from my ink pad to yours: Sunflower Dies

June 03, 2020

Celebrate Sunflower as a Bright Bloom

Later today Stampin' Up!'s new catalog goes live and I'm celebrating with a bright sunflower birthday card inspired by the Paper Craft Crew's Inspiration Challenge:

Here is my Bright Bloom:

I made a few of my blended backgrounds before getting started on the card:

I made these by creating a palette on a big acrylic block and mixing white craft refill ink with various colors of bright refills. Since there isn't an orange in the Brights I used Pumpkin Pie mixed with just a drop of Melon Mambo to make it a bit more intense. I put the refill ink on the block first and then add the white refill, mixing them up with sponge daubers.
I used the big detailed sunflower from the new Sunflower Dies with the kind of goofy circle background.You can purchase these dies with the Celebrate Sunflowers Bundle as I did, or alone just as the die set. I sponged the back of the die cut lightly with multi-purpose adhesive before adhering it to my background. If there are areas that aren't sticking down well I just slide a little strip of paper (with a bit of glue on it) under the unglued portion just to get a bit more glue on it and then stick it down after I pull the strip out.
I used A Wish for Everything Stamp set and corresponding Word Wishes die for the Birthday Greeting. Starting today these are available only separately but still well worth the investment. The die cut "Happy" is white layered over 3 of the same die cut out of Coastal Cabana. "Birthday" is stamped with Coastal Cabana on white cardstock and trimmed out by hand.
I trimmed the blended piece down, trimming part of the sunflower with it so that I would have a panel type layout.
A few clear gems from Flower for Every Season Gems provide the finishing touches. The gems and the Sunflower Dies are part of the Flowers for Every Season Suite.

You will want to check out all of the new suites in the new catalog. You can see them soon by clicking on my store or catalogs at the top of my blog. Let me know if you need a copy!

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. 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]

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 June host code, F22AGK7A , I will send you a sampler of products from the new Annual Catalog. 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

Word Wishes Dies

[149629]

A Wish For Everything Cling Stamp Set

[149320]

Posted at 05:30 AM in A Wish For Everything, Sunflower Dies | Permalink | Comments (3)

May 25, 2020

Playing with a Color Challenge and the Forever Fern Bundle

Last week I hosted a color challenge with these colors:

Granny Apple Green

Shaded Spruce

Coastal Cabana

Dessert for this challenge was to include a circle.

It was a natural to go to the soon to be released Forever Fern Bundle and the larger Forever Greenery Suite:

I die cut three of the die images that don't require stamping out of the three challenge colors - cardstock, that is. Check out the link in the product list to see all of the beautiful dies that are part of the Forever Flourishing Dies/ Forever Fern Bundle.
Since the Forever Greenery Suite includes these beautiful gold circles that was a simple way to include a circle. I was curious about how easy it would be to attach these circles to your card but a few tiny dots of Multipurpose Liquid Adhesive did the trick.
A Gold Embossed greeting and some Gilded Gems from the Ornate Garden Suite repeat the shiny gold of the circle and easily complete this simple look.

Of course the process I went through before getting to this card wasn't that quick and I developed a few other ideas and cards in the process. I started playing with these colors thinking I would try the baby wipe technique - but I was up at the lake with no baby alas, no baby wipes. I tried to use some make-up remover sheets but that didn't work so then I needed to rescue the ink I had put on them. Here are a few photos:

I basically just smeared the makeup wipe onto a couple of pieces of white cardstock. First the back sheet which I haven't used yet and them the top sheet.
The ink was getting a little sparse so I added a few drops of Whisper White which didn't blend all that well so I embossed it with the Tasteful Textile 3D Embossing Folder and by the time I cut this piece into smaller pieces I think I can safely say I rescued the ink.

In the end I ended up with these other cards before settling on the one I used for the challenge. I'm still working my go to spot for photo shoots when I'm at the lake. It was a little too sunny for these but I think you will get the picture...

This colorblocked base is always an good for a try when doing a color challenge. It also features the Label Me Bold set from the Occasions Catalog. Unfortunately this set will retire. I will miss it since it is SO easy to use. No need to emboss or worry about stamping it straight. Just stamp a bunch of images and keep them to VERY easily snip out as needed. Do a bunch in black that can be used for almost any color scheme or coordinate to your card.
Leaf images are stamped with Versamark on the color-blocked portion.
I used a leftover die cut from the Smooth Sailing Die cuts for the skinny border above the color-blocking.
I LOVE the little Flowers for Every Season Gems and used the clear ones on this card.

This uses the detailed sunflower die from Sunflower Dies. I thought about using this card for the challenge since the sunflower center could be my circle but even though it technically used all the challenge colors they are, though beautiful, a bit mashed up.
Once again the greeting is from Label Me Bold - stamped in Coastal Cabana.

Chris

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