A Cased Thank You--#tgifc317

Our inspiration this week over at TGIF Challenges is the new 2021-2022 Annual Catalog. I didn't have to turn many pages to find my inspiration for today's project.  I absolutely fell in love with the new Beauty of the Earth suite on pages 10 & 11 of the new catalog. My inspiration was the Mini Paper Pumpkin gift box at the top of the samples page on page 10.  The designer series paper on the box is my favorite pattern in the Beauty of the Earth paper pack.  I loved the elements on the gift tag but didn't want to make a box, so I turned the gift box into a card--clearly CASED right out of the catalog:

The two changes from the original project (well, three):  the wood grain piece is from the In Good Taste paper pack (#152494) and was embossed with the Tasteful Textile 3D embossing folder (#152718); since the bird die in the Beautiful Trees Dies die cut two birds at a time, I added the second bird sitting on one of the trees in the forested background paper; and I didn't use the Gold Fine Art ribbon that tied up the box. 

Other products used:  Beauty of  Friendship Bundle (#155834, includes Beauty of Friendship stamp set, #154983, and Beautiful Trees dies, #155840); Beauty of the Earth designer series paper (#155841); Linen Thread (#104199); Mossy Meadow and Bumblebee card stock; Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Early Espresso and VersaMark inks, and White Stampin' Emboss Powder (Basics pack, #155554). 

Check out what other stampers found inspiring in the new Annual Catalog over at the TGIF Challenges Blog here.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!  

--Sara Nell

    

Flowers for Your Birthday--#tgifc316

This week's TGIF Challenges sketch challenge gave me an excuse to play with some new Stampin' Up! products.  These were at the top of my new Annual Catalog wish list:  Soft Pastels Assortment (#154585) and Plenty of Patterns Decorative Masks (#155553).  

One of the best pieces of advice I've gotten from artists in various mediums is not to be afraid of experimenting and using up supplies.  Nothing is wasted when you are learning how products work and you will make happy discoveries that inform your work.  So my first step was to play: to see how the pastels worked with different coloring tools and mediums and with the masks.  It was a fun morning and I learned what would give me the best outcome for my project idea:

I love how this card came out and especially love the happy Poppy Parade and Granny Apple Green color combo!  

To start my card, I watercolored on a light layer of Balmy Blue ink for the background and then let it dry completely.  I ended up using Embossing Paste (#141979) with the mask because it was easier to get the pastel color evenly on the flowers.  I filled the entire piece of Shimmery White card stock with the flowers on the mask and then colored every other row to create the stripes in my background.  I used Shimmery White card stock because it can stand up to moisture better than Basic White.

To use the pastels, I shaved a bit of the color from the stick onto a clear block, using the mini spatula on the Take Your Pick tool (#144107).  Then I used a barely moist water painter (##151298) to slightly dampen the pastel grains and and paint the flowers (being sure to wipe the painter off regularly while painting).  I kept the mask on the card stock while I was coloring to help keep the images well defined.  (It made clean up a bit harder, but I thought it was worth it!).

The greeting is from the new Biggest Wish stamp set (#155052).  It was stamped on Basic White card stock and die cut using a Stitched Rectangles die (#151820).  This was layered over a scalloped frame die cut using a die from the new Scalloped Contours die set (#155560).  A piece of Faux Linen ribbon (from Flowers for Every Season ribbon combo pack, #153620) colored with the Poppy Parade Light Stampin' Blends (Combo pack, #154958) completes the card.

Head over to the TGIF Challenges Blog to get lots of inspiration for using this sketch:

Have a great time playing with your new products today!

--Sara Nell

A Dandelion Thank You--#tgifc315

It's color challenge week at TGIF Challenges! We have BRIGHT colors to use this week:  Mango Melody, Daffodil Delight and Magenta Madness.   I started my card for this challenge with one of my favorite background techniques.  I inked up a Clear Block "D" (#118485) with all three color ink pads, spritzed it with water and pressed it into a piece of watercolor paper (#149612):

I love that you never know how these clear block prints will come out!  This one came out with lots of Mango Melody and Magenta Madness and just a bit of Daffodil Delight with some little splatters of Mango Melody on the side. 

To complete the card, I stamped the dandelion bunch image from Garden Wishes stamp set (#154408) in Jet Black StazOn ink (#101406).  I used a masked out greeting image from the Dragonfly Garden stamp set (#154411).  I stamped the "Thank you" in VersaMark ink (#102283) onto watercolor paper and heat embossed it with Black Stampin' emboss powder (Basics set, #155554).  I placed a strip of Mango Melody card stock under the greeting piece and cut it at the same angle as the greeting piece.

I layered my watercolor piece over a piece of Basic Black card stock.  I colored a piece of white baker's twine (Baker's Twine Essentials Pack, #155475) using my Mango Melody Dark Stampin' Blends (now retired--oh no!) and tied it around the layers and under the greeting piece.    Three Matte Black Dots (#154284) and a card base of Mango Melody complete the card.

Check out the wonderful projects using this color combo over at TGIF Challenges here.

Have a wonderful week!

--Sara Nell

Thinking of You Butterflies--#tgifc314

It's Designer Take Over Week at TGIF Challenges!  Talented designer Charlet Mallett has challenged us with "Oh My Ombre'".   I chose to create my ombre' card with strips of card stock in Pale Papaya, Fresh Freesia, Highland Heather  and Gorgeous Grape:

My card stock strips are 1-5/16" x 4" layered on a piece of 5-1/4" x 4" Basic White card stock.  This piece was embossed with the Ornate Floral 3D embossing folder (#152725), then layered over a Basic White Thick card base.

The Basic White butterflies were die cut using the Brilliant Wings dies (#155523).

They were adhered to the card front with glue dots and centered with a Pale Papaya Genial Gem (#155500).

The sentiment is from the Beauty of Friendship stamp set (#154983).  It was stamped in Gorgeous Grape and die cut using a label from the Beautiful Trees dies (#155840, or bundled with the Beauty of Friendship stamp set at 10% off, #155834).

There are some amazing ombre' projects over at the TGIF Challenges Blog here.  Be sure and check them out!

Have a great day!

--Sara Nell

Creation Station May Hop--What Do You Sea?

 

Hello and welcome to the May Creation Station Blog Hop!  Our theme this month is connected to wherever we find ourselves by the water--we are looking out and being inspired by what we "sea".  To enjoy each designer's blog in the hop, click on the "Next" link at the end of each blog. We have lots to share with you today.

It has been a while since I've been to a beach by the ocean or a lake in a sailboat; however, my grandson did bring me seashells he found on the beach just a couple of weeks ago.  I look forward to walking on the beach with him soon, so I used Easton's seashells as my inspiration for these projects today.  I created a set of Basic White and Gold cards using the Friends Are Like Seashells Bundle (#156205, which includes the Friends Are Like Seashells stamp set, #154368, and Seaside Seashells Dies, #156095) and the coordinating Seashells 3D embossing folder (#154309).  

Each card was created with a simple design and a different type seashell as the focal point.  Each shell (except the sand dollar) was stamped in VersaMark ink, then heat embossed with a mixture of 2/3rds Clear embossing powder and 1/3rd Gold embossing powder.  Then it was die cut and embossed with the 3D embossing folder.  The edges of each shell were heat embossed with Gold embossing powder.

The shell on each card was centered on a rectangle of Basic White card stock which was embossed with the Tasteful Textile 3D embossing folder and layered over a piece of Gold Foil.

Each sentiment was stamped in VersaMark ink and heat embossed with Gold embossing powder. Each card base is Basic White Thick card stock.

The sand dollar image was stamped in VersaMark, heat embossed with Gold embossing powder and die cut.

Let's head over to Jeanna Kay's blog to find out what she "seas".  It is sure to be wonderful!

To Jeanna Kay's blog . . .

Have a wonderful May!

--Sara Nell