florals · Florals in Bloom

Anything Florals

Well, yesterday saw a very exciting and emotionally-draining end to the day. Just as I was turning into our section of the neighborhood, I caught a strange sight out of the corner of my eye. And I realized that the gentleman I was seeing on the ground on the curb by his mailbox was not picking weeds but was, instead, in great distress as he sank down and face-planted into the grass as I made the corner and threw the car into park. I had hung up on the hubby to jump out and rush across the street, but it didn’t take hubby long to track my location and appear on scene. When all was said and done, several neighbors also came to aid and we managed to get the gentleman up into his garage and out of the sun as the ambulance arrived to check him out. We bid adieu and headed for home after his son-in-law arrived to serve as translator for the paramedics. So needless to say, I didn’t really have any emotional energy left to design once I got home and finally settled down after the rush of adrenaline.

But I’m back at it today. This week, we’ve been using the Florals in Bloom suite to create our designs. And today we’re pairing up the dies in this suite with the Plaster Painting embossing folder and More Messages stamps & dies to create this lovely encouragement card.

We start with a base of Secret Sea cardstock. The background panel is a quarter sheet of Secret Sea that has been machine embossed with the Plaster Painting embossing folder, and then I used some silver metallic ink to bring out the details in the embossed panel. The focal section consists of florals cut using the Pretty Florals dies and a combination of Strawberry Slush, Pretty in Pink, Pool Party, and Pretty Peacock cardstocks. To add some extra shimmer to the flowers, I cover the Strawberry Slush blooms with Wink of Stella before adhering the detail Pretty in Pink pieces on top. The floral centers are a cluster of the Strawberry Slush gems. The sentiment from More Messages is stamped on Smoky Slate cardstock in Gray Granite ink and then diecut with the coordinating More Messages die. I adhered a twist of silver trim behind the sentiment before adhering it to the side of the blooms off-center on the card front. We finish things off with some silver drusy embellishments to tie everything together and draw the eye across the design.

I designed this particular card with our office intern in mind and I can’t wait for her to receive the card on the farewell day of her summer internship!

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Florals in Bloom

The Right Words

Our design spotlight for this week is the Florals in Bloom suite by Stampin’ Up! Aside from the fact that this suite is gorgeous in every conceivable way, it’s been the perfect spot of sunshine in a week that hasn’t been the happiest here in North Texas. Whether you are personally impacted by the flooding in the Texas Hill Country or not, there seems to be a universal feeling of sadness as we all come to grips with the innocent lives lost in the blink of an eye.

Today’s card design is inspired by those difficult moments where we simply don’t have any words to say. We simply hope that a hug will do. And for cardmakers, sometimes we have to send a hug in the mail. This card pairs the Pretty Florals bundle with The Right Words stamp set for the perfect hug in the mail.

We get started with a base of Coastal Cabana cardstock. The focal panel backdrop is a simple piece of white cardstock diecut with one of the larger Textured Notes dies. I wanted to create a window look and so I used the Everyday Arches dies to create a window frame of white cardstock and then cut a backdrop of Pretty Peacock that is machine embossed with the Distressed Tiles embossing folder to give the look of a paneled wall in the background. Our window is mounted over gold striped mesh ribbon for a subtle bit of twinkle that spans the card front. I loved the idea of a flowering fine climbing outside the window to add that touch of happy color. The flowers are stamped in various shades of pink, yellow, orange, and red-orange on white carsdtock using the Pretty Florals stamps and then diecut with the coordinating dies. The vine is cut from a sheet of the green ombre glimmer paper in the pastel ombre paper pack. The vine and flowers are adhered next to the window using a combination of glue dots and dimensionals to create a layered look. We add little pops of sparkle across the card front with a combination of foil gems in a variety of colors.

The dies in the Florals in Bloom suite offer a lot of opportunity for beautiful designs. We’ll explore more of what the dies can do in our next design. I hope you’ll drop by and check it out.

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Sentiments · Sketchy Fridays

Sketchy Fridays: Thinking of You

Happy Sketchy Fridays on a Saturday! It was a long work day yesterday and I didn’t have any giddyup left. This week, we’re putting our sentiments center stage in our designs.

For those of you who are new here, Sketchy Fridays is a weekly series where we use a card sketch to design our featured card.

This week’s card is based on Sketch #691 from the Instagram Freshly Made Sketches crew. Today’s design features the new Sentimental Framing stamp set and Beautiful Butterflies die bundle.

We get started with a base of Strawberry Slush cardstock. The background panel of Pool Party is machine embossed with the Beautiful Butterflies embossing folder. I mounted it with the debossed side up because I really liked how this made the floral pattern of the focal strip stand out. Our focal section starts with a strip of the Florals in Bloom patterned paper that is matted with a strip of the yellow Beautiful Bokeh paper. The sentiment from Sentimental Journey takes center stage. It’s stamped in Secret Sea on white cardstock that’s been cut using the Spotlight on Nature dies. The sentiment panel is mounted on dimensionals over a twist of the iridescent striped ribbon. I added a small butterfly cut from pastel ombré glimmer paper and Secret Sea cardstock using the Beautiful Butterfly dies. It’s mounted just above the sentiment on dimensionals to draw the eye in. A few In Color flat pearls on either side of the sentiment panel finish things off.

A little later today, we’ll be wrapping up our sentiment series. And I’m going to offer you a little sneak peak at some upcoming Online Exclusives that release in just a little over a week! I hope you’ll drop back by and check it out.

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Mother’s Day

Lovely Mom

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms, moms-to-be, grands, and moms in the gap. What a privilege it is to love and care for another. There isn’t more truth than a child is a piece of your heart walking outside your chest.

This week we’re exploring all the ways we can use our crafty stash to make lovely things for our moms. And we’re finishing out our series with the Thankful Garden bundle.

This lovely gets started with a base of Blackberry Bliss cardstock. The focal panel backdrop starts with a quarter panel of white cardstock that is machine embossed with the Dotted Circles embossing folder and is then matted with the Thoughtful Designs specialty paper. Our Thankful Garden bundle takes center stage here with the hydrangea bloom in the center. After stamping the image on white cardstock several times, I used the decorative masks to color the image. I chose to have the blooms be a combination of pink and purple — which was my grandmother’s favorite hues to aim for with her hydrangea (easier said than done). A layer of Wink of Stella over the blooms makes them shimmer in the light. The coordinating dies made quick work of cutting out the bloom and adding the life-like dimension. A combination of pink and purple regal dots serve as the floret centers. I cut some extra stems of leaves from a combination of the Lovely Garden patterned paper and a sheet of Shaded Spruce and laid the hydrangea bunch on top. The sentiment is created using a combination of Sweet Blooms dies and She’s the Greatest stamps. The lovely is cut from purple silver foil and Berry Burst glimmer paper. I adhered the two layers together with the glue pen before adhering over a bow of iridescent striped ribbon. I stamped Mom in Blackberry Bliss on white cardstock and used a heart punch to cut it out. It’s adhered with a dimensional. A few drusy embellishments finish things off with an extra sparkle.

We’re going to be honoring our teachers next week as prepare to wind down the last couple of weeks of school. I hope you’ll drop by for some cute ideas to thank the folks who work selflessly and tirelessly all year to impart knowledge into the next generation!

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Mother’s Day

The Best Mom

Welcome to a bright and shiny new week! I don’t know about you, but I can’t even believe that we’re starting the month of May. The end of school is going to be here in a flash!

This week, we get to welcome a whole host of brand new products to the store. Are you excited? I know I am! There’s so much good stuff coming. I hope last week’s sneak peeks have you interested in seeing more because there is SO much more to see, and I just know you’re going to love it.

We’re getting started with a new design theme for the week, and with Mother’s Day just a week away, I thought it would be the perfect theme for our designs. And speaking of sneak peeks, we’re getting a little better look at the Pretty Florals bundle, which will be part of the new release, in today’s card.

We get started with a base of Fresh Freesia cardstock. Using the Plaster Painting embossing folder, I embossed just the front panel of the card. I added a piece of the coordinating pastel ombre glimmer paper to the left side against the fold, and this particular piece has the perfect subtle shift from pink to purple. I used a strip of the Blackberry Bliss and gold trim to cover the edge of the glimmer paper and tie together with our focal elements. The sentiment from the She’s the Greatest stamp set is stamped in Blackberry Bliss on white cardstock and then diecut with the largest banner die from the Mixed Labels set. It’s adhered in the bottom corner of the card front with dimensionals. Using the Pretty Florals dies, I cut the flowers from a combination of Petunia Pop and Blackberry Bliss cardstock. The leaves are cut from the Old Olive Season of Elegance paper. I added some Wink of Stella to the blooms for a touch of subtle twinkle. The florals are all adhered to the card front around the sentiment panel at varying heights with a combination of glue dots and dimensionals. We finish things off with a scatter of Blackberry Bliss shimmer gems for the perfect touch of sparkle.

I hope you’ll pop back by tomorrow for another bit of Mother’s Day inspiration.

Products used in today’s card:
Fresh Freesia, Petunia Pop, Blackberry Bliss, Basic White cardstock
Pastel Ombre glimmer, Season of Elegance DSP
Plaster Painting embossing folder
Pretty Florals bundle (coming soon)
She’s the Greatest stamps
Mixed Labels dies
Blackberry Bliss & gold metallic ribbon (retired)
Purple fine shimmer gems
Wink of Stella
Dimensionals

florals

So Lucky

We’re rounding out our walk through the garden this week with a trip to the country. Today’s card design features the Country Flowers set by Stampin’ Up!, which is currently on the Last Chance list, and a card layout I spotted in a recent post shared over at Stampin’ Through the Catalog. I adapted the layout and color palette to fit the products I wanted to use.

We get started with a base of Gray Granite cardstock. I also cut a quarter panel and then ran it through the embossing machine with the Distressed Tiles embossing folder before cutting it down to a smaller size for the focal panel backdrop. This small embossed strip is matted with a piece of gold textured paper to help it stand out against the tone-on-tone card base. I layered a piece of the Nature’s Sweetness foiled paper on top. For the focal panel, I cut a piece of Misty Moonlight with one of the middle circles from the Spotlight on Nature die set and then heat embossed the sentiment from Country Flowers in white. The teapot from Country Flowers is stamped in Gray Granite onto the lighter woodgrain pattern from the Country Woods paper pack, while the flowers are stamped on white and then colored with a combination of Stampin’ Blends before cutting out the floral bunch with the coordinating Country Flowers die. The teapot and flowers adhered to the focal panel with dimensionals and the focal panel is then adhered to the center of card front with dimensionals, as well. I added some gold ribbon on the teapot and someiridescent faceted gems to the floral centers to finish off the arrangement. Some drusy embellishments finish things off with the perfect touch of sparkly goodness.

I hope you’ll tune in this week as we get a look at some of the new goodies that are set to launch in a little over a week!

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florals

Butterfly Garden

We’re tiptoeing through the craft garden this week as we focus on our stash of floral Stampin’ Up! goodies. Today, we’re combining the Layers of Beauty bundle with Beautiful Butterflies to create this beautiful all-occasion card. I stepped out of my comfort zone a little bit as I played around with applying a light ink wash to my stamped panel using blending brushes and I even threw ink a little ink resist for grins.

We start today’s design with a base of Blackberry Bliss cardstock. Using the Beautiful Butterflies embossing folder, I machine embossed just the front panel of the card base. The focal panel is a white panel stamped with a combination of the Layers of Beauty stamps to create a patterned paper. I used the coordinating decorative masks to lightly fill in the center rose image with a combination of Fresh Freesia, Blackberry Bliss, and Shy Shamrock inks. I added some smaller butterflies in three corners with white embossing powder. And then I set about applying a light application of Blackberry Bliss and Pretty Peacock wash to the edges of the panel, leaving the center image mostly uncovered. The focal panel is adhered to the card base with dimensionals. A paper butterfly approaching the roses completes the garden scene. I added a twist of metallic ribbons to the top — a combination of Pretty Peacock, Blackberry Bliss, and Gold striped mesh ribbon (set to release in May). Two tone sparkle gems and rhinestones add some sparkle and draw the eye across the card design.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to go through with this card design because I didn’t feel very confident with the color wash panel. But sometimes you just have to keep going until you get all of the right elements in place to make it all come together.

Tomorrow we’re going to be hopping with the Luv 2 Stamp Group. I hope you’ll drop in and see what garden goodness awaits!

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Holidays

Sure of What We Can’t See

Welcome to the start of a brand new week. I hope you enjoyed a restful weekend. We had gorgeous weather in our area for the Palm Sunday weekend and spent a fair amount of time outside enjoying it. Any my allergies would certainly concur!

As we embark on Holy Week this week, we’ll be using our crafty stash to make cards appropriate for the occasion. And today’s card aptly pays tribute to Palm Sunday as the entirety of Easter season reminds us that we have an everlasting hope in what we cannot see!

We get started on today’s card with a base of Pecan Pie cardstock. The focal panel background consists of two panels cut using the Textured Notes dies. The main panel is a quarter sheet of Smoky Slate that is machine embossed with the Distressed Tiles embossing folder and then the mat is a sheet of the gold mercury vellum. Our focal image is a two-parter. The cross is cut from Early Espresso using the Faith Collection dies and that’s mounted on top of the coordinating palm branches that are stamped tone-on-tone onto Mossy Meadow before being diecut with the coordinating die. A twist of gold thread behind ties our gold elements together nicely. The sentiment from Unbounded Love is stamped in Early Espresso on white cardstock and then diecut with the Autumn Leaves sentiment banner. A few low profile dots around the focal section draw the eye in.

I hope you’ll follow along this week as create Easter designs.

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Retiring

Country Love

Whew, we’ve made it to the weekend! I don’t know about you guys, but I really ride the struggle bus toward the end of the week. The week is go-go and my energy is no-no. And my crafty mojo just hasn’t been very cooperative lately. Anyone else?

This week, we’re looking at some of my favorite sets that have made it to the Stampin’ Up! Last Chance list. If any of these happen to be your favorites, now is the time to add to cart before they’re gone for good! Today’s design uses a combination of my crafty favorites — Cute Crochet embossing folder, Country Flowers and Sending Love dies, and an already-retired sentiment called Heartfelt Hellos. I’ve seen so many cute designs that incorporate an envelope exploding with flowers and just knew I had to take a stab at it. Our color palette is inspired by two colors from a triad — with hues of turquoise and purple.

We get started with a neutral base of basic white cardstock. I embossed a quarter panel of Fresh Freesia with the Cute Crochet embossing folder and then diecut with the largest Perennial Postage die to serve as the backdrop for our main focal panel. I cut an envelope from white cardstock using the Sending Love dies and then foliage and flowers using the Country Flowers dies. The foliage is a combination of Old Olive cardstock and Season of Elegance papers and then the flowers are cut from a variety of glimmer papers, including pastel ombre, Summer Splash, and white. The florals are spilling out of the envelope with layers of dimensionals giving us our realistic-looking arrangement. A combination of gems give us our floral centers, including In Color, two tone sparkle, and purple shimmer gems and iridescent faceted gems. The sentiment from the retired Heartfelt Hellos set is stamped in Fresh Freesia on Pool Party cardstock and then cut with the Mixed Labels dies. I cut a second Mixed Label banner from Highland Heather glimmer paper, cut the banner in half, and then offset the pieces on either side to create a mat for the sentiment panel. I tied some Fresh Freesia seam binding ribbon around the embossed panel before adhering the other elements with dimensionals. A few purple sequins add an extra touch of sparkle and draw the eye to our sentiment.

I still have a few more of my retiring favorites to show you, so I hope you’ll pop back by over the weekend to see how we can use these sets!

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Retiring

You’re Too Kind

With the release of new products to the Last Chance products list, it seemed like a fitting time to revisit some of my favorite products that will be leaving us for good. And today’s card combines quite a few of my faves in one design — Painted Lavender, Distressed Tiles embossing folder, and the Wanted to Say sentiment die set.

I really wanted the lavender to take center stage, so I kept the color palette super simple. We start with a backdrop of Smoky Slate cardstock. I machine embossed a quarter panel of slate using the Distressed Tiles embossing folder and then cut it down by about a quarter-inch. I matted the panel with Highland Heather glimmer paper to really help our purple elements pop. The focal floral stems in the center are all cut using the Painted Lavender dies. The grass is cut from Mossy Meadow and the lavender stems are cut from a combination of the purple-hued silver foil specialty paper (retired). The lavender blooms are cut from a combination of pastel ombré glimmer paper and the (retired) Highland Heather glimmer paper and are adhered to the stems with glue dots. I arranged the greenery to overlap like a hand-tied floral bundle and secured the stems together with a small strip of tape and adhered to the background panel with a dimensional. I used a small bow of velvet ribbon to cover the tape and dimensional and to solidify the look of a hand-tied bundle of flowers. The sentiment is cut from silver foil sheets and Highland Heather glimmer paper using the Wanted to Say dies. The sentiment is adhered together using a glue pen and then affixed to the background panel at the base of the floral stems with dimensionals. I added purple shimmer gems for pops of purple shimmer across the card front and to accentuate a few of the lavender flower centers.

You could very easily transform the look of this lavender nosegay by simply swapping out the purple accents for another color. There are many wildflowers that resemble lavender stems but with florets in a variety of colors.

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