Lavender and Butterflies

Hello and happy Saturday.  We have a perfect day out here and the boys ae playing a baseball tournament just a little too far away for us old folks.   We're paying attention to the play-by-play on GameChanger so we can see how they're doing.  They tied their first game this morning and are just starting the second game.  Oh, you didn't come here for game information?  Okay, we'll get back to card making instead.  On Thursday I met with four ladies, and we made the cards for the shut-ins.  Two were totally new and didn't even know how to use a tape runner.  But they jumped right in, and we all had a great time.  I had prepped for two cards that were the same layout but used different colors.  Thought you might like to see both of them.  Here's the first version.

Start with a card base of Highland Heather cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  This is scored and folded in half as usual.

There is cut a layer of the same color next that measures 5" x 3 3/4".

Next is the Perennial Lavender Designer Series Paper.  There are three strips of three different prints on each card.  The strips all measure 1" x 4".  The three strips are attached to the layer of Highland Heather.  Two of the strips are attached closer to the left side and one closer to the right side.  This makes them staggered with about a 1/2" overlap on each side as shown.

After the three strips were attached to the layer, it was embossed with the Dashing Designs 3D Embossing Folder.  This gives the whole layer a wonderful texture, even the DSP.  This layer was attached to the card base using Dimensionals to raise it up.

The sentiment for the cards comes from the Layering Leaves stamp set.  It's stamped onto Crumb Cake cardstock using Gorgeous Grape ink.  The sentiment is punched out with the Heartfelt Hexagon Punch.  This is attached to the center of the card front using Dimensionals.  

The final touches on the card really make it stand out.  The butterfly is one of the Paper Butterfly Accents that come already die-cut.  You just pop them out and add some adhesive to attach it.  Easy peasy.  For this butterfly, I used a Mini Glue Dot under the body to hold it in place.

There are also three gems added from the Tinsel Gems Three-Pack.  I used the light purple gems, but it was fun seeing the ladies choose other colors or even one of each color to add to the design.  It's funny that all three of the colors looked really pretty on this card.

Are you ready for the next version of this card?

The next batch of cards used the very same layout and stamp set, but they look so different because of the colors and the DSP used.  

I started with Old Olive for the base and layer.  I used the Beauty of the Earth Designer Series Paper for cards with a more masculine feel.  The DSP is retired, but this just looked like a good choice for this card design.

The whole layer is embossed with the same folder as the first card.  I just love the overall texture you get with this folder.

The sentiment from Layering Leaves was used again.  This time it is stamped on Crushed Curry cardstock using Early Espresso ink.

One of the open-work leaves from the set was stamped on Crushed Curry with Early Espresso ink then punched with the Bough Punch.  An extra leaf was punched from Mossy Meadow cardstock to accent the design.  

For embellishments on the card, this time I used the Adhesive-backed Textured Dots.  These look sort of old gold or maybe bronze, so I thought they'd be a good addition.

All in all, we put together 24 cards.  The insides were all finished and signed by all.  Then they were tucked into envelopes, stamped, and ready to go.  One of the ladies even offered to go to the Post Office to drop them off so I didn't have to.  So helpful!

I think these cards will cheer up the people that receive them.  Now it's time to start planning the cards for next month.  Yep, I'm thinking fall here.  Which way should I go here?  Pumpkins?  Spiders? Leaves?  Scary?  Sweet?  Silly?  So many choices!  You have any suggestions or ideas??

Thanks for stopping by today.  Hope you enjoyed these cards.  I love embossing for the added texture on designs, but I seldom think about embossing the DSP too. And this design is a terrific way to use up those beautiful DSP strips that you just can't throw away.  Bonus!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Country Flowers with New In Colors

Hello there.  Today's card is all about the new colors available in the new catalog.  I can hardly wait for tomorrow so I can place an order for some stamps that demonstrators could Not order yet.  How exciting!  I totally love the new In Colors this time around - Peach Pie, Pretty in Pink, Petunia Pop, Summer Splash, and Shy Shamrock.  They are all lovely and it was hard to decide what to create with first.  One of the items we could order is the Unbounded Beauty Designer Series Paper.  Just gorgeous!  So I picked a design I loved from the DSP and built my card around it.

Aren't these new colors just fabulous?  I couldn't wait to get creative with them.  This is the first card using these new colors, but it certainly won't be the last one.

Start with the new Petunia Pop for the card base.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.  The Basic White layer really makes the DSP pop.  It measures 5 1/4" x 4" with the DSP layer measuring 5 1/8" x 3 7/8".  They're attached together with adhesive.  

Before attaching this to the card front, a 6-7" piece of the new Summer Splash 3/8" Bordered Ribbon is wrapped around the front and attached with adhesive to the back.  The placement of the ribbon is about 1/3 from the left edge.  This is all attached to the card base using Dimensionals.

The Basic White background label is cut with the Thoughtful Expressions die set.  There is a Summer Splash background added using a Blending Brush and lightly adding color to the center of the label.

The images are from the new Country Flowers Bundle.  To keep the colors softer, both the teapot and the flower images were stamped with Smoky Slate ink.  Stampin' Blends are used to color the images - Smoky Slate Light & Dark for the teapot, Summer Splash Light & Dark for the leaves, Petunia Pop for the tiny flowers.  The roses were a little trickier for me.  I wanted to color them with Pretty in Pink because there were small splotches of the color on the DSP.  But when I did, overall it didn't work out.  So over the pink, I added first Bubble Bath Blends, then very light touches of the Petunia Pop Light Blends.  It's amazing to me that I could layer up color on top of color and the cardstock didn't get messed up with all the coloring.  When I do this again, I might start with Bubble Bath and add the Petunia Pop to that and save myself from all the mixing of color layers.

Both the teapot and florals were die cut using the matching dies then added to the white layer with  Dimensionals.  Dimensionals were also used to attach the white layer over the ribbon and DSP.

Lastly, I wanted to add a sentiment.  This one is from the Wonderful Thoughts stamp set.  It's stamped with Petunia Pop ink onto Basic White cardstock.  It's die-cut with the matching dies.  To attach this to the card, the right side has a Dimensionals under it and the left side has a bit of adhesive.  This helps it lay flat on the card.

The last little bit needed to finish the card is the embellishments.  What would a card be without a touch of bling to make it happy.    These pinkish sequins are from the Adhesive-backed Sequins Trio.  With the iridescent finish on these they blend so well with multiple shades of pink.  I'm so happy they are carrying over to the new catalog.  They are one of my favorite embellishments.

I just wanted to share one more picture showing off these gorgeous new colors.  You'll probably get sick seeing these colors on my blog so often.  I'll make sure I play with all my other colors too.  Don't want them to feel abandoned!  LOL

Tomorrow, May 1st is the big day for being able to order from the new catalog.  Are you ready?  If you need any help with anything, please reach out to me.  I'm here to help.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Easy Collage Cards X 2

Hello Friends!  Hope you're doing great today.  I've been planning possible card ideas for the shut-ins at church for the month of May.  I haven't made a collage card in ages, so I thought it would be a great idea.  I ended up making two of them using a different color palette and different stamps too.  Which one do you like better?

We'll start with the blue card first.  The card base is Basic White cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half to make a basic card base.  The piece of Basic White cardstock that will be stamped on is cut to 3" x 4 1/4".  

The stamps used for this collage are from three different sets.  I was just looking for collage items that would work together.  The leaves are from the Botanical Layers set and are stamped with Crumb Cake ink.  There were four partial leaf stems stamped in different directions on the white.

The second stamp used is the daisy cluster from the Cheerful Daisies set.  It's stamped in Boho Blue ink that has been off-stamped at least once.  So there are some second and third generation stamping to get a variety of colors.

After the blue was added, I went back to the Crumb Cake and the grid stamp from the Notes of Nature stamp set.  This was partially stamped about five times so the grid shows up in multiple areas.

Next the Boho Blue cardstock layer to frame the collage was cut.  It measures 3 1/4" x 4 1/2".  The collage layer is attached to the blue layer using adhesive.  Then it's all attached to the folded card base using adhesive.

The sentiment is from the Quiet Meadow stamp set.  It's stamped on a 1/2" x 2 1/2" strip of Basic White using Boho Blue ink.  It's layered onto a 1" x 3 1/2" piece of Boho Blue cardstock using adhesive.  Then it's popped up with Dimensionals to the right side of the card front.

The final touch for this card is the addition of the blue dots from the 2023-2025 In Color Dots.  I think they make the perfect accent for the card.

On to the second card.  I haven't used Moody Mauve much in my creating even though I really like the color.  So today was the day to get it out and play with it.

The measurements for the Basic White card base and collage layer are the same as the first card.  The stamps used are different though.  The leaves from the Inked & Tiled stamp set were used to stamp four - five leaves with Crumb Cake ink.

The double flowers from the same Inked & Tiled set were used with Moody Mauve ink.  These are also off-stamped, so we have second and third generation stamping again to get the color variations.

The extra stamping on the background is from the Notes of Nature set stamped with Crumb Cake ink.  There are about five of these stamped to fill in open areas.

The collage layer is then attached to the 3 1/4" x 4 1/2" Moody Mauve layer using adhesive.  Then it's attached to the folded Basic White card base using adhesive.  (you could use Dimensionals if you want this popped up, but I didn't)

The sentiment is also from the Inked & Tiled set.  It's stamped with Crumb Cake this time, though I might switch it out to Moody Mauve later.  I think the Crumb Cake might be just a little too pale to show up easily for the people who receive my cards.  The sentiment is attached to a 3/4" x 3" strip of Moody Mauve.  Then it's attached to the card front with Dimensionals.

The gems on this card are from the Tinsel Gems 4 Pack.  They are supposed to match with Berry Burst, but I love how they look here.  They have just a little bit of sparkle added to make them stand out.

There you go, two cards made with a collage technique that is quick and easy to accomplish when you're short on time but want something interesting to send.  Just check in your stamp stash to find some images that work well together and have fun!  Let me know what you make with this technique.  So, have you decided which one you prefer?  Boho Blue or Moody Mauve?  Try either one (or both!) or make up your own combo using your favorite colors.

Thanks for stamping with me.  Hope you're inspired to get out your stamps and create something wonderful today.  Have you gotten all of the retiring items on your list before they are gone?  Time is running out for this.  Of course, that means it's almost time for the new catalog! Yay!!  Ordering from the new Annual Catalog begins May 1st!!  Get your wish list ready and start dreaming about what projects you want to make.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

A Garden of Zinnias

Hi Friends!  I've just spent a good number of hours playing around with zinnias.  It's been raining here again so that means everything is gray and dreary.  So, what could cheer me up?  Some bright and happy zinnias that I can 'plant' on cards, not outside in the dirt.   I started out with a basic layout and made five cards with that layout but using different color combos.  I'm so happy with my latest 'garden' I want to share it with you.  Each card is slightly different, so I'll share each one individually.  Hope you enjoy them.

Card Base - Melon Mambo

Layers - Basic White and Flowering Zinnias DSP

Stamps - Simply Zinnias and Go to Greetings

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black and Melon Mambo

Dies - Scalloped Contours for white layer

Colors for flower layers - Calypso Coral, Berry Burst, Melon Mambo, and Calypso Coral that has Melon Mambo ink sponged on the outer petals, Pumpkin Pie, and Daffodil Delight.  Garden Green and Old Olive for stem and leaves

Embellishment - Adhesive-backed Shiny Sequins

Punch - Banners Pick a Punch

Card Base - Daffodil Delight

Layers - Basic White and Flowering Zinnias DSP

Stamps - Simply Zinnias and Go to Greetings

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Dies - Deckled Rectangle Dies

Embossing Folder - Basics 3 D

Colors for flower layers - Pumpkin Pie, Copper Clay, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Copper Clay, and Pumpkin Pie.  Garden Green and Old Olive for stem and leaves.

Embellishment - Adhesive-backed Shiny Sequins

Punch - Banners Pick a Punch

Card Base - Melon Mambo

Layers - Basic White and Flowering Zinnias DSP

Stamps - Simply Zinnias and Go to Greetings

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Dies - Deckled Rectangles Dies

Embossing Folder - Zinnia 3D

Colors for flower layers - Melon Mambo, Melon Mambo with ink sponged on petal tips, Berry Burst, Calypso Coral, and Pumpkin Pie.  Garden green for stem and leaves.

Embellishment - 2022-2024 In Color Pearls

Punch - Banners Pick a Punch

Card Base - Daffodil Delight

Layers - Basic White and Flowering Zinnias DSP

Stamps - Simply Zinnias and Go to Greetings

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Dies - Deckled Rectangles Dies

Embossing Folder - Basic 3D

Colors for flower layers - Crushed Curry, Crushed Curry, Lemon Lolly, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Lemon Lolly.  Garden Green for stem and Old Olive for leaves.

Embellishment - Adhesive-backed Shiny Sequins

Punch - Banners Pick a Punch

Card Base - Lemon Lime Twist

Layers - Basic White and Flowering Zinnias DSP

Stamps - Simply Zinnias and Go to Greetings

Ink - Melon Mambo

Dies - Deckled Rectangle and Stitched Whimsy

Embossing Folder - Softly Sophisticated (SAB)

Colors for flower layers - Pumpkin Pie, Flirty Flamingo with a touch of Melon Mambo ink sponged on petal tips, Pumpkin Pie, Flirty Flamingo, Copper Clay, Pumpkin Pie, and Lemon Lolly.  Lemon Lime Twist for stem and leaves.

Embellishment - 2022-2024 In Color Pearls

Close up on the first card.  You can see where some sponging was added to the petals on some flowers, but not all of them.  

A bone folder was used to curl the petals before the layers were put together.  This gives the flowers so much depth.

Dimensionals were added to each card, but not on the same layers of all the cards.  But each of the sentiment banners were attached with Dimensionals.  I also found I like the flower centers popped up with a Dimensional.

I used the zinnia stamp and a coordinating color of ink to stamp in the bottom corner on the Basic White layer on the inside of each card to finish them off.

One last picture of all the cards together.  Even though they are all made in the same fashion, because of the different colors used for the petals each one is unique.  This was really fun.  You should have seen the piles of different color flowers all die-cut and ready to create my garden.  If you want to spend some happy time, just grab a handful of different color cardstock and start die-cutting layers.  Then keep layering them together until you get flowers that make you happy. 

Hope you've gotten the items you've been wanting from the retiring list.  Items are going fast, and some are sold out already.  They will no longer be available after the end of April.  And then May 1st the new annual catalog goes live!!  Yah!  If you haven't gotten your catalog from me yet, please get in touch and I'll send one out to you.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Stippled Roses Again

Happy Monday to all.  The sun is shining, and I've just returned from the grocery store.  Can you believe it - I still have a few dollars left over.  My goodness - the hike in grocery costs is truly crazy.  Maybe it's time to rethink having a garden again.  It would be a learning curve all over again with growing seasons and the heat and dryness.  Do I really want to start that up again?  It definitely needs more thought.  What doesn't need any extra thoughts is how much I love the Stippled Roses stamp bundle.  The roses are so realistic looking, until I start coloring them anyway!  I thought some Pool Party roses would make a pretty card, but I don't think you're going to find that color in nature.  I guess that's part of the fun in stamping - you can be creative with color!

To go along with the Stippled Roses bundle, a sentiment from the Thoughtful Expressions bundle made a good match.  I not only made some Pool Party roses for this card, but I actually stamped and colored a number of these roses with an assortment on ink colors to use on different projects.  For some reason, the Pool Party ones just called to me. 

Let's start making the card.  Start with a sheet of Pool Party cardstock cut to measure 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half to make a basic card size.  To soften the color, a piece of the Vellum Basics leaf print was cut to measure 4" x 5 1/4".  This was not attached until the images for the front on the card were finished and ready to place.

The roses are stamped onto a Basic White piece of cardstock using Basic Gray ink.  I thought the black would be a little too dark for the softer Pool Party color.  Using the Small Blending Brushes, Pool Party ink was blended on the roses and buds.  The color starts in the center and is swirled out to the edges.  This way the darker areas stay in the center of each rose.  It was a little difficult to stay on the buds and not go all over the place, but I tried to keep the ink on only an edge of the brush for more control.

After the Pool Party roses, it was time to color the leaves.  I used Garden Green ink to give bits of color to the leaves.  I was afraid to get too dark on the leaves and have it blend onto the roses.  So, after the color was added, I went back in with a Blender Pen and added small amounts of ink to the shaded areas of the leaves.  The sepals of the rose buds were colored in this way also and I made these a little darker than the leaves.  As a final touch, Wink of Stella was brushed over the roses for a bit of shimmer.  Unfortunately, none of the pictures really picked up this addition.  After coloring, the roses were die-cut using the coordinating die.

The sentiment is from Thoughtful Expressions.  The die used is the smallest rectangle shaped die from the set. The sentiment was stamped with Basic Gray ink to match the roses.

Putting the card together:  Several loops of the Simply Elegant Trim (pg 144 A.C.) in the silver tone were attached to the backside of the roses.  A couple of pieces of Tear & Tape was used to hold them in place.  After deciding on the placement of roses and sentiment, adhesive was used to attach the vellum piece to the folded card.  The adhesive was placed only where the roses and sentiment would cover it.  This keeps the edges free, and no adhesive shows through the vellum.  

The roses were attached with multiple Dimensionals to hold in place.  The sentiment was tucked in slightly under the roses and held in place with Dimensionals also.

For a little bit of bling, five of the Rhinestone Basic Jewels were added to the card.  This really enhances the silver color of the trim and gives the card that pretty sparkle.

Hope you enjoyed this idea.  I found it amazing how quick it was to color the roses and leaves with the Blending Brushes and ink.  The last time I used this set, I colored them with Stampin' Blends.  That was fun, but it was also time consuming.  So, when you're in a hurry, get out those Blending Brushes and give them a little swirl on the roses.  You'll love it!  Thanks for stopping by for another idea to create your own masterpieces.  I hope you get out your Blending Brushes often.  They are more versatile that you think.

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

Layering Leaves in Blues

Hello friend!  It's been a while since my last post, and I apologize for that.  Seems like I've been running into the problem of supply issues.  I really hate to post a card when I know the major items are on backorder and will be for a while.  There's almost nothing more frustrating than wanting to order a stamp set and you can't get it for another couple of weeks or longer.  I know because there are some items I'm waiting for myself.  So today, I sat down to make a card and decided to use the Layering Leaves set (page 96).  As far as I know they are available.  It's one of those few sets that do not have a coordinating die set, but there is a punch (page 148) that works.  So that's where we're going today.

Like I mentioned, I was thinking of going for a blue card to match the weather - kind of blue-gray and sprinkling.  You know what kind of day I mean.  The base of the card starts with Night of Navy.  Always a good choice when working with blues.  It is cut at 11" x 4 1/4", scored at 5 1/2" and folded in half.  The first layer on this is Boho Blue to get those grayish tones in from the weather.  It measures 5 1/8" x 3 7/8".  If you hate to do the eighth inch cuts, you can make it 5 1/4" x 4".  This will give you a smaller navy border, but a larger Boho Blue border.  Your choice.  The next layer is one of the Countryside Inn Designer Series Paper prints.  I love this floral with the solid and open-work flowers and leaves throughout the pattern.  This is cut at 5" x 3 3/4".  It's attached to the Boho Blue layer with adhesive.  Then attached flat to the card base with adhesive.

The focal point is all attached to a Basic White cardstock piece that measures, 4 1/8" x 2 3/4".  It's backed with a piece of Night of Navy that is 4 1/4" x 2 7/8".  Before attaching together, let's do a little stamping.

The Layering Leaves are used here.  The more open leaf set is stamped twice on Boho Blue cardstock with Night of Navy ink.  Check how the coordinating punch will work before stamping the leaves on the cardstock so as not to waste lots of cardstock.

On the Basic White layer, stamp the veined leaf set with Night of Navy ink.  I stamped it close to center about 1/2" down from the top.  Then stamped the fill-in stamp with Night of Navy ink that had been off-stamped.  This makes it a little darker than the Boho Blue leaves.  

There are also two of the little buds punched from the More Dazzle Specialty Paper (page 127).  These will add a pop of interest because of their sequin-like sparkle.   

Lastly the sentiment was stamped on Basic White with the Night of Navy ink to match.  I chose 'hello' from the Layering Leaves set.  Good number of general sentiments that can be used every day.  The sentiment was die-cut with the Stylish Shapes die set.

Now it's time to put it all together. I added adhesive behind the sentiment, then started attaching the stems to it.  When I had them positioned the way I liked, I ran two strips of Adhesive Strips to the top and bottom of the label.  These hold all the stems in place and give it height when it's attached to the card.  

A double bow of 2022-2024 In Color Baker's Twine was added to the card.  There was about 14" used to make the double bow.  The Starry Sky color was used because it blended nicely with the Night of Navy used here.  The bow was attached with Mini Glue Dots.

The inside of the card has a layer of Basic White that measures 5 1/4" x 4.  The sentiment from the Layering Leaves set was stamped in Night of Navy ink.  The same leaves that I used on the front were added to the left of the sentiment.  The same Night of Navy ink was used but was off-stamped before stamping onto the card.  A 3/4" strip of the same print was added to the bottom of the white layer to finish.

Looking at the finished card, I decided maybe it wasn't quite finished yet.  Three gems from the Tinsel Gems Three-Pack were added for more interest.  These are the Misty Moonlight color, but I liked how they accentuated the different blues on the card already.

Well, that's it for now.  I think everything used here is actually available.  And nothing is retired either!  Hallelujah!  I seem to have a hard time staying away from my retired stash!!  I really like how the card turned out with the mixture of blues.  And I'm really liking the Layering Leaves used with the Countryside Inn DSP.  What a lovely mix together!

Don't forget that Bonus Days are still going on until the end of July.   For every $50 you spend, Stampin'Up! will give you a $5 coupon to use next month.  What a nice bonus!  Make sure you hang on to your Bonus Coupons!  The code number from each will be needed next month to redeem them.

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you're enjoying your summer - heat and all!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Back to Daisies

Hello Friends!  We've been having rain off and on again lately, so I was looking for an idea that was bright and cheery looking.  I thought making the daisies in yellows would look about as cheerful as I could get.  So that was my idea when I started this card.  Then things changed a bit, as usual.  Still have daisies and still have yellow, but that's about the only part that is the same as my original idea.  Oh well, necessity is the mother of invention they say.  So, what would you call the mother of creativity?  Not having it look right and starting over from scratch??  Yep, that's my idea.  Hopefully you'll like what came out of a mish-mash of ideas and changes.

Here it is.  Isn't this nice and summery and oh, so cheerful looking?  Definitely bright. Let's start with the daisies, because that was the beginning of the whole card.  

The Cheerful Daisies stamp and die bundle is so very easy to work with.  For this card, all three layers of these daisies are die-cut.  The bottom layer is the three daisies that die-cut together and was cut from Daffodil Delight cardstock.  The top detail layer of each flower was die-cut from the new Lemon Lolly cardstock.  I originally was planning on using only the two yellow layers together, but it looked kind of blah.  I liked the white layer peeking out between the other two layers, so the detail layer was cut again using Basic White.  The white contrast really seemed to brighten the look.  While attaching these layers together with 'green glue', make sure that the layers are slightly twisted so that you can see all the colors together.

The flower centers were inked with Daffodil Delight ink, rolled a little on one side in Crushed Curry ink, then stamped onto Basic White cardstock.  The leaves were stamped with Parakeet Party ink on Basic White cardstock.  The leaves were all off-stamped before stamping to keep the color light and bright.  Six of the leaves were stamped, then the leaves and the flower centers were all die-cut with coordinating dies.

Switching gears here, I thought that a white and navy design would offset the daisy colors.  I just received the Countryside Corners stamp and die bundle that I really wanted to try out.  It is just one stamp that has six concentric octagons that stamp all together.  Then there are dies that let you cut those designs into multiple frames.  You can die cut each one separately, or cut them in chunks where 2, 3, or more frames are left together to form a sort of bull's eye effect.  I stamped it in Night of Navy ink onto Basic White cardstock.  I used the second and third dies from the center to cut the dotty frame.  I used the fourth from the center die to cut a Night of Navy piece to frame the white.  Then used the fourth and fifth from the center to cut the stitched white frame. 

I cut another piece of white cardstock that used the third from center die.  The sentiment from the Wonderful Thoughts stamp set was stamped on this using Night of Navy ink.  There are still a few pieces of frames left over for another project.  This was much easier to use than I thought.  An important tip when cutting multiple frames together is to use washi tape to hold the pieces place so they don't shift during the cutting process.  This made them very easy to cut either one or the whole batch at the same time.

At this point, I still thought the card base would be white.  But the more I played around with all the different layers, I changed my mind.  I still kept the card base as Basic White cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  But I added a Parakeet Party layer next instead.  This is cut so there's only a tiny frame of white behind it.  It measures 5 3/8" x 4 1/8".  Before adding it to the card base, it was run through the Basic 3D Embossing Folder using the cross-hatch design.  This is one of those great Online Exclusive items that has quickly become of basic staple in my stamp room.

To finish the card, the Parakeet Party layer was attached to the Basic White card base using 'green glue'.  The octagon pieces were all layered together as shown and attached with 'green glue'.  Lastly, the daisies were attached to the corner of the framing.  They were also attached with 'green glue' except for the flower centers which were attached with one Dimensional in the center of each.

The clear Rhinestone Basic Jewels were scattered across the card front for some sparkle.  

That's it for my post today.  I hope it didn't totally confuse you with the Countryside Corners Bundle.  It's really kind of cool to work with and I'll have to revisit that soon.  More to come on that idea.  Have fun with your stamping and don't fret when some project doesn't work out the way you envisioned it.  It's just a chance to spread those 'creativity wings' and try something a little different.  Thanks for stopping by today.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Lighting the Way Foliage Card

Greetings Friends!  Glad you stopped by today.  I'll be sharing a really gorgeous card with you today.  Well, at least I think it is.  I saw these colors used together on a card that I believe Mary Fish made.  Who would ever think that Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, and Pretty Peacock would turn out to be fabulous complimentary colors?  I don't think I would have ever thought to put these together - well maybe in the fall.  And this would be a great fall card!  But instead, I'm using it for right now!  Let's get to creating this card together.

We'll start with a base of Very Vanilla cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half.  Next, cut another piece of Very Vanilla that measures 3 5/8" x 4 7/8".  This is what we're stamping on.

Using the largest branch stamp from the Lighting the Way stamp set (page 24), ink it with Crushed Curry then stamp it close to the left side just at the bottom.  Next ink the 2nd largest leafy branch from the set using Cajun Craze ink.  This is stamped just to the right of the previous branch.  Stamp it just a little lower than the first one so it will be going off the bottom of the cardstock.  Ink up the Crushed Curry stamp again and stamp to the right, leaving a space for another branch between and continue to stamp lower than the last branch.  Ink up the Cajun Craze stamp again and stamp at the right edge.  Now take the 3rd leafy stamp from the set.  Ink it with Pretty Peacock ink and stamp it in the center of the bottom of the card.

Here's where I went off-script from Mary Fish's card.  I added a small amount of Pretty Peacock ink to the bottom edge of the card front.  Using a Blending Brush and a very light touch, just blend in ink lightly on the bottom edge of the card.  The color barely comes up the sides maybe an 1".  I can't stress a light touch enough!  That means inking the Blending Brush then going on scrap paper to take off most of the ink before you even touch it on your card.  Better to have to add more color to get it dark enough, than trying to figure out how to get the color lighter!!

At this point, I decided to add a sun to the card also.  I die-cut a 1 1/2" circle from a piece of scrap computer paper.  This is partially laid over the top corner of the card.  I used a Blending Brush and Crushed Curry ink for the sun.  Reminder, this again needs a light touch on the ink!

Next comes the layering.  Pretty Peacock cardstock was cut to measure 3 3/4" x 5".  The stamped Vanilla layer is attached to this using Multi Purpose Liquid Glue.  Then a layer of Crushed Curry was cut to measure 4 " x 5 1/4".  This was also attached to the other layers with the Multi Purpose Liquid Glue.  I'm getting tired of calling it Multi Purpose Liquid Glue.  I'm going to refer to it as "green glue" (because it has a green cap) from now on.  

After attaching these three layers together, a 6" piece of the new 2023-2024 In Color 3/8" Textured Ribbon in Copper Clay was attached across the card near the bottom edge and taped on the back of the layers.  These layers were added to the folded Very Vanilla card base.  For this step I used Dimensionals.  I love how this new In Color ribbon blends so nicely with the Cajun Craze ink.  

For a sentiment, I chose this one from the new Circle Sayings stamp set (page 17).  This is stamped on Very Vanilla cardstock with Pretty Peacock ink.  I had trouble finding a new die set that fit this stamp correctly, so I pulled out the Stitched Nested Labels that are retired.  I liked the look of this one.  It's die-cut, then the Blending Brush with Crushed Curry ink was barely blended on the edges.  The sentiment was then attached with Dimensionals.

The bling used here was sort of a surprise to me.  I had the 2023-2024 In Color Dots sitting on my work table.  This uses the Wild Wheat color gems and I love them with this card!

You know me, after making one card, I had to sit down and make another.  This one has just two changes.  Yes, I know, always tweaking my cards.  

The sentiment was attached to this card straight on.  Not sure which way I like it better.   What do you think?

The other change was using the Copper Clay 2023-2024 In Color Dots.  Which do you think work better?  I think I'm leaning towards the Wild Wheat accents for this card.  Or should I have gone with a gold or maybe a bronze-y or coppery color instead??  Help me out here with your thoughts.

Hope you like the new color combo used on these cards.  I was very surprised by how much I liked these colors together.  Give them a try and let me know what you think.

If you're planning on ordering soon, please use the Host Code shown at the top of this post.  You know I truly appreciate you supporting my business.  You're what keeps me going with the creating and crafting, then sharing these cards with others.  Thank you so much!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

More Irresistible Cards

Hello and welcome.  Today's post is showing the rest (or most of the rest) of the cards that I made for the shut-ins at church for this month.  I had planned on posting this before the new catalog change-over but didn't get around to it in time.  So, you get it today instead.  I was worried that this awesome Hello, Irresistible DSP wouldn't last this long in the Online Exclusives and be sold out by now.  But it's still available and I so love it!  Yay!  So, here's (most of) the last of the cards that were made for this month.  Hope you like them.  Of course, you can change the idea to fit whatever DSP you have on hand.  This is just a great card template to use anytime.  And it works especially well with that 6" x 6" DSP that you're hoarding.  Another bonus if you're making multiple cards of this type is there's minimal stamping and no die-cutting.  Just some quick and easy layering.  Let's get stamping!

So pretty!  Just love this DSP and can't get enough of it!  I had ordered two packs originally, and some of the designs are already gone.  I need to make sure all of them have been used before I'm allowed to order more.  The boss said so!

This batch of cards started out with the Petal Pink cardstock that measured 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half.  

The Hello, Irresistible DSP comes as 6" x 6", so cutting it this way you're able to get three cards from each piece.  Way to stretch those lovely prints.  First, a 1/2" slice was taken from the bottom of this design to make it 5 1/2" long.  Then the sheet was cut into three 2" strips.  

I wanted just a very skinny black strip to make the DSP stand out more.  The Basic Black cardstock was cut to measure 5 1/2" x 2 1/8".  This will give you just a 1/16" on either side.  They were attached together with Multi Purpose Liquid Glue for ease in lining it up correctly.  Then this was attached to the card front about 1/2" in from the folded left edge.  Like I said, easy peasy.  Right?

For the sentiment, I chose a simple one from the Happy Labels (page 50) stamp set.  I love the two different fonts on one sentiment and they do such a good job of that.  This one was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on a 5/8" wide strip of Basic White cardstock.  The coordinating Happy Labels Pick a Punch was used on each end to make it a little dressier.  The label is attached to the card front with Dimensionals.

For a little extra something on the card, I added two of the Brass Butterflies.  Usually, I only add odd numbers for bling, but the two seemed happy just like that.

Here's a pic of the bunch of these cards that I made.  As you can see, a couple of them have a different print with the Petal Pink background.  Then there were three more that used another print from the set.  This time I switched things up to use Soft Sea Foam cardstock for the base because I liked it better with the print paper.  

Between these cards and the blue cards, I shared earlier in the week, there was a goodly pile of cards that went to the post office this morning.  Hope each of these cards will bring a smile to the recipient's face.  Just need to keep spreading God's love and caring to those around us.

If there's anything I can do to help you with your stamping needs, please get in touch with me.  I'm here to help you with any questions you might have.  I'd love to hear from you and hear about the creations you are making.  If you're placing an order soon, please use the Host Code shown at the top of this post.  Thank you so much!!

Have a very blessed day!

Sharon

Dainty Delight in Greens

Hello Friends, hope you're enjoying your day today.  Today I'm sharing a card with some old, retiring items and some that are going to hang around for a while longer which is a good thing in my humble opinion.  I'm using both the Dainty Delight Bundle and the Quiet Meadow Bundle which are both very versatile.  I look at these two sets as basics because both the floral images and the words are very nice, and the matching die sets are truly fabulous and can be used just about anywhere.  Give it a look.

Here's my last hurrah for Pear Pizzazz too.  I'll miss this color so much!  But there are other green colors that I'll soon love just as much.  For this card, I started out with a base of Pear Pizzazz cardstock that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored and folded in half.  

Next a layer of Old Olive cardstock was cut.  It measures 5 1/4" x 4".  I used the largest die in the Meadow Die set to cut into the center of this piece.  (thrifty!)  Both of these pieces were set aside until I was ready for them.

That lovely gold-printed paper is called Naturally Gilded 12" x 12" DSP.  There are 6 sheets with 3 patterns, so you get two of each.   This design is gold on ivory, there are silver on white and copper on white designs too.  Simply gorgeous!  The number is #161639 and can be found in the Online Exclusives for $10.  It's worth every penny!

Here you can see how the ivory background was changed to green.  I used Pear Pizzazz ink and a Blending Brush to just swirl color on it until it was as dark as I wanted.  I actually went over it about three times to darken it enough, otherwise the gold print got lost in the green.  I love how you can totally change the look of this paper just by blending in some color over the design.  Just think of the possibilities!  After I was done, this layer was attached to the Old Olive layer that was already cut.  I used adhesive to attach these together.  

A little more die-cutting was needed.  The two thin branches were cut from Mossy Meadow cardstock.  After trying a few different colors including some different gold papers, I ended up with a Glimmer Paper that's been retired for awhile.  It's a lovely green that showed up nicely.  For this piece, I used a die from the Dainty Delight set.  I thought it looked cute here.  All of the die-cut pieces were attached with adhesive.

One last piece was die-cut.  It was the label from the Meadow Dies.  This is cut from Very Vanilla cardstock.  The sentiment is also from the Quiet Meadow stamp set and fits in the die-cut piece perfectly.  It is stamped with Old Olive ink.  Two Dimensionals were added to the back at this time.

Instead of just wrapping a ribbon around for an accent, I cut a 4" piece and a 6" piece of Parakeet Party 1/8" Metallic Woven Ribbon.  Add tape on the back where you want the left side of the ribbon to be.  Thread the ribbon through the center hole then wrap to the back and attach to the tape.  Thread the 6" ribbon through the other side.  Take off the backing from the Dimensionals and center them over the stems.  Then wrap the ends of the ribbon to the back of the right side and attach.  To finish, tie a small bow from the same ribbon.  Use a Mini Glue Dot to attach this where the right ribbon connects to the label.  

All of this is attached to the folded Pear Pizzazz card front using Dimenisonals.   A piece of Very Vanilla was cut to fit inside the card and it was finished.  With the gold printed DSP, sparkly Glimmer Paper and metallic ribbon, I didn't think it needed any more bling.  Now if you're a real 'bling-aholic', you could always add gold sequins or rhinestones.  There are several choices that look really elegant with the card.  Your choice.

Have you been keeping track of all the different colors of green that were used on the card?  I think it's wonderful how so many of the colors blend nicely together.  If you want to know, there are 5 different greens on the card.  Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Mossy Meadow, Parakeet Party, and the Mint Macaron of the Glimmer Paper die-cut.  Wow!

That's it for today.  Hope there are a few ideas you might have picked up on here.  Be inspired and be creative!  And have fun!!!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon