Falling in Love with Watercolor Wings

Hey, friends!

I've been on a roll this week with my crafting!  It's to the point where my poor husband suggested that if he put his dirty laundry in an empty Stampin' Up box maybe I'd notice it.  LOL!  I guess that tells you something!

I'm on a mission to use more of my designer papers in my projects and not be a paper hoarder.  This paper is out of the Falling in Love Designer Series.  I loved the soft colors and it occurred to me that it would be perfect to pair with Watercolor Wings!

I made multiples of these with only subtle changes because I liked the design so well.  The colors in the DSP are Sweet Sugarplum, Blushing Bride, Sahara Sand, Soft Sky and Very Vanilla.  This one uses Sweet Sugarplum cardstock for the base.  This is a fancy fold - let me show you how it's done:

Start with a piece of cardstock 5-1/2" x 11".  Score the long side at 1-1/4", 4", & 6-3/4".  You will need three pieces of designer paper, 1" x 5-1/4", 2-1/2" x 5-1/4" & 4" x 5-1/4".  You will also need one piece of Very Vanilla cardstock cut 2-1/2" x 5-1/4" for the greeting panel.  Stamp your greeting panel however you like before attaching it to the card base.  Here I used Sweet Sugarplum, Blushing Bride and Sahara sand inks.  The butterfly and the dots are part of the Watercolor Wings stamp set and the words are from Endless Birthday Wishes.  This is a great set to have in your collection - there are tons of words and phrases that you can mix & match to create just the right birthday greeting!

Attach the two larges pieces of designer paper and the greeting as shown here before folding.  Then flip the card over and attach the last piece of DSP on the opposite side:

INCIDENTALLY,   Endless Birthday Wishes and the Falling in Love Designer Series Papers are both retiring and could be out of stock soon.  Click the SHOP NOW button at the end of this post to check on the status of either item.

Once you have attached the 3 pieces of designer paper and the greeting panel, fold into an "M" shape on the scorelines.

The butterfly embellishment is a 3-step stamp.  Stamping the darkest images on the cardstock first helps you line up the subsequent images easier.  I stamped (1) the edges of the wings in Sweet Sugarplum; (2) the solid image in Blushing Bride, stamped off once; and (3) the center of the wings in Blushing Bride, full strength.  The body and "just for you" are stamped in Sahara Sand.  The embellishment is die-cut with the Layering Squares Framelits.  The matching scalloped framelit is die-cut from Sweet Sugarplum Glimmer Paper (a Sale-a-Bration free item).  TIP:  The best adhesive for attaching anything to Glimmer Paper is Mini Glue Dots.  A brush of Clear Wink of Stella on the edges of the wings adds extra glimmer!

On this one I used Sweet Sugarplum cardstock for the scalloped square and added Basic Rhinestone Gems to the wings for glimmer.

This is such a pretty fold both open and closed.  It makes a beautiful card for your recipient to display.

The Watercolor Wings butterfly looks beautiful on the outside of your envelopes, too.  You know it's something special inside when you pull this out of the mailbox!


Product List

Watercolor Wings Photopolymer Stamp Set

[139424]

Falling In Love Designer Series Paper

[142788]

Sweet Sugarplum 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[141418]

Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

[101650]

Endless Birthday Wishes Photopolymer Stamp Set

[140273]

Sweet Sugarplum Classic Stampin' Pad

[141395]

Blushing Bride Classic Stampin' Pad

[131172]

Sahara Sand Classic Stampin' Pad

[126976]

Layering Squares Framelits Dies

[141708]

Glue Dots

[103683]

Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush

[141897]

Rhinestone Basic Jewels Embellishments

[119246]

Thanks for visiting & happy stamping,
Pat

Another Special Reason

Hi Stampers,

I am loving the versatility of the Special Reason Bundle.  There are so many ways to use this set and I've been busy exploring them all!

What a lovely card for a special Springtime birthday!

The colors are Flirty Flamingo, Peekaboo Peach, Sweet Sugarplum and Pear Pizzazz.  The card base is Thick Whisper White and the card front is regular weight Whisper White.  To create this card, the first step is to die-cut the largest flower from the Special Reason Bundle into the card front.  Then lay it on top of the card base and using a sharp pencil, make tiny dots at the ends of 5-6 petals around the card to indicate where it will be when the card is assembled.  Set the card front aside.

Using Flirty Flamingo and a Sponge Dauber, sponge ink onto the card base behind the die-cut, darker at the bottom and fading as you work toward the top of the flower.  Lay the die-cut over the top of the sponging as you work to see how it will look when you're finished.  When you are satisfied with the sponging, spatter the sponged area with Clear Wink of Stella.

Stella!!  How you sparkle!

The Peekaboo Peach and Sweet Sugarplum flowers are stamped and die-cut then adhered to the card front with Multipurpose Liquid Glue.  I took one extra step on both of these flowers, I used the matching Stampin' Write Marker to darken some of the petals for extra dimension.  Here's a photo that shows the difference - the flower on the left is stamped only, the one on the right has been highlighted with the marker.

 The flowers in this set are not a totally solid stamp, and that look is intentional.  For this card, I wanted more of a light & dark effect, that's why I added the marker to the insides of the petals.

The inside is simple and elegant.

"Happy Birthday" is included in the Special Reason Bundle.  It's stamped in black and die-cut with the Bunch of Banners Framelits and tied onto the card front with a length of  Basic Black Baker's Twine.

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

Happy stamping,

Pat

A Thoughtful Gift

Hi Stampers,

I've been hooked on the new Thoughtful Branches bundle since I got it.  My latest project is this set of five note cards with a matching gift box.  Thanks go to Jenny Moors, UK Stampin' Up! Demonstrator for the inspiration!  I followed her instructions for the box to a T, then put my own spin on the cards!  Here's the full set:

The cards were all made using the Stampin' Up! notecards.  They're made from thick Whisper White cardstock already scored for you, and they come twenty to a package including envelopes for $6.00 US.  I love how simple yet impressive these cards are.  The Sweet Sugarplum hydrangeas are painted with clear Wink of Stella - that's the shimmer that you see in the photo.  The tree trunk in the foreground was embossed with Copper - love it with the pinks.  Change up the greeting and this card would make a wonderful thank you for a baby shower, with its soft blue and pink hues.  Check back later this week for more details on how I made each card!

Happy stamping,
Pat

Thoughtful Branches Hydrangea

Hi Stampers,

I'm so excited to share with you today a sneak peek at the new, limited edition Thoughtful Branches Bundle!  You can purchase it beginning August 2 through August 31, while supplies last.  As a demonstrator, I was able to order it early and begin using it right away.  Did I mention how awesome it is to have early access to new products and catalogs?  One of the many perks of being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.  I love my job!

As soon as I saw this stamp set, all I could think of was using it to create beautiful hydrangeas (one of my favorites)!

I love these colors together.  The background cardstock is Smoky Slate with some random Gorgeous Grunge dots stamped in Smoky Slate.  I always reach for Gorgeous Grunge whenever I feel like there's something missing from a card.  I hope that set never retires - I would be so sad!  My hydrangea is mounted on a 4" square of Shimmery White cardstock that has a light watercolor wash of Sweet Sugarplum.  The squiggly frame is one of the design elements from Tin of Cards.  The leaves are die-cut from Pear Pizzazz, my favorite go-to green.  The star of the show is in 2 layers - I stamped it  first using Sweet Sugarplum ink on Sweet Sugarplum cardstock.  Then I die-cut it and cut a second one (not stamped) from Rich Razzleberry which I mounted behind the stamped layer to give it depth.  It doesn't show in the photo (darn!) but the entire flower head is covered in a beautiful, shimmery coat of clear Wink of Stella.

Almost as lovely as the real thing...

Don't forget about Bonus Days - just under two weeks left to earn discounts!  For every $50 of Stampin' Up products you purchase by July 31, get a $5 off coupon to use in August.

Thanks for stopping by today!  I would be honored if you choose me as your Stampin' Up demonstrator.  

Happy stamping,

Pat

Baby Swirly Bird

Hi Stampers,

My obsession with the new Swirly Bird stamps continues!  A lovely young lady that I met in Florida last winter had a baby boy this week and I wanted to send her a special card.  So of course, I wanted to use Swirly Bird.  I'm seriously amazed at how versatile this stamp set is!  Here is my card:

Swirly Bird Bundle #142353

Isn't that little bird watching her eggs just precious?

To make this card, I laid my 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" piece of Soft Sky cardstock on top of my Whisper White card base.  Then I die-cut the largest swirl from a piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock and placed it where I wanted it on the Soft Sky piece.  I traced around the inside of the swirl with a pencil and cut that space out, revealing the card base beneath.  Without moving the Soft Sky piece, I traced the same shape onto the card base.  Now I could see exactly where to stamp my bird's nest.  The brown on the nest is Crumb Cake; the bird is Dapper Denim & the eggs are Soft Sky, brushed with clear Wink of Stella (#141897).  I lightly sponged the area above the nest with Soft Sky.

The next step was to stamp swirls randomly on the Soft Sky cardstock with Soft Sky ink.  I love this method of creating a tone-on-tone background.  I had some Soft Sky washi tape that I wanted to use on the card, so I attached a strip of it along the edge of the card base then trimmed 1/4" off the right side of the Soft Sky piece so that it would show.

"Peekaboo to someone new" is from Suite Sayings (#140712).  I stamped it on a banner & trimmed it with another banner cut from Dapper Denim cardstock, a cut doily, and some of the beautiful new ruched ribbon in Dapper Denim (#141424).  The tiny enamel hearts (#141410) are the perfect matching accent.

I hope you like this card.  To celebrate my first year as a Stampin' Up demonstrator, I'm sending a 3-pack of my handmade original cards to new customers with any online order!  Use host code DH3HKDV4 at checkout.  Who knows, this may be one of the cards you receive!

Thanks for stopping by,
Pat

Shimmering Wink of Stella

Hi Stampers!

Have you tried the Wink of Stella Glitter Brush yet?  I'm totally sold on this product.  They call it a glitter brush, but I think it should be called a Shimmer Brush.  It's soft and subtle but really packs  a punch on your projects.  I'm sad that it doesn't show up well in photos (like I said, soft & subtle) but here is a project we did at my last class that everyone loved:

The flower is stamped on Shimmery White cardstock (101910) and watercolored using an Aqua Painter (103954) and Pool Party ink.  After it dried, we used the Glitter Brush over the petals.  I so wish you could see the shimmer. Trust me, it's gorgeous!

All the stamping is from the Birthday Blooms (140655) stamp set and the designer paper is Birthday Bouquet (140557).  The stamp set is carrying over to the new catalog, but the designer paper is not so if you love it, be sure to order some before May 31!


The Wink of Stella Glitter Brush is available through Stampin' Up in Clear (141897) (that's what we used on this card) and Gold (141898).

There are a few simple steps to follow to get started with your Wink of Stella.  First, remove the black ring that is keeping the compartment holding the ink from being pierced.  To do this, simply remove the cap and unscrew the top brush portion of the pen from the bottom ink cartridge, remove the black ring & discard it.

Then re-screw the top brush portion of the pen onto the bottom ink cartridge; doing so will pierce it so that the ink can flow.  Replace the cap & shake the pen until you hear a clicking sound.  This indicates that the ink is mixed thoroughly.  (Kind of like mixing a can of spray paint.)  Remove the cap again and gently squeeze the ink cartridge where it says "Push" on the side of the pen.  This will cause the ink to start to fill the clear plastic area behind the brush tip.  Be careful not to press too hard and over fill the ink, as it will cause the pen to leak.

Thanks for stopping by!
Pat