MORE "POPPY MOMENTS"

Not too different from the other Poppy Moments creations I've shared . . .

I just love these dies and, of course, the Peaceful Poppies designer paper!

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU"

My favorite Sale-a-Bration product from Stampin' Up! this year is the Happy Birthday to You stamp set and, of course, the coordinating Birthday dies from the Coordination Product Release promotion.  Unfortunately, the dies are sold out, but there's still time to earn the FREE stamp set!

I needed a birthday card for a really sweet lady, and this is what I made:

My inspiration for this card came from one created by Stesha Bloodhart.  I stamped the cake image with VersaMark ink and then heat-embossed with white embossing powder.  Prior to die-cutting the image, an aqua painter was used to add color with Sahara Sand, Pear Pizzazz, Soft Suede, and Blueberry Bushel ink.  The sentiment was also heat-embossed with white embossing powder onto a scrap of Vellum cardstock, which I tore and wrapped around the Balmy Blue cardstock layer.  The card didn't really "need" sequins, but I think they made it a little more festive.

Even though the dies aren't available, I recommend taking another look at the stamp set because it's a very useful one!  Just look at how large the cake image is!  The cake and sentiment can stand alone on the front of a card.

JUST A LITTLE WOOLY (VINTAGE BUG) DESK DECORATION

Last November, my guys gave me the wooden pedestal shadowbox shown in the photo.  I loved it and thought there must be a lot of ways I could use and/or decorate it, but it ended up sitting on a shelf in my craft room.  A couple of weeks ago, I decided that it would be a perfect decoration for my desk at work, and my idea is to change the item on display each month.  In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, I created this cute little vintage bug all decked out with a shamrock and leprechaun's hat.  Isn't it a cute design?  You can find the pattern for it HERE.  I've already got the decorations for April and May ready to go and look forward to making something for all of the other months this year.  BTW, this project features wool, flannel, felt, DMC floss/thread and buttons.  And, of course, my Cricut BrightPad that makes tracing patterns easy peasy!

Have a great day!  Go make something!

POPPIES FOR MALENA'S 18TH BIRTHDAY

It's so hard to believe that my great-niece, Malena, will be 18 years old this Friday!  It's even harder to believe that I'm old enough to have a great-niece who is 18!!!  When she was a little girl, she loved the few opportunities that she had to stamp with me.  For years, I kept stamps and ink pads in my stamp room that were only for her.  If anyone can appreciate a hand-crafted birthday card, it is Malena; therefore, it was imperative that I make something special.  My friend, Laura, actually made it easy for me to decide what to make because she had sent me a "fun fold" card recently that I was eager to try.  I hope you aren't tired of poppies just yet because I'm still enjoying the designer paper and Poppy Moments dies. 

This is what the front of Malena's card looked like . . . a gatefold held closed with a decorative band:

See how the card opens with the band removed . . .

Isn't the designer paper just gorgeous?  And once the gatefold flaps start opening, it's easy to see that there's even more beauty on the inside . . . 

Since I was going to send money in this card, I created a diagonal pocket on the left panel.  I used a piece of vellum cardstock as a signature layer that I adhered to the panel on the far right.  Doesn't this look like a really fun card?  

The scalloped rectangles on the center pop-out section were cut with Stitched So Sweetly dies.  If you haven't purchased them yet, you really should because that set has a fantastic shape selection!!!

Happy Birthday, Malena!!!

"TIMELESS TROPICAL" ACCORDION FOLD

One of the best ways to showcase beautiful designer paper on a card is to create a card that has multiple sections, layers, panels, etc.  This accordion design definitely delivers!  The photos are quite terrible, but . . . check it out:

I mailed this card to my friend, Laura, and don't remember the size of the scored sections.  I know I tried using 5-1/2" x 12" cardstock, scored at 2" intervals for the accordion folds, but I remember wanting to use 11" wide cardstock.  Obviously, either width could be used--just score to create six sections and trim the last section to the same size as the others.  It's that simple!

The "stand out" focal point is what makes this card exciting.  Not only does it hold the folded panels (nearly) flat for mailing--they just fold and tuck behind it--I really like that the featured art (or sentiment) maintains center stage presence whether the card is open or closed.  Notice the Stitched So Sweetly dies?  They are wonderful!

And this is how the card looked when it was closed and ready for mailing:

Stampin' Up! products featured on this card include:

Timeless Tropical stamp set

In the Tropics dies

Stitched So Sweetly dies

Tropical Oasis designer paper