For You - a Fall Card - SUO Challenges #261

 Most of the leaves have fallen off the trees after a splendid showing in October.  Now they form a carpet on our roads and sidewalks.

The theme for the challenge at SUO is the beautiful Fall/ Autumn season - and there is so much to celebrate.

The colours of the leaves have been absolutely stunning this fall so for this challenge I decided to focus on trees/ leaves and some of their wonderful colours.

 

On a piece of shimmer White card stock, trees from "Nature's Beauty" were stamped with Early Espresso ink.  Fall colours were added to the trees with Stampin Blends ( Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Daffodil Delight, and Old Olive) dabbing them around the branches until each tree was full.  

At this time of year, the sky is a Robin Egg blue, quite a spectacular back drop against the colourful foliage,  Trying to imitate this some Balmy Blue inks was sponged around the trees When finished Balmy Blue ink was sponged in the sky around the trees.  

To create the focal point,  it was die cut in the shape of a  Maple Leaf   A second leaf was die cut using Terra Cotta Tile card stock and  this was adhered behind and slightly off set from the other leaf. The edges of both leaves were sponged with Early Espresso ink.

These leaves were added to a card front panel which was create using strips of  4 patterns of Autumn Splendor DSP adhered to a  piece of Terra Cotta card stock.  Behind this panel a piece of Early Espresso card stock was added slightly offset at an angle. Again, all edges were sponged with Early Espresso ink.    A strip of Early Espresso card stock with some 1/2" ribbon was added near the bottom of this panel.  A bow made of the same ribbon was added at the base of the leaves                          

 

Dimensionals were used to add the completed panel to the DSP on the Early Espresso card base.

A sentiment, from Itty Bitty Greetings , stamped with Early Espresso on Terra Cotta card stock, was die cut using the Ornate frame die, and added near the bow.

Gilded Gems added randomly complete the card front.

Supplies Used:

Stamp:  Nature's Beauty, Itty Bitty Greetings

Inks:  Early Espresso, Stampin Blends (Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Daffodil Delight)

Papers:  Early Espresso, Autumn Splendor DSP, Terra Cotta, Whisper White

Accessories:  1/2" crumb cake ribbon, Dimensionals, Ornate frame dies, Metallic gems

Thanks a Bunch- Try Stampin on Tuesday #454

One of my favourite creative activities is to make flowers or use 3D flowers on a card.  This goes along with the optional theme with sketch challenge #454 " favourite ".

In order to create my vision I turned the sketch upright.

I've had these Pixie flowers for as long as I have been crafting - about 12 years - and just waiting for the right opportunity to use them. So, they were used to create this vase of flowers for challenge 454 with Try Stampin on Tuesday

Making flowers, using flowers on cards, (even growing flowers) has always been a passion of mine. Normally I would make paper flowers myself, but a painful osteoarthritis of my hands make it difficult to use small punches right now.  So I used these Pixie flowers instead. But I did put my own touch on them.  

On a piece of Whisper White I first stamped a stem using the Beautiful Bouquet stamp set, and then made a vase using the striped pattern from the Well Dressed DSP and the Tailored Tag Punch.  The punchie was cut in half, the edges sponged with Basic Gray, shaped with a bone folder, and added over the stamped stems using dimensionals on the edges.

After the flowers were added, glitter crystal effects and dazzling diamonds was added to each one.

This image piece was matted with Pretty Peacock card stock.  On the left side is added a piece of Mint Macaron card stock die cut with the new Ornate border die.  A 3/8" strip of Purple Posy card stock is adhered on the end of that overlapping left side of the image piece as well.

The art  piece is adhered to the card front using dimensionals.

The base card is Pretty Peacock layered with Whisper white embossed with the Ornate flowery Embossing Folder.  A strip of  the same pattern of Well Dressed DSP edged with the negative piece of the die cut edging  the art piece is added to the left edge.

The sentiment, from Beautiful  Bouquet, stamped with Pretty Peacock, is die cut with the Ornate Frame die and matted with a coordinating die cut in Pretty Peacock.  It is added to the card front at the left side.

To finish the card, some Mint Macaron enamel shapes were added, and a bow made with white Baker's twine coloured with a Pretty Peacock Stampin' Blend , was adhered to the vase.

Supplies Used:
Stamp:  Beautiful Bouquet
Inks:  Pretty Peacock, Basic Gray
Papers:  Pretty Peacock, Whisper white, Best Dressed DSP, Mint Macaron, Pretty Posy
Accessories:  Ornate flowery Embossing Folder, Ornate border die, Tailored Tag Punch, Pixie flowers, Glitter Crystal Effects, Dazzling Diamonds, Ornate Frame Die, White Baker's Twine, Dimensionals, Mint Macaron enamel dots

A double embossed elegant Mother's Day card - SUO #247

Gold foil combined with Whisper White or Very Vanilla create a very elegant card, perfect for Mother's Day or a card for that special someone in your life.

To make this card even more elegant, I double embossed the background using the 3D Ornate Floral embossing folder, which is available for order now even though it is a new item in the upcoming Annual catalogue, and gold embossing powder.

I will explain how this is done ,but first the card....

Here's how I double embossed the background.  You will need the Embossing Folder, a Big Shot or other embossing machine, a piece of Whisper White card stock 4 by 5 1/4", Versa Mark, and Gold Embossing Powder. Other colours of embossing powder can be used.

• Open the Ornate Floral 3D embossing folder, and with your fingers, feel the surface of each of sides onthe inside.  Select the side where the surface feels smooth (usually it's the side that has the Stampin' Up logo on it but not always so it is good to feel for the smoothness of the surface)
• Apply versa mark generously directly onto the embossing folder using the ink pad directly onto the folder
• Add a 4 by 5 1/4" piece of Whisper White card stock to the inside of the folder, laying it against the uninked side.
• Gently close the folder, and insert into the Big Shot and emboss as usual.
• Gently remove the embossed Whisper White piece and add gold embossing powder over entire surface
• Heat set with heat tool.
• Your Whisper White piece is now double embossed.
• Clean and dry embossing folder.

Below is a close up of the double embossed background of this card.

The 4 1/4 by 11" piece of  Thick Whisper White card stock is scored at 5 1/2" to form a top fold base.

After double embossing a  3 3/4 by 5" piece of Whisper White, it is trimmed to 3 by 4 3/8" and addedto a 3 3/4 by 5 1/8" gold foil stitched frame.  This frame was made by die cutting 2 sizes of Stitched Rectangle dies together.

A 3/4 by 3 3/4" strip of gold foil was die cut with one of the Ornate Layer dies and added to the center of the card. Some 3/8" gold metallic ribbon, bunched at the middle, was added to the top of this die cut and the ends adhered  around the back. A double bow was added at the left end.

This completed layer was then adhered to the card front using dimensionals.

The sentiment, from "Strong and Beautiful" was gold embossed, die cut with the Ornate Frame die and added to the card front with the lower end abut the die cut ribbon layer. Gold foil leaf stems (3), die cut using a Jubilee Beauty die, were added around the top of this piece.  Three hand made flowers were added above the bow.

Flowers:

Six flowers were punched in Whisper White using the small blossom punch, spritzed with alcohol, and bunched up.  After they were dry, they were shaped slightly, and two were adhered together to form one flower.  A small gold foil flower was added to each center.

Inside:

The outside of the die cut center was added to the inside, with a smaller whisper white center added on top of that.

A die cut similar to the one on the center of this card was added to bottom of the inside piece.

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  Strong & Beautiful

Inks:  Versa Mark

Papers:  Thick Whisper white, Whisper White, Gold Foil

Accessories:  Gold Embossing powder, 3D Ornate Flower embossing folder, Ornate frame die, Ornate Border die, Small Blossom Punch, 3/8" Gold metallic edge ribbon, dimensionals, Jubilee Beauty die