Birthday Wishes for a Friend!

I still had some more papers and elements from the Made to Bloom card kit that needed using.  I put my thinking cap on to design another alternative design of my own using the green patterned paper provided. 

 
Since I needed a birthday card for a friend I decided this would be the theme.  I added a Blackberry Bliss card base and a gold foil mat layer beneath the green pattern.  I used the gold foil edged scallop banner and applied the flowers similar to the card design provided, but with added layering and sparkly center gems.  I fussy-cut and inked-edge distressed the flowers, layered them, dressed them up with acrylic glitter glaze centers and a Goosebump Gem colored to simulate Blackberry Bliss with Copic markers.  At the base of the scalloped banner, I  stamped the "Birthday Wishes" sentiment onto a scalloped die cut matted with a larger gold foil scalloped die-cut to change the finishing edge of the banner and its look.

Take a look at my friend's finished birthday card, inside and out...I think she will enjoy it!  It is a good way to keep in touch as we have not been able to socialize since Covid started.

Ingredients:  Cardstock--Blackberry Bliss, Gold Foil. Kit--Made to Bloom Kit (2019 Occ.). Stamps--Fancy Phrases. Dies--SU Layering Oval Framelits. Sargent Acrylic Glitter Glaze. Queen & Co.--Twinkle Goosebump Gems (Copic colored). ColorBox Chestnut Roan Ink Edge Distressing. EK punch--Victorian Corner. Chatterbox computer verse. Size: 4-3/4x6-inches.

A Daughter's Birthday!

My oldest daughter had a birthday at the end of June.  I have been absent from my craft room for most of the last five months, except for a card here or there, and I have missed making many cards for the special people in my life.  So, I said to myself, "You really must get your creative mojo going and get a card made for your lovely daughter."  And, so I did.  Here is the card that I found a bit of creativity to create for daughter, Michele!  She was very pleased to get a handmade birthday card from Mom.  I think she was surprised and figured I was still avoiding my craft room!

And, here is the inside design and verse.  I am desperately in need of a new printer...it just won't print a clear font; therefore, it is a bit blurry on several lines.

I decided to use my daughter's favorite colors on her card...teals and blues.  I wanted to use a hydrangea bouquet and remembered Stampin' Up's Bouquet Bunch framelits.  I sponged them with similar colors, but added a touch of lilac in the flowers, plus sparkly glitter to the flowers and sentiment die-cut.  I did trim my flower stems and branches just a touch to fit the die-cut framing size that I used.  I offset the die-cut framing to the left side to add a criss-cross ribbon lacing that I learned from fellow cardmaking, Liz Thayer, several years ago.  I used Lots of Labels to die-cut a Shimmer White mat to host my bouquet and stamped it with splatters using the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set and Highland Heather ink.  

Next, I die-cut eight of the four-petal flower bunch to overlay and overlap each other onto my flower stems to give the bouquet depth.  I sponged them with Pool Party, Tempting Turquoise, and Highland Heather inks.  After overlapping them to form the bouquet, I applied Wink of Stella-Clear for shimmer, but it didn't seem enough, so before it dried, I added Dazzling Diamonds glitter, which is really sparkly, but unfortunately, it does not show up in the photo.  I sponged white cardstock in the same inks to make the sentiment die-cut and inside petite scalloped corners.  I used glue stick to apply the sparkly glitter to these pieces as well after I had die-cut the sentiment and punched the corners. 

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstocks--Pacific Point, Bermuda Bay, Shimmery White, Whisper White.  Inks--Pool Party, Tempting Turquoise, Highland Heather.  Stamps--Beautiful Bouquet.  Dies--Bouquet Bunch framelits, Lots of Labels.  Dazzling Diamonds Glitter.  Other:  Recollections Purple Passion.  BoBunny Kiwi Double Dot.  Cottage Cutz Expressions: Happy Birthday.  EK Punch: Medium Scallop Corner.  Offray double-stitch pale aqua ribbon.  Queen & Co. Iridescent Purple Goosebumps. Chatterbox verse.  Size: 4-3/4 x 6 in. 

XOXO Valentine!

I recently purchased the Bloomin' Hearts die from the Stampin' Up 2016 Occasions mini catalog, and I was determined I was going to make a card with it this year.  It seems I usually buy new products during a holiday time, and I don't end up using it until the next year (or even after)!  I was also determined I would use it with a black, white and red color scheme. . .but read on. . .it didn't turn out to be black, white and red!

Making the Card---

While going through my stash of Valentine papers to use for my two friendly cards, which you will see posted at some point in February, I came across what I thought was patterned paper that matched my color idea with white and black mini checks and red hearts on alternate checks.  So, I pulled it out of the stash box and set it aside to make later, because I needed to finish any cards I had to mail, or like my two friendly card that I would be seeing the recipients soon.  

Today, I was all excited, because this was the day I got to use my Bloomin' Hearts die and my black, white, and red color scheme.  All this while the checked paper had been patiently waiting, and my subconscious creative mojo had been stewing over this paper.  Before I even started, I had decided who would receive this card and the style and design I would use.  I was going to make a gatefold card using a black cardstock base and red glimmer paper for its middle layer and for the die-cut heart with a doily underneath my heart.  Lo and behold, this paper was NOT black, white and red, but dark brown, white and red!  "OMGosh, what to do now!"  I had the card layout all visualized, all I had to do was plan the cutting sizes and get to work cutting!  Not to fear, I easily decided an Early Espresso, red and white card would be just as pleasing. . .problem solved.

The paper is double-sided and had a red foil heart border on the back pattern.  I thought this would be kind of cute to add instead of having only the checked pattern, so I planned accordingly.  After I glued the delicate filigree heart die-cut onto my doily, I still felt it was a little flimsy to be the piece you grabbed to open the card, so I thought a large, red cardstock scalloped heart cut with my Scalloped Circle dies would add to its sturdiness and look nice on the backside when the card was opened as well.  This idea worked very well.  

Next, because I decided the white in my paper pattern was actually more of a pale cream and the border was definitely a darker cream, I made my popped flowers on my red filigree heart of a pale cream glitter paper that I had in my stash.  NOTE:  the filigree heart die comes with two little flower dies, one larger than the other, to add where the filigreed heart has these flower shapes in the its pattern.  I finished adding these, the other embellishments, and the sentiment, and satisfied with its look, I proclaimed it done.

For those of you who have viewed and read my blog before, you know what comes next. . .creating and finishing an inside design and verse that compliments my card's, hopefully, creative front.  

Recipe:  Papers:  Cardstock-Stampin' Up Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Red Glimmer; DCWV-Glitter Cardstock Stack; Pattern-TPC Studio--The Reasons I Love You/ Little Lovin'.  Stampin' Up Stamps: Bloomin' Love.  Stampin' Up Ink: Cherry Cobbler.  Stampin' Up Thinlit die: Bloomin' Heart.  Spellbinders: Scallop Circles.  Stampin' Up punch: Word Window (shortened).  Wilton 4" Doily (Michaels).  Queen & Co. Twinkle Goosebumps-Red.  Size:  5-1/2" x 6".