from my ink pad to yours: Country Floral Embossing Folder

A Goodbye to Country Floral with a Hello for Dressed to Impress

I'm really going to miss of few of the retiring embossing folders, especially one of my all time favorites, Country Floral 3D so I had to do a remake of this card when I set out to make one of this year's Mother's Day Cards.

I inked up the folder with white craft ink before embossing a piece of Basic Gray cardstock. I've had questions in the past a name for this technique and settled on calling it Carved Stone.
I added some wood trim to warm up the stone look with woodgrain paper from the Pressed Petals DSP. I not only embossed my greeting but also trimmed my stone piece and added a couple of die cut sprigs (Positive Thoughts dies).
The Pressed Petals Specialty DSP, as all Designer Series Papers, will retire this year. I particularly love the woodgrain patterns in Pressed Petals - and I'll let you in on a little preview. We WILL have more woodgrain in the new catalog!!!
The flowers from the Dressed to Impress Bundle were stamped with Basic Gray ink and colored with Blends. The Dressed to Impress stamps and coordinating dies will carry over into the new catalog but they will no longer be as a bundle with 10% off.

Would you like to see more Country Floral Cards? I have a gallery of them here.

I so appreciate your time as you visit my blog. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

Check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link at the top of my blog. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

***If you don't have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog. Clicking on any of the items in the product list below will also bring you to my shop.

Please note that as of today, Stampin' Up! continues to ship product at this time of so many shutdowns. The shipping time may be considerably longer as they make adjustments for the safety of their employees. Please allow extra time for your order to arrive. If time is of the essence, you may also take advantage of their express shipping as you place your order.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the May host code, UYY4462B , I will send you a sampler of products from the new Ornate Garden Suite. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Product List

Posted at 09:23 PM in Country Floral Embossing Folder, Dressed to Impress | Permalink | Comments (0)

Color Challenge Trio

We are in that home stretch for Stampin' Up!'s 2018-2019 catalog. We know what is retiring, what isn't, and demonstrators have had a peek at what is coming in June. I'm not sure I can pull this off every day between now and June 4th, but today I have a card from all three categories. There is so much that I will miss when products retire, much that I'm relieved to have sticking around, and even more new designs that I'm excited to put into play. Here is today's trio:

The retiring set: The beautiful Floral Frames Bundle with the Striped Scallops embossing folder.

Check the Floral Frames link on the right for more cards with this stamp set/bundle.
Colors are Very Vanilla, Lovely Lipstick and Mint Macaron. I'll share more about this challenge later. The colors, the Lovely Lipstick enamel dots and the Rectangle Stitched dies aren't retiring.
I just purchased the embossing folder in the past few months. Many of the stripes are covered by my stamped panel but the scallops give a more interesting texture than regular stripes. My Home to Roost card on the side bar shows a little more of the stripes.
The leaflet on the left is cut with the coordinating dies.

The bundle that is staying round in the upcoming catalog is Rooted in Nature, as is the Layered Leaves 3D embossing folder:

Same colors as the previous card.
The Faceted Dots are retiring and I will sorely miss these. I think that I'm on my 3rd package. They come in Basic Black, Blackberry Bliss, Grapefruit Grove and Mint Macaron. If you've been following my April Palette, these have a fairly important roll. Mint Macaron and Grapefruit Grove are major players in the palette and Blackberry Bliss does well standing in for Fresh Fig.

Finally, I made one more card with today's color combination when I got an exciting package of stamps, bundles and accessories from the new catalog.

How could I resist when the To a Wild Rose set so perfectly played into the Karen and Lela's color challenge, "Lovely Vanilla Mint Macarons with roses for dessert".
The rose, leaves and greeting label are all cut with the coordinating dies .
The Country Floral 3D embossing folder will make a comeback in the new catalog too! I have lots of samples with this if you check my Country Floral Gallery page.
The Scalloped Lace is also new. I'll have to give you a better look on a future project. It has just the right amount of body and the perfect amount of sheen on the scallops. It had to be on my first order.

I would love to have you check out this color challenge.

A note about the retired list. All current bundles will be listed as retiring since they will only be available separately in the next catalog. Also, all clear and wood mount stamps will be listed as retiring since there will be no wood mount (other than background stamps) or clear mount stamps in the future. Those that are carried over into the new catalog will be cling stamps - with a new order number. I apologize that this makes the list a little confusing.

You should be able to order retiring stamps until at least May 24th. Other products are only while supplies last.

I so appreciate your time as you visit my blog. Let me know what you think and come back again soon!

Check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link at the top of my blog. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

***If you don't have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog. Clicking on any of the items in the product list below will also bring you to my shop.

Chris

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the April host code, TSED6YGC, I will send you the free gift of product that will be featured in my May projects. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

Product List

Floral Frames Clear-Mount Bundle

[148406]

Rooted In Nature Clear-Mount Bundle

[148353]

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

[132708]

Lovely Lipstick Classic Stampin' Pad

[147140]

Mint Macaron Classic Stampin' Pad

[147106]

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

[101650]

Mint Macaron 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[138337]

Layering Ovals Framelits Dies

[141706]

Very Vanilla 1/2" (1.3 Cm) Lace Trim

[141672]

Faceted Dots

[146910]

Pearl Basic Jewels

[144219]

Happiness Blooms Enamel Dots

[148805]

Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush

[141897]

Country Floral Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

[149698]

Layered Leaves Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

[143704]

Striped Scallops Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

[147188]

Big Shot

[143263]

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

Posted at 09:51 PM in Country Floral Embossing Folder, Floral Frames, Rooted in Nature, To a Wild Rose | Permalink | Comments (2)

Easter Card Duo

There is enough going on on the fronts of both of today's card so the greeting would go in the inside, which could have either Easter or Sympathy messages.

This first card features an eclipse technique done with Hold on to Hope and the Cross of Hope framelit dies.
I've done this before keeping it fairly simple but I couldn't resist trying the oval with the scallops on top of the Country Floral embossing.
I mixed framelit ses using both the Stitched Shapes framelits and the Layering Ovals framelits. You could easily substitute a layering oval for the stitched one - as you can see in my next card:

This is the same card but with Highland Heather instead of gold embossing and foil and, as I said, I used a regular oval instead of a stitched one.
The embossing for this card was done with the Layering Leaves embossing folder.
I stacked 5 layers of crosses for the raised eclipse look.
The embossed layers for both cards were trimmed to 4" x 5 1/4" and layered onto 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" card bases.

I so appreciate your time as you visit my blog. Let me know what you think and come back again soon!

Check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link at the top of my blog. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

***If you don't have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog. Clicking on any of the items in the product list below will also bring you to my shop.

Chris

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the March host code, YDZJFZWA, I will send you the free gift of product that will be featured in my April projects. March orders are also eligible for a free Sale-A-Bration item . US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my March thank you card.

Product List

Posted at 05:57 PM in Country Floral Embossing Folder, Hold on to Hope | Permalink | Comments (8)

Country Floral Statements

Here is a quick modification of a Floral Statements card I made earlier. I thought that the roses in the Country Floral embossing folder were somewhat reminiscent of the roses in Floral Statements so wondered how it would look if I used a border along side the stamped rose.

The image was stamped with Stazon Jet black ink and colored with a Melon Mambo and Old Olive watercolor pencils, along with a blender pen to soften the shading.
Just a little less than an inch of the Country Floral embossing with a skinny strip of black is all it takes to kick this card up a notch.
Mostly basic supplies are all it takes to make a lovely card. I blogged about a similar group with this set here.

I so appreciate your time as you visit my blog. Let me know what you think and come back again soon.

Check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link at the top of my blog. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

***If you don't have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog. Clicking on any of the items in the product list below will also bring you to my shop.

Chris

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the March host code, YDZJFZWA, I will send you the free gift of product that will be featured in my April projects. March orders are also eligible for a free Sale-A-Bration item . US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my March thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Product List

Posted at 11:10 PM in Country Floral Embossing Folder, Floral Statements | Permalink | Comments (1)

Stone Roses

Today I'm blog hopping with Kylie Bertucci's Demonstrator Training.

For today's blog hop I decided it was finally time to get something finished with a piece of Basic Gray cardstock that I had embossed with Whisper White Craft Ink and the Country Floral embossing folder. I loved the carved stone look and wanted to combine it with some rich looking wood tones. I new I wanted some flowers to keep it from looking too heavy. When I took a look at yesterday's Sunday Stamps Challenge I had my answer. I would only use half of the piece.

Now I still have another piece to make something else - or even a duplicate of this one.

The Lovely Lattice image is stamped with Smoky Slate and colored with Blends as noted in my product list below.
The greeting is embossed in white and features the Stitched All Around Bundle
The Whisper White side of the card is embossed with the Subtle embossing folder since I wanted a little texture to stand up to all of that texture on the Gray Country Floral side.
Don't you love that stone look of the Basic Gray and Whisper White Country Floral piece?

Now it's time to check out some other lovely projects on the other blogs:

I so appreciate your time as you visit my blog. Let me know what you think and come back again soon.

Check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link at the top of my blog. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

***If you don't have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog. Clicking on any of the items in the product list below will also bring you to my shop.

Chris

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the March host code, YDZJFZWA, I will send you the free gift of product that will be featured in my April projects. March orders are also eligible for a free Sale-A-Bration item . US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my March thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Product List

Lovely Lattice Cling Stamp Set

[149730]

Stitched All Around Clear-Mount Bundle

[148374]

Uninked Stampin’ Craft Pad & Whisper White Refill

[147277]

Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad

[147113]

Smoky Slate Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

[145058]

Dark Flirty Flamingo Stampin' Blends Marker

[147032]

Poppy Parade Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

[147275]

Soft Sea Foam Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

[148059]

Mossy Meadow Light Stampin' Blends Marker

[148545]

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

[100730]

Basic Gray 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

[121044]

Wood Textures Designer Series Paper Stack

[144177]

Country Floral Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

[149698]

Subtle Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

[143706]

White Stampin' Emboss Powder

[109132]

Heat Tool

[129053]

Posted at 10:40 PM in Country Floral Embossing Folder, Lovely Lattice, Stitched All Around | Permalink | Comments (19)

More Petal Pink for the Country Floral Embossing Folder

I'm sharing a couple of cards that I also have placed on a separate Country Floral Gallery page. This page has been a spot for me to put all of my Country Floral cards even if I haven't been able to blog about them yet. I'm not sure all my followers would appreciate it if I blogged about flowers almost every day, right?

This card features a greeting with coordinating die from Stitched All Around.
The embossed piece is Whisper White cardstock embossed with the Country Floral folder which was inked with Soft Seafoam prior to running it through the big shot. I like having the backround colored if I'm going to add color to the flowers and leaves. It is a way of keeping the over all look soft without high contrast. For some reason I think this helps make the dimension more apparent.
I painted the flowers and foliage with a mix of reinkers with Whisper White craft ink - while cleaning off my palette from another project. Colors include Pacific Point, Poppy Parade, Garden Green, Mango Melody - these are all lighten by the addition of Whisper White craft ink. You could get a similar look with any colors you have. Using marker or refill on a palette works.
DSP is the Subtles 6" x 6" in Soft Seafoam.
The lace edge was cut with the Delicate Lace Edgelits.
I used 1/8" Whisper White Sheer Ribbon wrapped around the card twice.
Faceted dots in Mint Macaron provide a little embellishment to the greeting label.

This is a card without a greeting. I just didn't want to cover any of the embossing. But, doesn't really seem to have Wedding Wishes written all over it?

This is a 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" card. I embossed with the Quilt Top embossing folder first and then used the smaller Country Floral folder on one end.
1/2" Lace Trim is perfect to polish this card off. You could easily add a tag with a message, tying it around the lace bow.

This is a card I brought for a make and take when I joined one my team members for a class earlier this month.

The first layer is a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Petal Pink embossed with the Country Floral folder.
All diecuts and and greeting are from the Stitched All Around Bundle as is the greeting image. I prepared all of the pieces ahead of time and used the great trick of cutting all of the circles for the greeting first and then stamping them with the stamparatus once they had already been cut.
Cardstock: Whisper White, Gray Granite, Petal Pink
Ink: Gray Granite
Tip: Smooth down your edges of the embossed layer by running a bone folder across the edge at a 45 degree angle 2-3 times. doing it more than 2-3 times would cause it to start to fray at the edges. This gives a more finished edge to your embossing.

I so appreciate your time as you visit my blog. Let me know what you think and come back again soon.

Check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link at the top of my blog. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

***If you don't have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog. Clicking on any of the items in the product list below will also bring you to my shop.

Chris

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the March host code, YDZJFZWA, I will send you the free gift of product that will be featured in my April projects. March orders are also eligible for a free Sale-A-Bration item . US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my March thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Product List

Posted at 04:18 PM in Country Floral Embossing Folder, Stitched All Around | Permalink | Comments (1)

Country Floral LOVES Petal Pink More Than Words

...well, More Than Words is actually the name of a new stamp set. We will get to that in a minute but first get a look at just how much the Country Floral embossing folder loves Petal Pink!

Don't you just love it when all these color coordinated products seem to just fall together into awesome cards?

I'm putting the final touches on preparations for a Facebook Live about using embossing folders, Country Floral in particular. (Follow my Facebook Page to be notified when my Facebook Lives occur as I don't have a set schedule yet.) I wanted to show that in spite of the fact that it is hard to trim away any of the beautiful embossed Country Floral image, you can make a beautiful card with just a portion of the design.

I did this Petal Pink embossed piece when I was running a bunch of different colors of cardstock through the Big Shot with white craft ink on the folder. The effect is subtle on this particular color so I would say using the white craft ink is optional. If you do want to use this apply the ink directly from the pad to the inside of the label side of the folder. You will need to use a little dish soap to clean the leftover ink off your folder. I usually do several before cleaning the folder.
I trimmed the embossed piece to a 3 1/4" x 3 1/4" square. I did plan this before making the cuts, wanting the large rose to be somewhat centered but above where I would tie the bow. Save the scraps for another project. They are just too pretty to toss.
Cut a piece of Whisper White cardstock to 3 3/8" x 4 5/8".
Attach the embossed piece with adhesive. I used multi-purpose liquid adhesive on the parts that weren't debossed as you look at it from the back - and lightly all around the edges.
Stamp your greeting on the bottom of the Whisper White panel in Petal Pink ink.
Tie a piece of Petal Pink/Whisper White Variegated ribbon around the bottom of the embossed part before attaching to your card. You will want to do this so that the tie or bow does not interfere with your greeting.
Add a Petal Pink flower from the Frosted Flower embellishments. Both the ribbon and the flower are part of the Floral Romance Suite of products.
Prepare a card base by folding a 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" piece of Whisper White cardstock in half and adhering a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Petal Pink paper from the Subtles Designer Series Paper 6" x 6" stack to the front. I think the shaded Petal Pink sheets work better than the Petal Pink and White sheets for this particular card.
Attach the embossed piece layer to your card base.
Send this card to someone who might need to be encouraged in their bravery.

I did not envision this as a "Pink Breast Cancer" card as I designed it. I've always loved pink and the warm "peachiness" of Petal Pink has quickly become one of my favorite of the new colors. As the card came together and I was deciding which greeting seemed right I was drawn to the Bravery message but hesitated. I know that there are those who have battled cancer who resent the "pink" campaigns along with those who are energized by them. In the end I decided the words still fit and taking back pink for all range of occasions is the right thing to do. So, if you are inspired to make this card I ask two things.

Please don't view this only as a pink breast cancer card but as a bravery card. It could, and should, apply to MANY situations.
If you are planning to give a card like this to someone who is battling breast cancer, please consider what their views may be. If you don't know how they view the "pink thing" please consider using another color. If you know that pink will give them strength then by all means go for it

On March 1st Stampin' Up!® will release a special group of products that coordinate with current Sale-a-Bration products. These include a punch, 4 sets of thinlets for Lasting Lily, So Hoppy Together (the frogs), Hello Cupcake and Painted Seasons, and finally a set of greetings, More Than Words, that relates well to many of the Sale-A-Bration sets, making them even more useful.

Product List

I really appreciate that you have taken time out of your day to visit my blog. Let me know what you think and come back again soon!

Stampin' Up! catalogs can be viewed with the Current Stampin' Up! catalogs link at the top of my blog. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

Chris

***If you need a Stampin' Up! demonstrator I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the February host code, 2MRXBEJM, I will send you the Glitter Enamel Dots . February orders also earn a free Sale-A-Bration item . US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my February thank you.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Product List

Posted at 05:24 PM in Country Floral Embossing Folder, Floral Romance Suite, More Than Words | Permalink | Comments (2)

Romancing the New Country Floral Embossing Folder

Hello papercrafters!

I spent yesterday re-organizing my stamp shelves and cleaning well, actually, playing with the new Country Floral Embossing Folder and then just plain experimenting with ink and the Flowering Desert stamp set. And then one thing kept leading to another and my desk still needs to be cleaned. Let's just say I have a LOT of new ideas that need to turn into finished projects so that I can share them with you.

Edited to add: The Country Floral Embossing Folder is a new addition to Stampin' Up!'s Sale-A-Bration lineup. You can get it for free with a $50 order through the rest of Sale-A-Bration which goes through March 31, 2019 OR until it runs out. While I don't have a crystal ball, from the response this folder is getting, I would not be surprised if the supply is depleted prior to the end of March. The links at this end of this post will bring you to my store so you can see more information about this exciting folder.

Anyway, when I saw today's color challenge at Splitcoaststampers (Pear Pizzazz + Daffodil Delight + White) I new exactly what I would finish first. Besides, as we stare down another winter storm warning something summery is called for.

I had almost the exact card I would need laid out ready to assemble except I needed to switch up the yellows to Daffodil Delight instead of Crushed Curry. (Once it is watered down, Crushed Curry would still easily work with the Daffodil Gingham. It just wouldn't have been true to the challenge.) Now I still have an embossed piece that will become something else.

I colored right onto the inner embossing folder (Stampin' Up! logo side) with my Daffodil Delight and Pear Pizzazz markers, boosting the color in the center of the flowers with a tiny bit of Daffodil Delight ink refill. If I was to do it again I would use Old Olive or even a little Mossy Meadow. The Pear Pizzazz got a little lost with the water.
Once I thought I had enough color I spritzed it and ran it through the Big Shot with a piece of watercolor paper.
This is a 4 1/2" x 6" card - I didn't want to trim any more of the embossed layer than I had to.
The edge is from the Gingham Gala Designer Series Paper 6" x 6" stack along with a Whisper White die cut lace edge - Delicate Lace Edgelits.
I tied some Pear Pizzazz Shimmer ribbon over the "seam".
The message and it's embellishments are from the Wonderful Romance Bundle. I thought the delicate oval would be just right and the little flowers echo the 4 petaled flowers in the embossing folder. A bonus with this set of thinlets is that there are of the little flower dies so that you don't have to make so many passes through the Big Shot. I used Pear Pizzazz and Daffodil Delight to stay with the color challenge.
There's not a lot of white space with this one but maybe that isn't Country Floral's style.

Here is a close up of the greeting piece.

I really appreciate that you have taken time out of your day to visit my blog. Let me know what you think and come back again soon!

Stampin' Up! catalogs can be viewed with the Current Stampin' Up! catalogs link at the top of my blog. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

Chris

***If you need a Stampin' Up! demonstrator I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the February host code, 2MRXBEJM, I will send you the Glitter Enamel Dots . February orders also earn a free Sale-A-Bration item . US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my February thank you.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Product List