JUST BECAUSE

I decided that a truly spring-y looking card was in store for you today. I love this time of the year here in central Wisconsin. The blooming trees and bushes are at their lushest and spring flowers are popping up all over. The trees are at their vulnerable new stages of leafing out. Everything just looks so fresh and wonderful!

My card was created with a few retired products: the lovely Designer Series Paper and the darling flower die.

Just a closeup:

Here is a tutorial to recreate this card -- if you still have your supplies!

SUPPLIES:

Pool Party cardstock

Calypso Coral cardstock

Old Olive cardstock

Die Cutting/Embossing Machine

Floral Squares dies

Just Because die

Pool Party sequins

Peach-Colored Pearls

Stampin' Dimensionals

INSTRUCTIONS:

Fold a 5 1/2" x 8 1/2"  piece of Pool Party cardstock in half, creasing it well with a bone folder.

To this card base, add a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of coordinating Designer Series Paper.

Use a small piece of Old Olive cardstock to die cut a framed flower and stem piece using a die from Floral Squares.

From this same die set, cut the three matching flowers in Calypso Coral cardstock. Adhere them over their counterparts on the first diecut piece.

Mount this to a 2 1/4" square of Calpyso Coral cardstock. Use Stampin' Dimensionals to add this to the card front, leaving equal margins at the top and at the sides.

From Pool Party cardstock, die cut a fairly large sentiment. Use small dots of glue to add this to the lower portion of the card.

Add coral colored pearls to the centers of the three flowers.

Scattered around the square, add three light turquoise sequins.

Spring-y

Smiles.

ALWAYS REMEMBER

I have been debating for some time now about whether I should discontinue my blog, Paper Seedlings, or if I should get back on the blogging wagon and keep on keeping on. Yesterday I had a really beautiful and encouraging comment on the post I had published about a month ago. This was enough of an incentive to prompt me to put something out there again. At least, for now.

Do you have any opinions on blogging? Namely me continuing my blog in order to plant little paper crafting seedlings and hope, along with you, that these seedlings grow into something beautiful and satisfying. Please share any thoughts you may have!

Back to today's card. The precious little flowers are forget-me-nots. Thus, I thought the sentiment was perfect for this card. A few words of beauty to remember a dear one who has just passed?

I did stamp, color and, finally, fussy cut my little bouquet. Because you all know how much I love fussy cutting and the look it gives to a piece. But, you'll notice in the tutorial that I suggest just die cutting the circle on which you stamp the flowers.

If you send out cards as snail mail frequently, you probably appreciate the fact that this is a very "flat' card, no unwieldy, dimensional additions.

Are you ready for that tutorial? Here you go:

SUPPLIES:

White cardstock

Balmy Blue cardstock

Coordinating Designer Series Paper

Peaceful Moments stamp set

Flower stamp from a recent Paper Pumpkin kit

Stampin' Blends in: Light Daffodil Delight, Light Just Jade, Light Tahitian Tide

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Die Cutting/Embossing Machine

Seasonal Labels Dies

Deckled Circles Dies

1/2" white satin ribbon

Stampin' Dimensionals

DIRECTIONS:

Fold a 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" piece of white cardstock in half, creasing it well with a bone folder.

To this card base, add a 4" x 5 1/4"  piece of Designer Series Paper. 

Cut a strip of Balmy Blue that measures 1 1/2" x 5 1/4". Centered onto this strip, place a piece of 1/2" white satin ribbon that is about 6" long. Tape the ends of the ribbon to the back of the strip. It helps when placing something like this to run some adhesive along the back of the ribbon to hold it in place.

Adhere this strip down the center of the card.

On white cardstock, stamp in Memento Tuxedo Black ink a frond of forget-me-nots. Color them in as you wish. See list of supplies for Stampin' Blends colors I used.

Die cut this bouquet with the 2 3/8" circle from the Deckled Circles Dies.

From Balmy Blue cardstock, die cut another Deckled Circle, this one measuring 3 1/4" in diameter.

On a strip of white cardstock, stamp "Always Remember" in black ink. Use a die to cut it out. From Balmy Blue cardstock and the same die, cut another tag. Cut the blue tag in half, and adhere it to the back of the sentiment label, leaving approximately the same amount of blue extending on both ends.

Use Stampin' Diemsionals to adhere this to the bottom of the card.

Please don't forget to share how you feel about blogs in general, mine in particular. I can't wait to hear what you have to say!

Unforgettable

Smiles.