Senior Years - Retirement swap cards

 These are swap cards I made for a group I belong to.  The theme for this month was "retirement".  I thought the Senior Years would be a perfect stamp set to use.

I visualized my couple to retire to a tropical country, with beautiful sunsets, palm trees, and large foliage with exotic flowers.

Stamps : Senior Years, Timeless Tropical

Inks:  Black Memento, Soft Suede, Stampin' Blends, Marker for the trees (Old Olive, Early Espresso)

Papers:  Basic White, Old Olive, Tropical Escape retired paper, retired other DSP for the sky.

Accessories:  In the Tropics dies, 1/4" Braided Burlap trim, Wink of Stella, Dimensionals

Another Timeless Tropical card

This time instead of flowers, the focus is on palm trees.

When I think of the tropics I think of colourful sunrises and/or sunrises, so I attempted to mimic these in my card. Using a sponge brayer, the following colours were added to the sky: So Saffron,Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Balmy Blue.

A strip of Tropical Oasis DSP featuring palm trees was added to the left side, and braided Linen trim as adhered along the edge. Note:  I did not place the trim ends under the card stock at their ends as this would make the card too bulky.  InThstead the trim was cut at the card stock edge and some ribbon fray solution was added to the ends to prevent fraying.  This solution can be obtained in any fabric supply store. Another strip of DSP looking like the beach  was adhered along the bottom.

The trees were stamped using markers - Old Olive on one tree and Mossy Meadow on the second and Early Espresso  on the trunks. and then die cut using the In the Tropics Dies.

The palm trees were added as shown on the card using small dimensionals some of which I cut in half. Grounding lines were added at the base.

The sentiment,, stamped in Early Espresso, was punched with the Label Me Lovely punch

Supplies Used:
Stamp: Timeless Tropical
Inks:  Sky:  So Saffron, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Balmy Blue         
           Trees:  Old Olive, Mossy Meadow, Early Espresso markers
           Sentiment:  Early Espresso
Papers:  Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White, Tropical Oasis DSP
Accessories:  Tropics dies, 5/16 braided linen trim, brayer, Label Me Lovely punch.

Timeless Tropical Tutorial

With minus 26 degrees Celsius outside, my thoughts wander to warmer climes.  Wouldn't it be nice to go to the tropics? Feel the sun on your face, the sand between your toes!!

My imagination would have to suffice. So I pulled out the Timeless Tropics bundle and made some this card which includes a tutorial.

This Z-fold card has a Terracotta Tile base layered with Very Vanilla card stock.  All the images are stamped and then embossed with clear embossing powder.

Stamp:  Timeless Tropical
Inks:  Terracotta Tile, Soft Suede, Stampin' Blends Light & dark Cajun Craze, So Saffron, Soft Suede, Old Olive blend
Papers:

• Terracotta Tile 5 1/2 by 11 scored at 2 1/8 and 5 1/2".  Fold back on 2 1/8" score line to form a Z fold card
• Terracotta Tile 3 1/2 by 3 1/2" - mat for art piece
• Terracotta Tile - scrap to mat sentiment piece
• Very Vanilla 4 by 5 1/4" - for inside - embossed with Coastal Weave Embossing Folder
• Very Vanilla 3 1/4 by 3 1/4" - art piece - embossed with Coastal Weave Embossing Folder
• Very Vanilla 2 by 5 1/4" - for card front
• Very Vanilla 3 1/2 by 3 1/2" - for sentiment inside card
• Soft Suede 3 5/8 by 3 5/8" - mat for inside sentiment piece
• Tropical Oasis DSP 1 5/8 by 4 7/8" - for card front
• Very Vanilla 4 by 4 - to stamp and colour 1 large, 2 medium flowers, and 3 leaves
• Very Vanilla - scrap for sentiment
• Gold foil - to die cut "aloha"

Accessories:  

• Coastal Weave embossing folder
• In the Tropics dies
• 5/16" Braided Burlap trim
• Champagne rhinestones (2)
• Dazzling Diamonds

Putting Card Together:

1. Form Z fold card base by folding back at 2 1/8" score line.  Burnish all folds
2. Emboss both pieces of Very Vanilla - 3 1/4 by 3 1/4" art piece and 4 by 5 1/4" inside piece with the Coastal Weave embossing folder.
3. Mat art piece with 3 1/2 by 3 1/2"  Terracotta tile and set aside
4. Adhere embossed piece to inside of card.
5. Adhere 3 1/2 by 3 1/2" piece of Very Vanilla to Soft Suede mat and add to inside layer
6. Add Very Vanilla and DSP to card front
7. Stamp and colour images on 4 by 4" piece of Very Vanilla.  Stamp flowers with Terra Cotta tile ink and embossing with clear embossing powder.  Stamp leaves with Soft Suede ink and emboss with clear embossing powder.
8. Colour flowers with So Saffron Stampin' Blend.  Use Terracotta ink and the blender pen to darken the flower centers.

9.  Colour leaves with Old Olive Stampin blends. 

10. Die cut all images with In the Tropics dies and add to art piece as indicated in picture.

11.  Fold ribbon in half at an angle and insert under outside of large flower adhering with some tombo glue.

12.  Add rhinestones to flower centers and some Dazzling diamonds to the end of the stamen of the large flower.

13.  Adhere only left half of  finished art piece to card front making sure it completing covers the inside sentiment piece.

14.  Die cut "aloha" in gold foil and adhere to scrap of Very Vanilla.  Mat with Terra Cotta tile scrap and adhere left half to card front under the art piece.