Bloom, Grow & Celebrate--#tgifc269

It's technique challenge week at TGIF Challenges.  The technique is "Stamp Your Own Background"--a skill many of us learned before Stampin' Up! offered designer series paper.  Some of my favorite designer series papers are those that have a watercolor background look, so I took those as the inspiration for my stamped background paper:

To create my background, I started by stamping the two small leaf cluster images from Bloom & Grow stamp set randomly on a piece of Shimmery White card stock.  I stamped in Versamark ink and embossed the images with White Stampin' Emboss Powder.  The last step was to apply a wash of Mint Macaron ink across the paper, first a light wash and then  darkened in some places to give it an uneven look. 

The focal point is a floral cluster from the Bloom & Grow stamp set (#149229) stamped in VersaMark and embossed with White Stampin' Emboss Powder.  I watercolored the images with Mint Macaron, Just Jade, Bumblebee and Magenta Madness inks and then die cut it with the coordinating die from Budding Blooms die set (#149548).  It was layered over a Square Vellum doily (#152484) and a piece of 1/4" Just Jade Ribbon (#153621).

The greeting is a portion of a greeting from the same stamp set.  It was stamped in VersaMark and embossed with White Stampin' Emboss Powder on Just Jade card stock, then fussy cut.  Magenta Madness enamel dots from the 2020-2022 In Color Enamel Dots collection (#152480), a layer of Just Jade and a Whisper White Thick card base complete the card.

Be sure and check out the beautiful stamped backgrounds over at this week's TGIF Challenges Blog here. 

Have a great day!

--Sara Nell

  

So Grateful--#tgifc268

It's sketch challenge week at TGIF Challenges.  This week the sketch includes a trimmed down front panel.  I made the obvious choice and pulled out my Ornate Garden Suite of products (the complete collection, #154153).  Why is this choice obvious?  The suite includes the Ornate Borders die set (#152724)--the perfect way to finish a trimmed down front panel!  It was also an obvious choice for me because I have yet to work with these beautiful border dies.

After playing around with paper and color choices, I ended up using the least ornate border and the coordinating ornate layer from the Ornate Layers die set (#152726):

The front panel was cut down 1".  A piece of Whisper White card stock was added to the inside.  I adhered a 1-1/8" wide strip of paper with the same pattern from the Ornate Garden specialty designer series paper pack (#152488) that I used on the front panel to the right-hand side of the Whisper White inside liner.  I die cut the three Mint Macaron floral strips using another die from the Ornate Borders die set.  I glued these over the paper for the front panel and then trimmed the edges.

The greeting is from the Ornate Thanks stamp set (#149471).  It was stamped in VersaMark and embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder.  The Terracotta Tile ornate layer was put through my die cutting machine three times to cut it down to the size I needed for my greeting.  It was easy to do--just be sure and match up all the holes!  I added some Gilded Gems (#152478) to complete the card.

Visit the TGIF Challenges blog for more inspiration using this sketch:

Have a great week!

--Sara Nell

  

Sunflower Thanks--#tgifc267

I'm feeling a little nostalgic with this week's TGIF Challenges color challenge.  Night of  Navy and Bumblebee are (or were--it's been over 50 years ago) the colors of my Kansas high school service club, the Kayettes. So, naturally, I had to use the club emblem for my card:  the sunflower.  That's where the additional challenge color, Crumb Cake, comes in.

First step was to stamp 5 of the small sunflowers from Celebrate Sunflowers stamp set (#152517).  I stamped them in Soft Suede on Whisper White card stock, colored them with So Saffron and Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends Combos and die cut them using the coordinating Sunflowers dies (#152704, also available in a bundle with stamp set for 10% off).  I trimmed off the leaves and arranged the flowers on the Night of Navy and Crumb Cake tweed pattern from the In Good Taste designer series paper pack (#152494). I trimmed off the overlapping edges from the sunflowers and layered the paper on Night of Navy card stock and then a Bumblebee card stock card base.  

The greeting was stamped in Night of Navy ink on Crumb Cake and die cut using a die from the Rectangle Stitched die set (#148551).  Bumblebee Enamel dots from the 2020-2022 In Color collection (#152480) and two pieces of Linen thread (wrapped around the card twice and tied in a bow) complete the card.

You are going to love the projects made with this fun color combination over at the TGIF Challenges blog here.

Have a great week!

--Sara Nell 

Creation Station June Hop--A Man, My Heart

Welcome to this month's Creation Station Blog Hop.  Our theme this month is "A Man After My Own Heart".  Yes, that means masculine projects.  Whether you've hopped over from Martin's blog or you are starting here, I'm so glad you are visiting.  Be sure and click on the "Next" button below to hop on over to Julie's blog and each "Next" button along your way.  You don't want to miss a thing on this fun hop today!

Let me start off by saying that I absolutely love texture.  When I saw the new In Good Taste Suite, I fell in love--love the stamp set, love the dies, love the embellishments, but most of all I love the In Good Taste designer series paper.  It has a wonderful kind of 3D photo realistic feel.  When I saw it in person, the first thing I wanted to do was stamp mountains on the stacked stone design.  So, that's what I did:

I used 4 separate pieces of the stacked stone paper so that all my layers would be stamped on it.  I started with a 3-7/8" x 5-1/8" layer on which I created a sunset with an almost dry Water Painter and So Saffron and Rococo Rose inks. This is followed by a vellum mountain die cut from Majestic Mountain dies. The next layer is the solid side of the mountain range stamp from Mountain Air stamp set.  I inked it in Gray Granite, stamped off twice and then stamped the stacked stone paper.  I had to fussy cut this piece out.  Next is the mountain range stamped in Gray Granite on the paper and die cut. Finally the tree image was stamped in third generation Old Olive ink and then in Old Olive ink. The tree die cut just the tree line, so I was able to cut down this this layer to fit to the edge of the bottom layer.  The greeting is from the Tasteful Touches stamp set and was stamped in Early Espresso ink.  Linen thread, a layer of Mossy Meadow and a card base of Whisper White thick card stock complete the card.

The gesso smeared Night of Navy canvas paper evoked an angry sea for me, so I pulled out the Sailing Home stamp set and coordinating Smooth Sailing dies to create this second card.  Before adhering the paper to the Night of Navy layer, I embossed it with the Old World Paper 3D embossing folder to amp up the texture factor (I am going to be using this embossing folder a lot!). I added a label die cut using the Tasteful Labels die set and another Night of Navy pattern in the paper pack.  I stamped the compass in Soft Suede and added die cut compass needles in Gold Foil and Soft Suede.  The anchor was stamped in Soft Suede on Gold Foil and embossed with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder.  Sea plants were die cut out of Soft Suede, Night of Navy and Gold Foil.  Linen Thread and Gold Metallic Pearls complete the card.

Now head over to Julie's blog to see her wonderful projects:

To Julie's Blog . . .

Here's a partial supply list:

In Good Taste Suite Collection, #154147, includes: Tasteful Touches stamp set & die bundle, #154098 (includes: Tasteful Touches stamp set, #152562; Tasteful Labels dies, #152896); In Good Taste designer series paper, #152494), plus an embossing folder, and embellishments not used on this project.

Mountain Air Bundle, #153820, includes: Mountain Air stamp set, #151610; Majestic Mountain dies. #151608

Sailing Home stamp set, #149457

Smooth Sailing dies, #149576

Old World Paper 3D embossing folder, #153200

Hope you have a great week!

--Sara Nell

  

Early Morning Bird Song--#tgifc266

It is inspiration challenge week at TGIF Challenges.  My card today was inspired not only by the vellum die cuts TGIF Challenge but also my early morning walks. We've got lots of different birds nesting in our big yard full of brush and oak trees and they have been singing joyfully early in the mornings when Roxie and I take our morning stroll.  We used to have a pair of bluebirds, but they have not been around for a long time (we also have owls and hawks).  I decided to color my 4 little bird chicks image from Free as a Bird stamp set (#149468) Pool Party in honor of the bluebirds:

I wanted to evoke an image of birds singing from the trees, so I created an background for that purpose.  I stamped the leaf image from Free as a Bird randomly over a piece of Whisper White card stock with VersaMark ink, heat embossed it with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder (#109130) and then used a Sponge Brayer (#141714) to layer on Old Olive ink.  

I stamped the bird image in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and colored it with Pool Party combo, Soft Suede combo, Old Olive combo, Mango Melody combo and So Saffron Light Stampin Blends.  I stamped five more leaf images on Vellum card stock (#101856), embossed them with White Stampin' Emboss Powder (#109132), fussy cut them out and colored the backs with an Old Olive Light Stampin' Blends marker.  I adhered these to the back of the fussy cut bird image.  This piece was layered over a Vellum Nested Label die cut with one of the Stitched Nested Label dies (#149638).  

The greeting was stamped in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and fussy cut.  A Whisper White thick card base, a layer of Pool Party card stock and three Pool Party rhinestones from the Holiday Rhinestone Basic Jewels pack (#150457) complete the card.

Go get some inspiration for the Vellum card stock sitting in your stash over at the TGIF Challenges Blog here.

Hope you hear the singing birds this week!

--Sara Nell