging the placement of the flowers, I realized there needed to be a contrast between the background and flowers.  Two Basic White leafy stems were die-cut using the Textured Floral dies.  These were nice and airy and fit the design well.  

First the white stems were attached with adhesive.  Then the flowers were added with Dimensionals.  Lastly, the leaves were tucked in around the design using Mini Glue Dots.

The sentiment is from the Wonderful Thoughts stamp set.  It's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto the white strip about 5/8" wide.  This was trimmed and tucked in among the design.

For the final touch, three of the Iridescent Foil Gems were added for a little sparkle.

I don't know about you, but I'm just thrilled with the way this card idea turned out.  It's so vibrant and fresh looking to me.  It's a little out of my comfort zone, because you know I love pastels.  But I'm very happy with it.  If you want to give this one a try, the design wasn't hard to make at all.  If these aren't your favorite colors, go through the Beautiful Bokeh DSP prints and find one to inspire you.  I'd love to hear what you make with this design as a starting place.   There are so many possibilities to try.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Pair of Autumn Cards

Welcome to my stamping room this Sunday.  There's been so much trauma, travel, and trying to catch up this month.  I can't believe it's well over half gone already.  This will definitely be a month to remember.  But the sun is out shining today, and we must work while we can.  I was needing just a few more cards of my own for fall, so I was using some of the fabulous Splendid Autumn 6" x 6" DSP.  Did you know you can easily make three cards from each print piece of paper?  It's so simple, but the cards end up being gorgeous.

Here are two of the finished cards I made yesterday.  They are bright and sassy, but quick to make without lots of other materials needed.  Just what I needed to finish up some special cards for special people.

For these cards, I started with a card base of Cajun Craze cardstock.  This is one of the coordinating colors listed on the packaging, and I thought it blended well with the finished idea.

The card base measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half to make a portrait style card.  

The DSP print was chosen and prepped for the three cards.  For this card batch, a strip 1/2" wide was cut from the bottom of this paper.  Depending on the print used, this strip can come off the top or bottom of the paper.  Save this for future reference.

Next the paper was cut into 2" strips.  You'll use one of these strips for each card.  This gives you three panels that measure 5 1/2" x 2".

I decided to layer each of the strips onto a panel of Pumpkin Pie cardstock.  This is one of the coordinating colors for this DSP pack.  The Pumpkin Pie strip measures 5 1/2" x 2 1/8".  This gives a thin strip to accent each side of the DSP.

The two strips are attached together with adhesive.  Then they are attached to the card base with adhesive too.  There is a 1/2" gap from the left side to the strip.

The sentiment used on my cards is from the Textured Floral stamp set.  This is stamped onto a Basic White cardstock strip that is approximately 1/2" x 2 1/4".  I used Cajun Craze ink for this.

The 1/2" wide strip that was originally cut from the DSP is now cut into 2" pieces.  Each sentiment strip has a DSP piece attached behind it with the backside showing as an accent color.  

Two of the Woven Golden Leaves are attached behind the sentiment strip.  Then it's attached to the card front using Dimensionals to give it some height.

For the inside of the card, a sentiment from the Autumn Expressions stamp was used.  It's stamped onto a Basic White cardstock piece that's trimmed to 5 1/4" x 4".  It's stamped with Cajun Craze ink.

With all the cards I've made using this DSP, there seems to be lots of 1/2" or 3/4" strips left over.  For this one, I used a strip that's 3/4" x 4" along the bottom edge.  This matches the little strip on the front and picks up the greens in the print.  The layer is attached to the inside of the card using adhesive.

Let's visit the 2nd batch of cards using a different DSP print from the same Splendid Autumn pack.

This batch of cards used the print with the pumpkin patch.  The 1/2" cut from this sheet is from the top.  I didn't want to lose any of those little pumpkins in the field from trimming them off.

Basically, the card is made the same as the first one.  There are just a few minor changes in the prints used.

The same sentiment was used again with the same Cajun Craze ink.  The little strip from this print has a Cajun Craze color print on the back, so it doesn't seem to stand out as much as the last card with the greens.

The inside of the card is made the same way as the first one.  I love those new sentiments in the Autumn Expressions set.  I'm sure these words will be getting a workout!

Again, I added the two Woven Golden Leaves to the design for an accent.  After giving it a lot of thought, the leaves are the only accent on these cards.  I might still go back and add something golden to accent it, but it will be something from my retired stash.

Thank you for sharing some time with me today.  Hope you enjoy working with the lovely DSPs that Stampin'Up! has in stock.  The artwork is lovely and makes it so easy to create a card in minutes.  Don't you love it when the paper does all the work, and you can take all the credit for making beautiful cards?

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Another One Sheet Wonder

Hello people!  It's been a while since I shared using the One Sheet Wonder idea for stamping a large sheet of cardstock to make background paper.   Then taking that one sheet and building a group of cards from that single piece of cardstock.  I'm always surprised how cool it is when the cards are finished.  For my grouping of cards today, I used the Textured Floral stamp set.  Let me show you how these cards were made.

Here are the four finished cards I made from one single piece of 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of Basic White cardstock.  Of course, there is the additional cardstock used for the card bases, layers, and sentiments.  How fun to be able to make your own DSP using whatever colors you choose.  Pick your favorites and let's get stamping.

This shows the beginning of the design.  Sort of laying in the "bones" of the design, before adding the fill in bits and pieces.   Start with the largest flower from the Textured Floral stamp set.  This is stamped with Flirty Flamingo ink.  Four of the flowers were stamped close to the center, but with enough room left for the leaves to fit in there.  Then seven or eight extra flowers were added.  Some of these flowers are stamped off the edges of the cardstock and angled to get the leaves partially on too.  After the flowers were stamped, the leaves were added with Old Olive ink.  These are pretty bold leaves, so try to get them spread out a little so there's space around the designs.

The next step was the cluster stem of flowers.  The flowers were stamped first using Flirty Flamingo ink that was off-stamped before stamping on the cardstock.  After tucking these in where I could, the stems were stamped using Old Olive ink that was off-stamped also.  This kept the flowers the same color, but a much lighter version.

On to the next flowers.  The next largest flower was stamped with Lemon Lolly ink.  These flowers were used to start filling in all the open areas.  You don't want to use too many of the Lemon Lolly flowers, because there are other things to stamp in the design yet.  But this color is a nice softly bright bit of sunshine in the overall design. 

Next were the Lost Lagoon "daisy" style flowers.  These were off-stamped to keep them light and sort of blend into the background.  Some of the extra leaves were stamped with Granny Apple Green ink that's off-stamped also.  I did a little "fake masking" by cleaning off some of the ink before stamping the leaves so they wouldn't cover the yellow flowers.  The tiny flowers were stamped with Pool Party ink in some of the open areas.  The centers of these tiny flowers were added with Lemon Lolly ink.  The centers of the roses and yellow flowers was added with Pebbled Path - straight on the roses, and off-stamped on the yellow flowers.  The mini speckles are the sand from the Seaside Bay stamp set.  They were added with Pebbled Path ink.  I didn't use the whole stamp for the speckles, just sections.  And keep it very light!

The next step was cutting the cardstock into 5 1/4" x 4" pieces and deciding with color cardstock to use with each one.  Even though the same colors were used throughout, some looked better on different card base colors.  This one has a base of Pool Party cardstock.  The "dsp" was trimmed another 1/8" to give me space for the Basic White layer in-between.

The sentiment is from the Quiet Meadow stamp set.  It's stamped with Pebbled Path ink.  There is a layer of Pool Party to frame it.  Dimensionals were used to attach it.  A Pool Party ribbon is tied into a bow and attached with a Mini Glue Dot.  Some tiny rose-pink sequins were added with Mini Glue Dots too.

This card starts with a Lost Lagoon card base.  The sentiment is from the Biggest Wish set.  The larger hello is stamped with Flirty Flamingo ink with the smaller hello stamped with Pebbled Path ink.  The Basic White is trimmed and layered with a piece of Lost Lagoon cardstock.  Dimensionals attached it to the card base.  Three of the Adhesive Backed Sequins Trio were added for some bling.  A double bow was made from White Seam Binding ribbon.   It was colored with a Lost Lagoon Light Blends to match the card.  This was attached with Mini Glue Dots.

This one has a couple extra twists to it.  After trimming the "dsp" to fit the card base, it was first embossed with the Exposed Brick 3D Embossing Folder to give it some texture.  Then a little Lost Lagoon ink was blended onto the edges with a Blending Brush.  This was done very lightly and mostly in the corners.  

This was layered onto a Flirty Flamingo card base using "green glue".  A banner was stamped with the Quiet Meadow sentiment using Pebbled Path ink.  The right end of the banner was flagged.  Then the edges of the banner were lightly brushed with Flirty Flamingo ink.  It was attached to the card front with Dimensionals.  A bow was made with the white seam binding ribbon that had been colored with the Flirty Flamingo Dark Blends marker.  It's attached with a Mini Glue Dot.  Three Iridescent Rhinestones were added to the card to finish.

The last card was finished with a couple of retired items.  The sentiment layer is a retired scalloped layer that is several years old.  The sentiment is a stamp I've owned for about 25 years and have no idea the company that made it. It's stamped with Lost Lagoon ink.  There is a layer of Basic White added behind the "dsp". Next, a retired Petal Pink Ribbon was wrapped around the card layers and attached in the back.  A 3" segment of the ribbon was folded in half and tucked behind the sentiment layer at an angle.   The layers were then attached to the folded Flirty Flamingo card base with Dimensionals.  Then the sentiment layer was added to the front with Dimenisonals also.  Three Iridescent Rhinestones were added to finish the look.

There you have the four cards made from my own personal "dsp".  Fun, right?  But wait, I made another sheet with the same stamps but with darker colors.  Want to see those too?

Here are four more cards made with this same layout used.  But the colors are much darker as you can see.  That necessitated using darker card bases to match.  You know me and my penchant for pastels.  This was really outside my comfort zone, but it was fun working with different colors for a change. 

The colors used on these cards are:

Berry Burst - rose, Mossy Meadow - leaves, Bubble Bath - medium flowers, Orchid Oasis - daisy, Fresh Freesia - small flowers, Daffodil Delight - small flower centers, Pebbled Path - rose and medium flower centers

The card bases are Orchid Oasis, Berry Burst, and Moody Mauve.  I know, there was no Moody Mauve stamped on the "dsp", but I really thought that one of the segments paired better with that color than the others.

Hope you enjoy this idea and give it a try.  It seems that the sky's the limit when you're choosing your own color combo to put together.  Have fun with it.  Remember to leave some "white space" in your design so the images aren't too crowded.  And I think the light speckling helps to draw the whole design together.  Let me know if you try making your own designer paper.  I'd love to hear how it went for you.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Autumn Leaves Again

Hello friends.  Glad to have you back for another look at the new Autumn Leaves stamp and die set in the new Mini Catalog.  If you know me at all, you know I love fall leaves with their many rich, bright colors.  Today's card uses colors that are more muted than I usually use for fall.  I love how these have turned out though and hope you like them too.  The last post really focused on the All About Autumn Designer Paper and the Distressed Gold Specialty paper.  This time the card is focused on the basics - just stamps and ink.  It's a much more subtle card and I love it!

The card starts with Copper Clay for the base.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", is scored and folded in half.  This is a perfect color for fall.

Next is a layer of Old Olive cardstock.  It measures 5" x 3 3/4" so there is more of the Copper Clay that shows on the card.  This piece is embossed with the new Distressed Tile 3D Embossing Folder.  The texture is so interesting when it's not a complete image, kind of sketchy.  To make this distressed embossing show up even more, I tried something a little different.  I have the new Metallic Enamel Basics. I chose the copper to use here.  A small dime-size puddle of the copper was squeezed onto a piece of foil and used my fingertip to lightly brush over some of the raised areas.  This gives a nice metallic sheen to some of the areas.  Remember to keep it light so it stays just on the raised areas.  I set this aside to make sure it was dry before putting on my card.  TIP:  In case you're wondering, you could put this on one of your clear blocks, but you need to clean it immediately and thoroughly, so you don't have to scrape off residue.  That's why I now use a bit of foil so I can just throw it away when finished and don't have the clean-up hassle.

The next step was to stamp the three maple leaves.  Copper Clay, Old Olive, and Crumb Cake are the ink colors I used.  One of each color was stamped onto Very Vanilla cardstock.  They were die-cut using the coordinating dies.  After die-cutting, the "thankful" sentiment from the Autumn Leaves set was stamped across the Crumb Cake leaf using Copper Clay ink.  It fit perfectly.  It was time to put the card together.

First a 6 1/2" piece of natural ribbon from the Copper & Natural Ribbon Combo was wrapped around the middle of the embossed layer.  It's attached to the back of the layer with Tear & Tape to really hold it in place.  Dimensionals were added to the layer and then it was attached to the front of the Copper Clay card.  The three leaves were all attached to the card with Dimensionals.  As you can see, sections of the leaves were curled with a bone folder before attaching.  This adds so much more interest and texture to the card.

At this point, I decided to add the "for you" to the card.  I found it in the Textured Floral set.  It's part of a larger stamp, so a Copper Clay marker was used only on the words I wanted.  It was stamped on a skinny strip of Very Vanilla cardstock.  It was still trimmed a little more with Paper Snips to fit nicely.  It has Mini Dimensionals under it and it was tucked in under the leaf.

Wanting to stay with the more subtle coloring of the card, I didn't go with gold or copper accents.  The new Speckled Dots in Copper Clay were added instead.  I love the subtle interest they add to the design.

There you have it.  The 2nd installment using the Autumn Leaves Bundle.  Now that Designer Paper is calling me to come back and play with it.  So off I go to the stamp room to see what else I can create with this lovely collection of stamps, dies, papers, ribbons, and other embellishments.  Yes, I know, I've got to get going on all those Christmas ideas that are rolling around in that brain of mine.   And I've got cards to finish and get in the mail.  Whew, the stamping never ends!  😂  Thanks for stopping by today.  Won't you leave me a comment, so I know you've been here?  It's always lovely to hear from you all.  Or is that y'all?

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

All About Shapes and Textures

Yesterday I sat down to create with the goal in mind of focusing on different shapes and textures.  That was my plan, and I'm happy to say I think this card fits the plan.  I still had the Earthen Elegance DSP sitting out and in the package was a left-over die-cut circle from one of the prints.  That piece looked like a great place to start building this card.  Let me show you the finished card.  Then let's see if you agree with me.

You can see the circle with the masculine, geometric style print from the Earthen Elegance DSP.  This was cut with the largest circle from the Stylish Shapes die set.  It was the beginning idea that everything else grew from.  

I liked another print from the Earthen Elegance DSP that looks like "stitching" and dots on wet clay.  This piece measured 5 1/4" x 4".  I ripped it about in half so the rest could be used on some other project.  I like that the ripped edge is uneven and shows the white inside core of the DSP.  This piece gave me both visual and actual texture.  

The DSP is layered onto a piece of Pretty Peacock cardstock that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  It's attached with adhesive.  Then this is all layered onto a piece of Gray Granite cardstock measuring 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" that is scored with a side fold.

There was a 5/8" wide strip that is cut from the white textured DSP that was ripped.  The backside is a mottled mix of Lost Lagoon and Pretty Peacock.  This was attached to the card front about 1 1/4" from the bottom edge.  The die-cut circle we started with was also attached flat about 1" from the bottom.  So now we have two different rectangle shapes that are attached both vertically and horizontally and a circle to add to our shapes category.

I love the fan leaf die in the Earthen Textures die set.  First, I cut one in Pretty Peacock and one in Gray Granite.  For the third one, I tried Basic White, Very Vanilla, Smoky Slate, and Lost Lagoon cardstocks and really didn't care for any of them, but it still needed another one of "something" in there.  Then I thought of Vellum!  Perfect, it added volume and balance, but didn't really add another color that didn't quite fit.  

The vase or jug was stamped in Lost Lagoon ink and stamped onto the same color cardstock.  The top part was just cut from Gray Granite.  After die-cutting both pieces, I used a little Gray Granite ink with a Blending Brush to add color and shape to the side edges.  Just a smidgeon of Gray Granite was also added to the center and outer edges of the Gray Granite fan leaf.

Next, each of the leaves were arranged on the circle and attached - two with touches of "green glue" and the Gray Granite one with a Dimensional just under the center part to give it more distinction.  The vase was attached over the stems using Dimensionals.

The sentiment is from the Lasting Joy set.  It's stamped on Basic White with Pretty Peacock ink.  The left edge is angled cut for another shape.  It's attached flat to the vase but with a Dimensional along the right edge.

I was trying to figure out if (or what) extra bling should be added.  Nothing too glitzy, and something that would subtly match.  The Flat Adhesive-backed Pearls just made me happy when I tried them.  There is an iridescent sheen in greens and blues that compliments the card nicely.

The last, but not least, bit on the card is the inside.  The sentiment comes from the Textured Floral set and I just love these words.  They're stamped in Pretty Peacock ink to match the rest.

And of course, there's always a skinny strip of cardstock to match and bring the color inside the card.  This is a 1/4" strip of Pretty Peacock to finish it all nicely.  I'm a big fan of using up all your little bits and pieces of leftover treasures.  Sometimes those little bits are the perfect accent.

So, did I accomplish what I set out to do?  Use lots of different texture and shapes to make the card?  I hope you like the idea and try your own card focusing on shapes and textures.  Thanks for sharing some of your precious time with me today.  I think of all of you as I make my cards and try to share ideas that you might be interested in trying out yourself.

Happy stamping and creating!

Sharon

Fun to Make Easel Cards

Hello there!  Hope you're having a fabulous day.  It's way too hot to spend the day outside, so of course there is some stamping going on around here.  It's nice and cool in the stamp room so it's a good place to hide out when it's so hot.  I made an easel card for Heather's birthday this month and enjoyed making it so much I went ahead and made a couple more.  I'll show you my latest creation and then share the other two with you to give you lots of ideas.  Come along and stamp with me!

Here is this morning's version.  I just love all the different prints in the Earthen Elegance DSP and this one hasn't been used yet, so it's a good place to start.  The main colors that stand out to me on this piece are Pretty Peacock and Moody Mauve, so that's the beginning.  A card base of Moody Mauve was chosen.  It measures 11" x 4 1/4" and is scored at 2 3/4" x 5 1/2".  This extra score line gives us the fun fold.  

A layer of Pretty Peacock was cut at 5 1/4" x 4".  Then a layer of the Earthen Elegance DSP was cut to measure 5" x 3 3/4".  The DSP is attached to the peacock cardstock with adhesive.  This will be attached to the bottom half of the card base only.  The easiest way to do this is to add 'green glue' to the bottom half of the card base making sure the glue is about 1/2" from the edges, then attach the layers to this lining them up nicely.

An 8 1/2" piece of the Moody Mauve Textured Ribbon was attached around this just under the score line so it doesn't impede the fold.  Make sure the two open ends of the ribbon are attached to the front center of the card, so they remain hidden after the focal images are added.

The Textured Floral Bundle (page 65) was used to make the floral images.  The large rose was stamped on an old, retired cardstock we used to carry called Naturals.  This is probably at least 10 years ago, but I still have some left and I loved the background color of the DSP with this.  So sorry!  If I didn't have this, I would have used Basic White.  Anyway, the Rose and medium flowers were stamped with Moody Mauve ink.  The extra stamens were stamped with Early Espresso ink.  The set of leaves were stamped with Pretty Peacock ink.  Then all stamped pieces were die-cut with the matching die set.  The small stems with either tiny leaves or berries was cut from Early Espresso cardstock.  The stem was cut into smaller pieces that were tucked in around the flowers.

Crumb Cake cardstock was die-cut with an oval die.  I'm sorry I can't remember which die it was because the piece has been sitting in my scrap extras cardstock pile for a while.  Just use a size and shape that you're comfortable with here.  The sentiment is from the Textured Florals set and is stamped with Early Espresso ink.  The oval and some of the flowers were attached flat to the card front.  The rose and leaves were attached with Dimensionals.  

The inside of the card has a layer of Basic White that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  It's attached with adhesive.  Another sentiment from the set is stamped at the bottom of the piece using Pretty Peacock ink.

The piece that holds the card in place to display is a 4" x 1 1/4" piece of Pretty Peacock cardstock.  A 4" x 1" layer of the same DSP that was used on the card front was attached to this using adhesive.  They were next attached inside the card with Dimensionals.  It's up about 1 1/4" from the bottom of the white layer to hold the front upright when opened.

Three of the Tinsel Gems Four-Pack were used on the card front as an accent.  Two more were added inside the card on either side of the sentiment.  The color listed for these gems is Berry Burst, but I liked how they matched nicely with the Moody Mauve on this card.  

Now I have another two cards to share using the same fun fold measurements.  It's so easy and fun to make, but it's a slightly different card to share with family and friends.

Same idea using Basic White and Pretty Peacock cardstock.  The Layering Leaves set and die bundle was used with this card.  A small bit of the Masterfully Made DSP was used here on the front and inside the card too.  The same gems were used on this card also.  The ribbon is the Lost Lagoon 1/4" ribbon that seemed to go well with the card.

On this card, a Berry Burst marker was used to add a speckled background on the white.  This little touch added so much to the look of the finished card.

Both sentiments on this card are from the Layering Leaves set.  They're both stamped in Pretty Peacock ink.

There's plenty of room on the inside of the card to write your own sentiments too.  And it's all covered unless you fully open the card.

The Trucking Along set was used here.  This is an Online Exclusive item and as I write this the stamp set is available, but the punch is on backorder.  It's so easy to fussy cut the truck it shouldn't hold you back. The Parakeet Party DSP is from the previous catalog.  The sentiment is die-cut using the Wanted to Say die set.  The bow was also from that die set.  The gems used are Real Red Rhinestones.

I know this is a weird card for my daughter, but she's always wanted her grandpa's old red Ford truck so this was as close as I could get.  She did get a "girlie" card from me also, so don't worry about that!

Ok, are you all stamped out?  That's all the pictures I've got to share with you today.  Give this fun fold a try.  It's so simple, but it really is fun and gives the recipient something special.

Bonus Days are still going on for a few more days.  It ends on July 31st.  But you can redeem those Bonus Days coupons all during August.  Don't forget to redeem them!  I've had people forget all about them and then it was too late.  Don't let that be you!!!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Textured Florals for Birthday

Hello Friends,  July is taking off with a bang.  It's the month that is jam-packed with birthdays for my family and friends too.  So that means lots of birthday cards need to be made.  I've got another one to share with you today.  I just realized it's another Fresh Freesia card.  Guess that's one of my favorite colors for feminine birthday cards right now.  If you like either pinks or purples, this is the perfect color choice to make as far as I'm concerned.  My sister loves purples in any shade, so each year her card always features purple of some kind.  This year it will be Fresh Freesia.  So, let's get stamping!

Hmmm, maybe I should just send her this picture because it looks more purple than the actual card.  LOL  The card starts with a base of Fresh Freesia that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" that's scored and folded in half.  Can you see the faint design on the background?  It's made by using the Foursquare Decorative Masks (page 136), Fresh Freesia ink, and a Blending Brush.  The ink was added very lightly and faded out at the outer edges.  I love the look you get with the random color design instead of a solid coverage.  Remember to keep a light touch!

Next up are all the die-cut pieces.  There are three pieces of greenery die-cut using the coordinating Textured Floral die.  Two of the open, airy leaves were cut and one of the eucalyptus were cut, all from Lost Lagoon cardstock.  

The flowers and stem clusters are from the Textured Floral set (page 65).  The itty-bitty stems were stamped first on Basic White cardstock using Lost Lagoon ink.  The flowers are stamped in either Fresh Freesia, or Orchid Oasis that was off-stamped to keep it a lighter tone.  These were die-cut with the coordinating dies.  

The silver foil branches were cut using a retired set.  I liked how they added a bit of shine to the bouquet.

These pieces were all arranged on the card in a pleasing fashion.  The greenery was added first and was attached with adhesive.  Next the silver foil branches were attached with adhesive over the greenery.   The Orchid Oasis flower cluster was added flat, but the Fresh Freesia flowers were attached using Dimensionals for a little more depth.

The sentiment used here is also part of the Textured Floral set.  I thought this was perfect for my sister.  Smoky Slate ink was used for this.  It's stamped on Basic White and punched with a retired punch that fit the sentiment nicely.  The label was attached with Dimensionals over all the stems to cover where they all come together.  

The gems on this card are Fresh Freesia ones from the Tinsel Gems Three Pack.  These are clear colored gems with a tiny sprinkle of tinsel inside for a little extra sparkle.  A bow was added to the label.  It's attached with a Mini Glue Dot.  The ribbon is from last year's catalog and is one of the 2022-2024 In Color Ribbon.  It was the perfect touch here. 

I added a spatter of Fresh Freesia ink from the matching marker.  I love the added ink dots randomly going across the card.

The final touch came by finishing the inside of the card to match.  Small touches of the Blending Brushes and Foursquare Decorative Masks were added to two diagonal corners. This sentiment is from the Lasting Joy stamp set.  It's stamped with Smoky Slate ink to match.

I hope my sister likes her card.  A lot of thought went into what she might like.  Shhh... don't tell anyone, but this is her 75th birthday.  I thought about adding a big 75 to the card somehow, but I think she'd disown me for that.  😂😁😂

Just a quick reminder about Bonus Days!  For every $50 you spend, Stampin'Up! will give you a $5 off coupon that you can redeem with your order in August.  That sweetens the shopping experience nicely.  And don't forget to check out the Online Exclusives that are available and the Clearance Rack for some incredible bargains.  Any of these that you purchase will be added to the $50 needed to get your Bonus Days Coupon.  Have fun shopping!

Thank you for stopping by today.  Hope this gives you ideas for the cards that you need to make right now. Have yourself a wonderful summer spent with friends and family.  Stay cool and keep stamping.

Happy stamping and creating, 

Sharon