POINSETTIA LOVE

Last April, I showed you a lovely project using the now-retired set, Fifth Avenue Floral. It featured a cool technique that has been called Floating Reinkers.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Then . . . Joyful Christmas comes upon the scene.  I have already used this set in a plethora of ways, but . . . wait! The Floating Reinkers technique would be perfect for the wide open spaces in the poinsettia and leaves!

I had so much fun making a whole greenhouse full of these flowers. In fact, if you don't mind, I would love to show you a few of the variations in color/blending that I achieved.

The technique itself is quick and easy. Seriously. The time consuming part is actually the cutting out of the flower and leaves. But then, if you love fussy cutting as much as I do, it won't matter. Besides looking better and more realistic cut out, you can also be as sloppy as you want when floating your reinkers. If they go outside the lines, so what? You will be cutting it off anyway. 

I do think the flowers would look even a bit more realistic if each flower consisted of the outer rim of petals and then, cut separately, the inner six petals, popped up over the first layer, of course. 

However, when I'm doing many of the same card, this is as detailed as I like to be. But really, I think I'm going to have to try that. 

Anyway, this is my completed card:

Don't you just LOVE poinsettias?

Smiles.

SNOWFLAKE GIFT BAG/BOX

At my November Stamp-In, the girls created this cute gift box/bag. I'm not really sure whether I should call it a box or a bag, so it's a gift box/bag. Measuring a cute 3 1/2" x 5", it can be filled with basket filler (crinkled paper), tissue paper, or a treat can be placed inside a cello bag. 

I couldn't decide if it needed a handle or not. Sporting a handle of some sort would probably put it more in the gift bag classification. Paper or ribbon handles? I debated forever, and finally decided I liked it best this way. My bag/box.

A firm base measuring about 1 7/8" x 3 1/2", allows it to stand without being tipsy at all.

With a bit of imagination and Stampin' Up!'s Simply Scored, you can create these little cuties in almost any size.  Featuring the Festive Flurry stamp set and its coordinating Framelits gives it a wintery feel. Not just for Christmas.

Flurry 

Smiles.

WANING BEAUTY

Who says a hibiscus needs to be in full bloom to be beautiful??

When the weather started to turn too cold for our six-foot tall hibiscus, my husband brought it inside the house for the winter. Its branches were long, gangly and straggly. BUT, it had three big beautiful buds!

A few days ago, the last of the three buds turned flowers was closing and readying to drop. I looked closely at the flower, and realized it held a somewhat different beauty than it did when it was fully open. I grabbed my camera and documented its waning beauty.

MDS enabled me to bring the images together in a beautiful photo montage. 

I'm so glad I took the photos when I did, as the next day my beautiful flower was lying on the floor. Finis.

After trimming those straggly branches back drastically, I imagine we will have to wait a loooonnnggg time before we can enjoy any more of these exquisite blossoms in real life. For now, these images will have to suffice.

I thought the vivid red-ness of the photos would appeal during the Christmas season. Since the hibiscus is Hawaii's state flower, Mele Kalikimaka to one and all!

Mele

Smiles.

WATERCOLOR SNOWFLAKES

I almost hesitate to mention how adorable Endless Wishes, one of Stampin' Up!'s photopolymer stamp sets is (was). Why? Because it proved to be so popular that it is no longer available. Hopefully you jumped on the bandwagon and got yours while they could still be ordered.

Endless Wishes, a phenomenally versatile set, was a perfect choice for the technique I used in this card.

This technique involves randomly inking up one of the clear acrylic blocks with the side of the brush end of Stampin' Write Markers, in this case, a mix of blues and purples. After you have the entire block covered with color, spritz it lightly with water, and stamp onto your choice of paper. Different papers give different results. So, try it on a variety of paper scraps to see which effect you prefer. 

Please note: If you spritz with TOO much water, the colors bleed into each other unpleasingly. Practice with papers and amounts of water before turning to your actual project. I love it when the colors aren't perfect -- a little white showing through, uneven edges, a little blending. As in the photo above.

Once your background is dry, stamp your image over it. You can either leave the image(s) contained within the parameters of the watercolor area, or expand beyond the borders, like I did. 

To be honest, I loved the way my watercolor snowflakes looked once I finished the eight of them. BUT, I did not like the way the overall card looked. They sat around, lonely and unloved, for quite awhile. I finally decided to cut the first cards up, saving just the snowflakes on the blues and purples, and try again.

I discovered that leaving the card pure and very simple was the way to go:

Aren't those snowflakes just adorable? And don't they look happy?

Grab your acrylic blocks and Stampin' Write Markers and give this fun technique a try!

Smiles.

JOY

The girls who attended my November Stamp-In created a really pretty wreath card utilizing the Daydream Medallions stamp set. So easy, but looks so classy!

Remember how I punched the star for the card in this post from the leftover Real Red glimmer paper I had made for a workshop project? This was that project.

I wanted to add some "berries" to this wreath, and couldn't decide what to use, when my eyes landed on the beautiful blue glimmer paper I had previously made for this card. And I thought, why not? So, following the same directions as here, I created a strip of Real Red glimmer paper, and punched the "berries" out with a standard paper punch.

If you would like to give this card a try, here's how:

Supplies:

Perfect Punches stamp set 

Daydream Medallions stamp set

Naturals White cardstock

Pear Pizzazz cardstock

Real Red cardstock

Real Red ink

Old Olive ink

Big Shot

Floral Frames Collection Framelits

Paper Punch

Real Red Ribbon

Stampin' Dimensionals

Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder

1 3/8" Circle Punch

Glue Dots

Instructions:

Emboss a 3 3/4" x 5" piece of Naturals White cardstock with the Big Shot inside the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder. Adhere this piece to a standard size, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", Naturals White card base.

In Old Olive ink, stamp the largest and the second largest medallions on the Pear Pizzazz cardstock. Using the second largest and the third largest of the Floral Frames Framelits, cut each of the medallions out with the Big Shot.

Use the appropriate sized Framelits from the Circles Collection to cut out the center of each of the medallions. Adhere the medallions together with a few Stampin' Dimensionals to form a wreath

On a scrap of Naturals White cardstock, stamp "Joy at Christmas" in Real Red. Punch it out with the 1 3/8" Circle Punch, and adhere to the center of the wreath with a Stampin' Dimensional in the center.

Tie a bow with the red ribbon, and adhere it to the wreath with a Glue Dot.

To make the berries for the wreath, punch them out of the glimmer paper you made, and attach them to the wreath with green glue.

Joyous

Smiles.