A BOUQUET OF LOVE

It's Monday and time for a new featured Product of the Week.  This week I am featuring the Bouquet of Love Hybrid Embossing Folder.  This embossing folder includes nine dies, and the folder is designed to be used with the largest of the dies, a heart.

Today's card is a "single color" card with a slight touch-of-gold exception.

It's been a while since I created a single-color card.  I used to frequently make all-White or all-Very Vanilla cards for my monthly Stamp Camps, and the class participants always loved them.  The key to an all-one-color card is using several different textures to provide interest.

So, as I was planning the cards for this week with the Bouquet of Love Hybrid embossing folder, I thought it was the perfect time to revive an old-favorite technique.

The Bouquet of Love Embossing Folder certainly provides lots of texture!

Now, you may be looking at this card and saying, "but it's not all one color!"  You are correct.  I did add some gold heat embossing and a gold embossed heart, but everything else is Very Vanilla cardstock.

I started with an 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" Thick Very Vanilla Card base.  The next layer, cut at 5-3/8" x 4-1/8", is embossed with the retired Pinewood Planks 3D embossing folder.  Yes, it is retired, and I usually try to avoid using retired products, but you could just as easily use the Timber 3D Embossing Folder which is still available as a carry-over product from the Holiday Mini.  In actuality, you could use any embossing folder you have because it is really just all about adding texture.

The third layer was made with the Bouquet of Love Hybrid Embossing Folder and the coordinating large heart die.  The fun part of a hybrid embossing folder is that you emboss and die cut all in one step!  And if you are wondering, like I did, is this going to damage the embossing folder?  Nope, it hasn't yet!

Before attaching this layer, I used my sponge dauber to add some VersaMark ink around the edges of the heart cutout.  The edge was then heat embossed with Gold Embossing Powder.  I popped the layer up on dimensionals because I thought it better accented the wood texture showing through the raised, open heart.

I tapped my VersaMark pad on the top of the embossed large heart that was made at the same time as the panel.  I then added some gold embossing powder and heat embossed.

The small heart was die cut from gold foil with another die in the Bouquet of Love Dies and embossed with the Hammered Metal 3D embossing folder.

I found this gold and very vanilla ribbon in my stash and even though it is retired, I thought it was a perfect accent, so decided to use it to add a small bow.

As you know, I don't like to ever leave the inside of my card naked.

I embossed the left edge of the inside Very Vanilla panel with an edge of the Bouquet of Love embossing folder and then added a narrow gold strip to cover the intersection of the embossing and the plain cardstock. 

The sentiments for the front and inside of the card are also gold embossed.  Both are from the Celebrating You Stamp Set.  Celebrating You is a new stamp set in the Spring Mini and it includes a nice variety of sentiments.  You should check it with the link in the Product List below.  It is an awesome all-purpose sentiment set!

If you would like a Free Tutorial for this card, one is available to download using this link.

Just a quick reminder.  We are almost halfway through Sale-a-Bration.   Have you taken advantage of the FREEBIES yet?  For each $50 of merchandise that you purchase you may select a free item from the Sale-A-Bration Brochure.  Don't miss out!

Sale-A-Bration is also one of the best times to join Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator.  Not only can you choose $125 worth of merchandise for only $99 but you also get to select two free stamp sets of your choice.  And don't forget, once you join, you will also receive a 20% discount on future purchases as long as you remain a demonstrator.

If you would like any additional information on how to take full advantage of Sale-a-Bration I would love to help.  Please feel free to email me at fairlessflair@gmail.com.  I would love to have you join my team!

Product List

Bouquet Of Love Hybrid Embossing Folder [157641]	Celebrating You Cling Stamp Set (English) [158028]	Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [144237]	Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [101650]	Brushed Metallic Cardstock [153524]
Versamark Pad [102283]	Hammered Metal 3D Embossing Folder [150646]	Timber 3 D Embossing Folder [156406]	Metallic Pearls [146282]	Sponge Daubers [133773]
Metallics Embossing Powders [155555]	Heat Tool (Us And Canada) [129053]	Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653]

Add All to Cart

PANSY PETALS IN EDEN'S GARDEN

When you are running short on time Designer Series Paper is always a great solution to make a quick card.  Today's card uses the Pansy Petals paper.

I used three different patterns from the Pansy Petals Designer Series Paper and of course stamps and dies from the Eden's Garden Bundle.  The sentiment and it's background were made with dies from Stitched So Sweetly dies.  If you don't already have this die set, I'm just going to say it -- you NEED it.  There are six different size layers of stitched scalloped rectangle dies, and four dies of various sizes and shapes that are perfect for large or small sentiments.  You can check out the details more closely in the product list below.

The interest in today's card is created more by the layout and the paper than by the colors.  The color scheme for this card is very tonal, but the different shades and patterns of green keep it from becoming too boring.

The flower was stamped on Basic White cardstock with Soft Succulent Ink and then fussy cut.  Yes, unfortunately, there is not a coordinating die for the flower, but the rest of the dies in Eden Dies make up for it.  It is a relatively easy image to fussy cut.

It doesn't show very well in the photo, but I added a bit of clear Wink of Stella to the flower bouquet to provide some shimmer.  Three embellishments called Wonderful Gems have gold flecking inside the gem and add a bit more sparkle.  The Wonderful Gems were in the Holiday Mini Catalog, and I still have a few left, so thought I'd use them.  Obviously, you can substitute with any embellishment you have.

Again, I kept the inside simple.  Did I mention I was running out of time to get this card made and posted?  Adding a strip of the Designer Series Paper with a coordinating solid cardstock border is always a quick solution for dressing up the inside of your card.

A FREE TUTORIAL is available for downloading at this link.  If you ever have any questions on the cards I share, please don't hesitate to drop me a note.

You can leave me a message by using the subscribe section on the right or a comment below.  I'd love to have you subscribe to my newsletter, but you can also use the message box in the subscribe section to just ask a question.

For details on the products I used, please refer to the Product List below.

Product List

Eden's Garden Bundle (English) [157832]	Peaceful Moments Cling Stamp Set (English) [151595]	Stitched So Sweetly Dies [151690]	Evening Evergreen 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [155574]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [159229]
Pansy Petals 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [155807]	Soft Succulent Classic Stampin' Pad [155778]	Versamark Pad [102283]	Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush [141897]	Wonderful Gems [153536]
Metallics Embossing Powders [155555]	Heat Tool (Us And Canada) [129053]	Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653]

Add All to Cart

EDEN'S GARDEN - ON THE DIAG

Today the border die in the Eden Dies set was speaking to me to use it to decorate the edge of one of my favorite layouts -- which I call "On the DIAG".  You probably need to be a Michigan Wolverine graduate to appreciate the name.  The DIAG is green space on the University of Michigan campus where several walkways run across it on the diagonal.  It is a place where events are held and friends gather.  This diagonal layout is one of my favorites, and it reminds me of that special place.  I guess you could say I'm drawn to it like an old friend.

The Basic White background is embossed with one of my favorite things from the new Spring Mini Catalog, the new Gingham Embossing Folder.  On the Basic White Diagonal, I stamped various leaves from the Eden's Garden Stamp Set with Granny Apple Green Ink.  This is such a happy green, isn't it?  After the leaves were stamped, I embossed the panel with the Tasteful Textile 3D embossing folder.

The card base and the diagonal border are Fresh Freesia.   

Have you ever had an idea or vision of what you wanted, but struggled to get it to turn out like you pictured it in your mind?  That was my challenge with the center bouquet on this card.

I wanted to use the large flower from the Eden's Garden Stamp Set for the center focal point.  But I also envisioned a multi-color bouquet.   My initial plan was use Stampin Write Markers to color the stamp with different colors, but I was not able to get an image with which I was happy.  Perhaps DisINKtive stamps are not made for this technique; I'm not sure.

Inking the image with a stamp pad resulted in a much better image, so out came my Stamparatus.  By using the Stamparatus, I could selectively ink various areas of the bouquet with different color ink pads and stamp them one color at a time. It took a little experimentation, but I finally achieved an image I was satisfied with.  What do you think?  Colors I used were Fresh Freesia, Granny Apple Green, Calypso Coral, and Coastal Cabana.  For the tiny Coastal Cabana flowers and dots I just used a Stampin' Write Marker, not the Stamparatus.

After I added the large flower bouquet over the Granny Apple Green leaves on the diagonal strip, I thought it needed some bling, so I tucked various stems and leaves from the Expressions in Ink Ephemera Pack behind the flower.  That was a quick and simple fix.  I need to remember to use that Ephemera Pack more often! The pack has lots and lots of shiny, gold pre-cut trim pieces.  All you have to do is pop them out of the sheet and add them to your card.

For the sentiment I used "Sending Hugs" from the Eden's Garden Stamp Set.  Staying with the theme of gold accents,  I heat embossed it with gold and then die cut with the Stitched So Sweetly Dies.  I will be so sad if these dies ever retire.  

For the inside of the card, I kept it clean and simple.

The sentiment is from the Peaceful Moments Stamp Set.  A die cut Fresh Freesia border was added to the bottom of the card.

You can use this link to download a FREE TUTORIAL with all the dimensions and directions to create this card.  

A complete product list is shown below, but remember, you can always adapt these ideas to use products you already have.

Product List

Eden's Garden Bundle (English) [157832]	Peaceful Moments Cling Stamp Set (English) [151595]	Stitched So Sweetly Dies [151690]	Fresh Freesia 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [155613]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [159229]	Fresh Freesia Classic Stampin' Pad [155611]	Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad [147095]	Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad [147101]
Versamark Pad [102283]	Brights Stampin' Write Markers [147157]	Gingham Embossing Folder [157627]	Tasteful Textile 3 D Embossing Folder [152718]
Expressions In Ink Ephemera Pack [155465]	Simply Elegant Trim [155766]	Metallic Pearls [146282]	Metallics Embossing Powders [155555]
Heat Tool (Us And Canada) [129053]	Stamparatus [146276]	Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653]

Add All to Cart