Happy Graduation--#tgifc261

It's a fun product challenge this week at TGIF Challenges:  Use Your Words.  This challenge highlights word dies. I pulled out my retiring Well Written dies (#148534) to create a Happy Graduation card.  It is sad that traditional graduation ceremonies are not taking place this year--especially for our high school seniors who didn't experience proms, awards nights and all the fun end of the year events that mark this important time of passage into adulthood.  Without the ceremonies and parties, graduates still need a recognition of their achievement and I've had many customers ask for graduation cards.  It has been fun creating these cards in Upson-Lee High School colors:  purple, silver and black.  

Here is the one I created for this challenge and also for a friend who wants a card for her son's girlfriend:

When Blackberry Bliss was first introduced as an In Color, I promoted it as the perfect Upson-Lee purple!  So it is the card base and the 4-layer die cut "happy".  

The focal point is the large floral stem from Forever Blossoms stamp set (#151457).  It was stamped in VersaMark, heat embossed in Silver and colored with the Purple Posy Combo (149566) and Soft Sea Foam combo (#148059) Stampin' Blends. The stamped piece was layered on Basic Black card stock and then on Silver Glimmer paper (#146960).  

"Graduation" is from the retiring Well Said stamp set (148796) it was stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed in Silver on Basic Black card stock.  Three Rhinestones (#144220) complete the card.

Check out the fun uses for word dies over at the TGIF Challenges blog here.

Here's to all the graduates this year!

--Sara Nell

Free as a Bird Mother's Day Card--#tgifc260

It's time for a TGIF Challenges technique challenge this week.  The technique is belly bands.  I usually do belly bands on boxes, but today I made a gatefold card with a belly band.  I had fun with it because I rarely do gatefold cards--so two construction techniques for me today!

The card base is Pool Party cut 5-1/2" X 8-1/2" and scored at 2-1/8" from each short end. I used three patterns from the Bird Ballad designer series paper pack (#149592).  Two pieces of the feather pattern were cut to 5-3/8" X 2" and layered on the two sides of the gatefold on the card base.  The belly band is the bird cage pattern cut at 1-1/2" X 10-1/2". It was wrapped around the card and taped together in the front with Tear & Tape adhesive.  The birds on the focal point circle were fussy cut from another pattern of Bird Ballad paper.  The birds were layered on a stitched circle (Stitched Shapes dies, #145372) die cut out of Pool Party and a scalloped circle (Layering Circles dies, #141705) die cut out of Calypso Coral.  

The greeting is from Strong & Beautiful stamp set (#148732).  Three strands of Whisper White baker's twine (#124262) tied in a bow with the ends curled and three Basic Pearls (#144219) complete the card.

There are some inspiring belly bands over at the TGIF Challenges blog.  Check them out here.

Hope you have a great weekend!  I'll be stampin'!

--Sara Nell

A Label Me Bold Birthday Note--#tgifc259

Today I have a 3-1/2" X 5" note card for the TGIF Challenges sketch challenge.  I just received the Label Me Bold stamp set (#151631) and I thought it would work well with the sketch and with a smaller card size.  This stamp set was inspired by Stampin' Up! Million Dollar sale achiever, Jasmin Schultze.  I love the label style greetings and the texture images in this set.

For the background circles in the sketch, I used the cloud-like texture stamp stamped in Soft Sea Foam with first and second generation stamping.  I stamped the dotted texture image over these images using Balmy Blue stamped off once.  The greeting is also stamped in Balmy Blue.  It is layered over a Gray Granite circle that was embossed with the Pinewood Planks 3D embossing folder.  I stamped and die cut the Flirty Flamingo flowers (with Gray Granite centers) using the Colorful Seasons stamp set (#143726) and Seasonal Layers dies (#143751).  A bow of Whisper White baker's twine and Basic Pearls colored with the Flirty Flamingo Dark Stampin' Blends marker complete the card. 

There are some really terrific interpretations of this sketch over at the TGIF Challenges blog here.

Happy Stampin'--Sara Nell 

A Rainbow for Encouragement--#tgifc258

This week's TGIF color challenge is Rainbow!!!  I decided to use a rainbow as a backdrop for a message of encouragement to a special (and beautiful!) friend.  Everyone can use a little rainbow in their lives right now.

For my rainbow, I used strips of card stock in the rainbow colors of the Brights Collection:  Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, Poppy Parade, Gorgeous Grape, Pacific Point and Granny Apple Green.  These strips were glue to a piece of Whisper White card stock.  I die cut the leaves image from the Well Written dies (#148534) in Basic Black and glued it on the rainbow.  Then I put this piece through my die cutting machine with the Subtle 3D embossing folder (#151775).  I love how this folder brings the leaves and panels together into one "painted" image.

The greeting is from The Strong & Beautiful stamp set (#148732).  It was stamped and die cut with a Rectangle Stitched die (#148551).   A Basic Black layer over a Whisper White thick card base and three rhinestone "diamonds" complete the card.

There are lots of different rainbows on the projects created for this color challenge over on the TGIF Challenges blog here.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend.

--Sara Nell

Creation Station April Blog Hop--It's What's on the Inside!

Welcome to the Creation Station April Blog Hop! Whether you hopped over from Julie's blog or are starting here, I'm glad to have you visit. We have a really fun hop theme for you this month:  "It's What's on The Inside that Counts!"  We are going to surprise you when we open our projects.  Here's my card:

Did you guess what you'll see when I open the card?

It's an Under the Sea adventure!  I used the Sea of Textures stamp set (#146488) and the coordinating Under the Sea dies (#146334).  The background was created on Watercolor Paper.  I inked up my "F" clear block with Soft Sea Foam, Balmy Blue and Bermuda Bay ink pads, then spritzed both the block and the water color paper with water before centering the inked up block on the paper.  I loved the mottled texture this gives my background.

The background images were stamped in Mossy Meadow, Balmy Blue, Soft Suede, Soft Sea Foam and Rich Razzleberry.  The octopi were stamped in Calypso Coral on Watercolor Paper.  Other die cuts are Mossy Meadow, Soft Sea Foam and Rich Razzleberry stamped on Rich Razzleberry.  The fish were created with embossing paste colored with Crushed Curry reinker and supplemented with a bit of Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' glitter.  (I used the fish die to create a mask to use with the paste).  I also dabbed on a bit of embossing paste tinted with Crumb Cake and a bit of glitter for a sandy bottom.  I embedded some Tranquil Textures Sprinkles in the paste.  Those sprinkles are retired, but I had them and they do add a bit of something, something. . . 

The right hand side of the card has a little secret.  Hiding under the octopus is a packet just the right size for a gift card or cash:

The octopus is adhered to the packet with just one glue dot.  The  packet is Soft Sea Foam stamped with the netting image in Soft Sea Foam, the tall plant in Mossy Meadow and the sea coral in Rich Razzleberry.  Linen Thread was wrapped around the packet three times and tied in a bow.

A note on the card construction:  I had to adjust the card base to accommodate the packet, so I cut my card base at 5-1/2" x 4-1/4", then scored it at 4-3/16" and 4-5/16" to create an 1/8" spine on my card. On the inside, the left-hand side is 5-1/4' x 4" and is adhered directly to the card base with Multi-purpose liquid adhesive.  The right-hand side is 5" x 4" and is adhered to the card base with foam Adhesive Strips on the top, bottom and left-hand side.  The packet slips under this piece with a about a 1/4" reveal. 

The packet is 2-1/4" x 4".   I used a retired die to create my packet but you can easily make one the same size by using a 6" x 6" piece of card stock scored at 1" on two opposite sides and at 1-7/8" on the other two sides. Then trim out the corners, fold it up and glue together, leaving one end open to insert a card or cash.

I hope I've given you a bit of inspiration for your own surprise project!  Now it's time to see the fantastic project Mikaela has for us:

To Mikaela's Blog . . .

Praying that you are staying safe and well!

--Sara Nell

Psalm 112:7

Gold Dipped Poppies--#tgifc257

Gold dipped is the technique challenge this week over at TGIF Challenges. To create a gold dipped element on a card, you first press portions of the die cut or card stock in Versamark ink (#102283), cover it with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder (#109636)and heat it with the Heat Tool (#129053) until the powder is melted and shiny. For my gold-dipped elements,  I die cut 4 flower shapes from the Poppy Moments dies (#151594)  and a rectangle frame using two of the Rectangle Stitched dies (#148551) out of Basic Black card stock.

To create the poppies, I did a Melon Mambo watercolor wash over a piece of Shimmery White card stock (#109910).  I die cut the solid poppy shapes from this piece and then layered on my gold dipped flower pieces.  The resulting poppies were layered over the background with leaves die cut using the same die set and Granny Apple Green card stock.

The background is a Balmy Blue watercolor wash on another piece of Shimmery White card stock.  The greeting is from the Peaceful Moments stamp set (#151595).  I adhered the gold dipped frame to this piece and then to the Melon Mambo card base.  Gold Metallic Pearls complete the card.

There are some beautiful examples showing different ways to use this stunning technique over at the TGIF Challenges blog

Hope you are staying safe.   Please pray for the medical personnel and first responders who are fighting this battle for us even though they are exhausted and ppes are in short supply.  Please do your part to lessen their load by following the published guidelines to help keep this virus contained. 

--Sara Nell