HELLO

I purchased a pack of the True Love Designer Series Paper (page 11 of the Mini Catalog) recently because it was BLACK AND WHITE! I could make it any color I wanted to work with -- or leave it as is.

The papers in this pack are exquisite and actually beg me to get out my Stampin' Blends to make them even more beautiful.

One of the sheets that especially appealed to me was the one I used as the background of this card:

Millions of teeny tiny flowers and leaves. Precious. Not sure what to do with it. I didn't want to make a completely black and white card. 

Another of the sheets in this DSP pack features lovely clusters of larger flowers. So that's how I proceeded. 

I grabbed one of those sheets and, using Light and Dark Flirty Flamingo and Light Just Jade Stampin' Blends, I went to work coloring one of the clusters. After I finished with my coloring, I fussy cut the bunch.

Putting the fussy cut colored cluster against the miniscule black and white flowers . . . whoa. A no go for sure. 

Adding the larger flowers onto a black die cut circle was the perfect solution. 

Because there was a lot of black around the flowers, even with leaves extending past the edge, I decided to break up all the black by using the Just Jade Stampin' Blend to color three Basic Pearls. 

A close up of the colored flower cluster:

I wanted an equally pretty sentiment in a sort of scrolly font to complement the rest of the card, so I opted for this cute "hello". Unfortunately it is not a Stampin' Up! die. 

Die cut in black cardstock, it too blended in with the little background flowers when placed right against them. Adding it to a 3/4" by 4" strip of Flirty Flamingo cardstock alleviated that situation, plus brought in a little more of the Flirty Flamingo to give the card a nice balance.

It was mounted onto a Call Me Clover card base.

Did you happen to purchse this pack of Designer Series Paper? If so, how have you used it?

Hello

Smiles.

 

HERE'S TO YOU

I must say that, in the past several months, the Paper Pumpkin kits have been real hits with me. The March, 2021 kit, Here's to You, was no exception.

One thing that I did find unnecessary, however, were the separate liners that were supposed to be inserted inside the envelopes. To me, the envelope is a mere conveyance, something in which to put your creation to get to the recipient. In my experience, most recipients rip open the envelope to get to what's inside. Then toss the envelope away and keep the card.

To me, that's an absolute waste of time and energy. In the case of the March Paper Pumpkin kit, the liners were really nice pieces of decorative paper that I wanted to put to much better use than their intended one.

I used this pretty paper on my cards. And none of the cards were made as the instructions suggested, as per my usual modus operandi.

In the first card, I trimmed one of the envelope liners to act as a mat around the scenic piece. Even though the envelope liner was a mass of flowers, by using it in this manner, it just looks like colors that reflect those in the scene. Win! 

Another change I made was adding a small sentiment into the open green space rather than on a separate label. I liked being able to integrate it within the scenery.

I also did not use the card base that was provided, instead substituting a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Petal Pink cardstock that I embossed with the Painted Texture 3D embossing folder. 

A narrow strip of Pretty Peacock cardstock was adhered to the textured background just a bit above the halfway point. Finally, it was all added to a card base of Pretty Peacock.

I will certainly miss the Pretty Peacock color. Every time I fall in love with a color, it retires. 

For the second card, I didn't make all that many changes. Just enough for me to love it as one of my own. 

Once again, I took one of the other envelope liners and cut it as a mat for the main image. I love how these colors echo those used in the image.

I was absolutely not in love with the three strips that were added in the directions that comprised the sentiment. Nope. In place of that, I used a strip that was included in the kit and stamped the sentiment that was on the stamp set. This sentiment is lovely, and I can see it being used as a graduation wish.

I can't take complete credit for one of the ideas in the last two cards. I must admit that I saw the idea of using the light blue spaces on the envelope liner as spots to stamp a sentiment. Brilliant! Thank you to whoever came up with this concept!

Actually the rest of my card was changed up from that original idea. The only thing I appropriated was what I'd already mentioned.

Do you remember the Sassy Salutations stamp set from ages ago? Well, I've never really gotten over that set, and find myself reaching for it when I need a bit of "sassy" zip in a salutation, and when my salutation space allows for a larger font as in this set. I stamped the words in -- you guessed it -- Pretty Peacock.

I added a flag to each of the cards in Calypso Coral upon which the sentiment oval rests. I also added strips of ribbon and a cute little embellishment from the dinosaur stuff of last year. 

Oh, and by the way, the photo below shows what the cards should look like if I'd followed the directions. What fun is that??

Scenic

Smiles.

HAPPY DAY

Some images just beg to be embossed. The beautiful rose stems, from the Flowering Blooms set on page 70 of the current Annual Catalog, is just one of those images. (Hurry! It's retiring!)

Stamped in VersaMark ink, then heat embossed iin gold embossing powder, enabled this image to be a wonderful focal point.

One of the designs from the Forever Greenery Designer Series Paper on page 148 of the Annual Catalog makes a simply beautiful background for the rose. (But hurry! It's retiring!)

The simple sentiment, also embossed in gold, comes from the Itty Bitty Grettings set on page 44 of the Annual Catalog. (Hurry! It's retiring!)

Following I will treat you to a tutorial on how to recreate this card. But HURRY! Several of the products are retiring!!

SUPPLIES:

Brushed gold cardstock (non-Stampin' Up!)

Forever Greenery Designer Series Paper (page 184, Annual Catalog -- retiring!)

Basic White cardstock

Flowering Blooms (page 70, Annual Catalog -- retiring!)

Itty Bitty Greetings (page 44, Annual Catalog -- retiring!)

VersaMark ink

Heat Tool 

Gold Embossing Powder

Die Cutting machine

Stitched Rectangles dies (page 183, Annual Catalog)

Gold Metallic Pearls (page 156, Annual Catalog -- in the new catalog!)

DIRECTIONS:

This card base is not Stampin' Up!. Sorry. It is a brushed gold cardstock that measures 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", and creased at the center.

Onto this gold card base, adhere a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Designer Series Paper from the Forever Greenery pack.

On a scrap of white cardstock, stamp the roses from the Flowering Blooms set in VersaMark ink. Cover the stamping with gold embossing powder. Use the heat tool to heat the embossing..

Use the die that measures 1 5/8" x 3 5/8" from the Stitched Rectangles set to cut out the embossed roses.

Add this to a piece of the brushed gold cardstock that measures 2" x 4". Use Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere this to the card front, leaving about 1" of space at the bottom of the DSP.

On a 1/2" x 1 3/8" piece of white cardstock, stamp a sentiment from the Itty Bitty Greetings set in VersaMark ink and emboss it in gold to match the roses. Add this to the bottom of the card with Stampin' Dimensionals.

Add three of the Gold Metallic Pearls to the white surrounding the roses.

Rosy

Smiles.

SPARKLE BEE

Sure, in looking at these photos, I feel like I am the subject of "Liar, liar, pants on fire". I was unable to capture in these photos the true sparkliness of this bee. I embossed him with a glitter embossing powder. And he sparkles like crazy! Believe me.

Does the paper in the background of this card look at all familiar? I used the same paper in two of the squares in this card, Four Squares. Doesn't it make a huge difference when only sporadic honeycombs are colored in? Which do you prefer? 

The coloring on today's card was done with three Stampin' Blends: Light Granny Apple Green, Light Lovely Lipstick and Light Pumpkin Pie.

With the obvious honeycomb design, I needed to have a bee as my focal point. Right? This bee was the perfect size, but was from an old retired set. Embossing him on Daffodil Delight cardstock, I die cut him with one of the circle dies. I added the circle to a scalloped circle, just a wee bit larger, cut from a gold metallic cardstock. 

Adding looped SPARKLY gold cord to the back of the circle piece actually adds some sparkle that shows up in these photos. 

I realize that I often use retired product in my blog posts. Be honest now. Does this bother you? Or would you rather that I stick with current or upcoming product? 

I guess my point here is that if you love something enough to order it, you should really be using it as long as you still love it, retired or not. Isn't that the point of crafting? Not to just always have the latest and greatest. 

Hopefully, through my blog, PAPER SEEDLINGS, the goal of which from the beginning was to plant paper seedlings in your minds that hopefully will grow and thrive, I am still accomplishing what I set out to do originally. Through these posts, I have always wanted to instill a love for the products, whether current or retired. Maybe you will learn something a little bit new or remind you of something forgotten, inspiring you to slip back onto new/old creative paths with me.

I have been thinking about blogs/linky parties quite a lot lately. In a future post, I will talk with you a bit more about this.

I hope you enjoyed a little foray into the creation of my not-so-sparkly bee.

Stay well.

Sparkle

Smiles.

ALWAYS

Lately it seems that each month's Paper Pumpkin has at least one exclusive stamp in it that is beyond wonderful. The February 2021 had this spiffy bouquet that can be colored in any manner you choose.

I, of course, chose to color mine with Stampin' Blends. I know. What a surprise, eh? 

Not having a die to cut out my bouquet, it was a matter of fussy cutting. But I think it was worth the trouble.

To have bling to match my card, I colored a couple Basic Rhinestones 

with a Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Blend.

Keep on reading for a tutorial on how to recreate this card.

SUPPLIES:

Merry Merlot cardstock

White cardstock

Sale-A-Bration Designer Series Paper (do you have any of yours left?)

February 2021 Paper Pumpkin for the stamps (are you a subscriber?)

Merry Merlot ink

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Stampin: Blends:

  Light and Dark Rococo Rose

  Dark Daffodil Delight

  Light Mossy Meadow

  Light and Dark Just Jade

  Dark Cherry Cobbler

Die Cutting Machine

Tasteful Labels dies (page 179, of the current Annual Catalog)

Basic Rhinestones

Stampin' Dimensionals.

INSTRUCTIONS:

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

To this card base, add a piece of white cardstock that measures 4" x 5 1/4".

To this, add a piece of Designer Series Paper that matches the flowers in your bouquet that measures 3 3/4" x 5".

Stamp in Merry Merlot ink a sentiment that fits on a white strip measuring 1/2" x 4". Adhere this to the bottom of the card, leaving about 1/4" of the DSP showing beneath..

On a scrap of white cardstock, in Memento Tuxedo Black ink, stamp the bouquet from the February 2021 Paper Pumpkin kit.

Color in the flowers as you wish. Fussy cut the bouquet, leaving a small white margin all around.

From Merry Merlot cardstock, use one of the Tasteful Labels dies to cut a mat for the bouquet.

Use a couple Stampin' Dimensionals to add the bouquet to the label.

Adhere the finished piece flat to the card front.

Add two Basic Rhinestones colored with Dark Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Blends (or whatever other color would match your theme) to either side of the sentiment.

Flowery

Smiles.