Ukraine, Resilient, Strong and Beautiful - a Sunflower Card with Eclipse technique

 I wish I could do more for the people in Ukraine.  I see them fighting the Russian invasion so valiantly and I feel helpless as I watch town after town being destroyed by Russian missiles and bombs.

I decided to make this card using the colours of Ukraine - yellow and blue - along with their national flower, the Sunflower as a symbol of my support.  I wish I could do more....

The base card of Pacific Point is layered with Basic White card stock, and then a layer of  Sweet Symmetry DSP, the bumblebee colour of which goes perfectly with the colour of my Sunflower.

The Sunflower image, from the "Celebrate Sunflowers" stamp set  was coloured with Stampin' Blends and then die cut using the coordinating die. The remaining Basic White cardstock was embossed with the Tasteful Texture 3D Embossing folder, and then matted with Bumblebee card stock.

To create the Eclipse technique, some Stampin' Dimensionals were added to the back of the die cut sunflower after which it was added back into the die cut space. See the picture below.

I also die cut some greenery in Old Olive card stock and added that around the sunflower.

The completed art piece was added to a piece of Pacific Point card stock at an angle to the Pacific Point piece.

Some retired yellow glitter gems were added to the art piece and the center of the flower.

The sentiment seemed appropriate for the fight the people of Ukraine are putting up to push back their aggressors.  It is from the stamp set "Strong & Beautiful"

"You are like a Diamond Resilient, Strong and Beautiful"

On the inside I stamped:

 
"Keep reaching for your dreams, I will keep cheering you on!"

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  Celebrate Sunflowers, Strong & Beautiful

Inks:  Black Memento, Stampin blends (Daffodil Delight, Cinnamon Cider, Soft Suede, Old Olive), Pacific Point

Papers:  Pacific Point, Bumblebee, Basic white, Sweet Symmetry DSP

Accessories:  Hippo and Friends Die, Tasteful Texture 3D embossing folder, Sunflower Dies, Retired yellow glitter gems

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

Happy Mother's Day

My daughter was  born just before Mother's Day weighing in at 8 pound 10 ounces, I was so happy to finally be a mom after a pregnancy that seemed to go on forever.

Today I made a card for all the mothers out there.  It's  provides you with  a catalogue sneak peak of another catalogue product.

The base card is Calypso Coral layered with gold foil and then Whisper White embossed with the Tufted Embossing Folder.

The flower focal image, from the Bloom & Grow stamp set, is coloured with Stampin' Blends and die cut with the coordinating die set.  I initially made two of these flower clusters, but when it came time to put the card together the second bouquet made the card look too busy.  So I used it to make a second card which I will display at the end of this post.

This flower cluster is added to the top half of the card front.

The sentiment, from the "Strong and Beautiful" stamp set, is embossed with gold embossing powder on a strip of Whisper White card stock.  This is added to a slightly larger piece of gold foil which is scalloped at the top and bottom end using die strips from the Blooms and Grow dies, and added beneath the flowers.

As a finishing touch, gold rhinestones are added to each intersection point of the embossed Whisper White layer.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Bloom & Grown, Strong & Beautiful
Inks:  Versa Mark, Black Memento, Stampin' Blends
Papers:  Calypso Coral, Gold Foil, Whisper White
Accessories:  Bloom and Grow dies, Gold Embossing Powder, Gold rhinestones (non SU), Tufted embossing folder

Here's the second card I made using the second floral cluster.

Again I used a Calypso Coral base, layered with Basic Black card stock, and then a Whisper White layer embossed with the scalloped stripes embossing folder.  The sentiment is from "Stitching All Around" and is black embossed on a die cut.

A 1/4" Calypso Coral Ombre bow is added between the flower bouquet and the sentiment die cut.

Self adhesive sequins provide a finishing touch.