Enjoy Peace--#tgifc326

This week our challenge from the TGIF Challenges team is to create a decorated envelope.  I came into my stamping room with a pretty floral covered envelope in mind but that's not what happened.  I pulled out my Peaceful Place designer series paper pack (#156394, available beginning August 3), turned on my Brandon Lake gospel album, House of Miracles, and created in the peace of His presence.  

I created the 6-1/2" x 4" envelope out of one of the paper patterns in Smoky Slate, Basic Gray, Basic Black and Silver.  I used a long retired envelope template with a rounded flap on one end.  The envelope was wrapped in silver Metallic Mesh ribbon (# 153550) which holds the flap on the back of the envelope closed.  

The greeting is from the Peaceful Cabin stamp set (#156395, available beginning August 3).  It was stamped in Versamark on Basic Gray card stock, heat embossed with Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder (Metallics set, #155555), and then die cut using a Tasteful Labels die (#152886).  

The envelope is decorated with Pearl Basic Jewels (#144219) and Wonderful Snowflakes (#156340, available beginning August  3).  This envelope will be used for a gift card and note during the Christmas holidays. I'll be making more of them!

If you want to up your envelope game, head over to the TGIF Challenges Blog here for lots of inspiration.

May you find and enjoy peace today!

--Sara Nell

Rest & Relax--#tgifc325

This week's Inspiration Challenge from TGIF Challenges is "Vacation Vibes".  My "inspired" project today invokes my dream vacation scenario:  sitting by a mountain lake, resting, relaxing and taking in God's majesty:

The mountain lake view was created with the Mountain Air stamp set (#151610) and coordinating Majestic Mountain dies (#151608).  The background and each stamped element were created on Shimmery White card stock (#101910).  Colors used:  Gray Granite, Soft Succulent, Evening Evergreen, and watercolored Balmy Blue and Misty Moonlight.  Fresh Freesia shimmer vellum (#155616, 2021-2023 In Color Shimmer Vellum) was used to die cut the background mountain range.  

The frame was created with a Stitched Rectangles die out of Soft Suede card stock. It was embossed with the Timber 3D embossing folder (#156406, available beginning August 3 in the July-December 2021 Mini Catalog).  

The greeting is from the Timeless Tropical stamp set (#151497).  It was stamped in Gray Granite on a Shimmery White Stitched Rectangles die cut. 

Find your own inspired dream vacation scenario in this week's entries over at TGIF Challenges.

Have a restful and relaxing weekend!

--Sara Nell

A Floral Thank You--#tgifc324

It's sketch challenge week at TGIF Challenges!  I chose one piece of Hand-Penned designer series paper (155499)--one of the papers currently on sale at 15% off--to start my card:  one side for the bottom of the card and the other for the top.

The stamped images are from the Color & Contour stamp set (#154994).  All were stamped in Highland Heather, with a squiggle of Daffodil Delight Light Stampin' Blends color in the center of each flower.  The blossoms and Daffodil Delight large scallop and scalloped frame were die cut using the Scalloped Contour Dies (#155560, bundled with the stamp set at 10% off, #158356).  The Mint Macaron leaf branch was die cut using the Forever Flourishing dies (#152714).  Three Mint Macaron Genial Gems (#155500) complete the card.

Check out the TGIF Challenges Blog here for some wonderful interpretations of this sketch:

Have a Happy Weekend!

--Sara Nell

Happy for You--#tgifc323

It's time for another color challenge from TGIF Challenges!  This month the colors are:  Granny Apple Green, Fresh Freesia and Polished Pink.

I used the Color & Contour Bundle (#158356, including the Color & Contour stamp set,#154994, and the Scalloped Contours Dies, #155560) to create my card.  The images were stamped in Jet Black StazOn ink (#101406) on to Shimmery White card stock (#101910).  The flower was watercolored in Polished Pink and Granny Apple Green inks, then die cut and layered over the greeting piece onto a scalloped edged Granny Apple Green frame. The greeting was die cut using a Stitched Rectangles die (#151820).  Three Fresh Freesia 2021-2023 In Color Jewels (#155571) were added to this layer.

The card base is Basic White Thick card stock (#159229) layered with a scalloped frame die cut out of a Fresh Freesia paper pattern from the 2021-2023 In Color 6" x 6" designer series paper assortment (#155641).  A piece of Polished Pink 3/8" open weave ribbon (#155714) was threaded through two opposite scallops and adhered to the back of this layer. 

For more color inspiration, head over to the TGIF Challenges Blog here.

Have a great day!

--Sara Nell

 

July Creation Station Blog Hop--Texture

 

Welcome to the July Creation Station Blog Hop!  So glad you're here!

This month our theme is Texture.  There are so many ways to add texture to your stamping and paper crafting projects--so expect to see many takes on texture today. Enjoy the hop and all of the ideas we're sharing by clicking on the "Next" link at the end of each designer's post.

I absolutely love to create texture on my cards--especially with my backgrounds.  For you today, I did something I've never tried before--a bit of a scary process because I wasn't sure it would work.  My first attempt was with a spritz of Soft Sea Foam, which was too light to create a nice contrast.  Switched to Old Olive and loved the contrast and the mottled colors as the ink dried.

This is the first one with Soft Sea Foam.

The first step was to die cut several leaf branches out of Basic White card stock using a die from the Forever Flourishing dies (#152714).  These were arranged over a piece of watercolor paper (#149612) and adhered with a repositionable dot tape adhesive.  A Stampin' Spritzer (#126185) was filled with water and 5 drops of Old Olive ink refill. This solution was spritzed over the leaf branches on the water color paper.  When the watercolor paper was almost dried, the leaf branches were removed and then the piece was left to dry completely.  Residual dot adhesive and Basic White card stock were rubbed off once the watercolor paper was dry (used my fingers--easy).

Next, the typed words image from the Quiet Meadow stamp set (#155082) was stamped in VersaMark ink three times down the front of the card.  The images were heat embossed with a half and half mixture of White (Basics set, #155554) and Gold (Metallics set, #155555) Stampin' Emboss Powders.  I mixed the two powders to get a less shiny affect on the words for the background.  The background was finished with a splatter of Mossy Meadow ink over the watercolor paper.

The foreground consists of the following layered elements:  Gold Brushed Metallic card stock frame created with two nested Stitched Rectangles dies (#151820)--[happy to see this Brushed Metallic card stock returning in the upcoming new mini catalog on August 3]; large tree trunk and branches die cut out of Soft Suede card  stock using the Beautiful Trees dies (#155840) and embossed with the Bark 3D embossing folder (#155431); a Mossy Meadow leaf canopy die cut with a die from the  Beautiful Trees dies; and a greeting from the Beauty of Friendship stamp set (#154983) stamped in VersaMark on Mossy Meadow card stock, heat embossed with White Stampin' Emboss Powder, and die cut with a Stitched Rectangle die.

A card base of Soft Suede card stock, a layer of Gold Brushed Metallic card stock and some Gold Metallic Pearls (#146282) complete the card.

Now it's time to head over the the talented Vicki Boucher's blog.  Can't wait to see what she has created!

TO VICKI'S BLOG . . .

Wishing all of you a wonderful July and a Happy Independence Day to my friends in the U.S.A!

--Sara Nell

Meadow Flower Bouquet Thanks--#tgifc322

It's another Designer Take Over Challenge this week at TGIF Challenges.  The designer this time around is the very talented Andrea Tracy-Tucker, who you can find on her blog, One Stampin' Mother Tucker.  Her theme challenge is (of course!) Farmhouse Chic.  

Let me be honest here. The only thing I know about Farmhouse Chic is shiplap--and that only because I watched a lot of Fixer Upper episodes.   Andrea and other TGIF Challenges designers used shiplap backgrounds and gingham. So, I followed suit:

My shiplap background was created using strips of a wood grain pattern in the In Good Taste designer series paper pack (#152494).  I gave my shiplap a whitewash finish by dragging my Whisper White Craft ink pad (#147277) across the paper before I cut it into strips.  I layered the strips over an Early Espresso card base leaving a small piece of the card base showing between the strips.

I chose to place a bouquet of wildflowers on my shiplap.  The flower image from the Quiet Meadow stamp set (#155082) was stamped in Soft Suede on Basic White card stock, colored with So Saffron and Old Olive Stampin' Blends combos and fussy cut using Paper Snips and an Exacto knife. The leaf stalks were die cut out of Old Olive and Pear Pizzazz card stock using the coordinating Meadows dies (#155852, bundles with the stamp set at 10% off, #155847).  A bow of Bumblebee 1/4" gingham ribbon (#153658) ties the bouquet together.  

The greeting is from the Biggest Wish stamp set (#155052).  It was stamped in Mossy Meadow ink on Basic White card stock and fussy cut.

Be sure and check out the designer and challenger entries in this week's TGIF Challenge found here.

Have a happy Independence Day weekend!

--Sara Nell

 

 

Peek-a-Boo Birthday Chick--#tgifc321

Our technique challenge this week at TGIF Challenges is to create a Peek-a-Boo window.  I've done framed window type cards, but I don't remember ever having done a peek-a-boo feature, where you open the card to a whole scene of which the peek-a-boo feature is a part.  So, I had a little fun with this challenge.  

First, I had to figure out a good peek-a-boo image. Easy.  The big dancing chicken in the Hey, Birthday Chick stamp set is the perfect character for peeking out a card window.  Next, I had to decide how I was going to construct my card to create a scene behind the peek-a-boo window.  I decided to layer a 5-3/8" x 4-1/8"  top fold card over a standard 5-1/2" x 4-1/4" left-hand side fold card--a card on top of a card.  Then I just started creating, smiling and laughing the whole time.  The Hey, Chick and Hey, Birthday Chick bundles affect me like that.

Both card bases are Balmy Blue card stock.  The front of the top-fold card was embossed with the Bark 3D embossing folder (#155431) and the window die cut using a Layering Circles die (#151770).  The greeting is from the Hey, Chick stamp set (#143331, retiring on June 30 along with the coordinating Chick dies, #158199 and bundled at 10% off, #158627).  It was stamped in Soft Suede on Basic White card stock.  The sign was die cut with one of the Chick dies out of Crumb Cake card stock.  Linen Thread (#104199) was tied around the sign post and the sign was positioned on the card front to look like the chick was holding it out the window with one wing.

When you open the top card, you find a trio of chicks celebrating.  The background is Basic White card stock lightly colored with Balmy  Blue and Crumb Cake using a Blending Brush (#153611).  All of the stamped images are from the Hey, Birthday Chick stamp set (#154464) and were stamped in Soft Suede ink onto Basic White card stock, then colored with Stampin' Blends:  Cinnamon Cider, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Polished Pink, and Balmy Blue.  The die cuts (including the chicken scratches in the ground) were all made with the Birthday Chick dies (#158200).  The stamp set and dies are available in a bundle (#158631) at 10% off only until June 30, after which they will be available separately in the Annual Catalog.  

The inside of the bottom card images from Hey, Birthday chick are also stamped in Soft Suede and colored with Stampin' Blends (including Soft Suede for the chocolate icing).  

Check out more Peek-a-Boo windows over at the TGIF Challenges Blog here.

Hope I've made you smile today!

--Sara Nell