Sheltering tree with heat embossed bicylcle frame

I just love how the bicycle frame just POPs with its bold colors on top of the tree trunk.  I had planned on doing it with Pool Party EP but it retired so I used Cherry Cobbler EP instead and I love it!

The base card is Blushing Bride with Pear Pizazz on top.  Stamp the tree from Sheltering Tree with Early Expresso.  Then ink Blushing Bride for the leaves then "rock and roll" it using Cherry Cobbler to accent the edge of the leaves.  I then used the little dots to add extra pear pizazz leaves randomly.   I then stamped the grass then the bicycle with Memento black because it dries quick.. I then tapped the embossing buddy to make sure the card was dry then inked the bicycle frame with versamark then heat embossed it using Cherry Cobbler embossing powder which just makes it a stand out.  If it had an accessory stamp for a little tiny basket in the front with options for books, flowers or bottle of wine and bread, it would have been a perfect set! I just love bicycle stamps and have been known to buy every one I find and this one especially is so sweet with the tree.....
Maybe they will make a Sheltering Tree accessories set with a bicycle built for 2,  baskets like I said, a park bench to put under the tree and a little sled to lean against the tree in the dead of winter.... I could just go on and on!

Rock and Roll'ed Painted Petals

This was a reasonably quick card we had for the May Stampin' party.  Basecard is Rose Red embossed with woodgrain EF.   I then layered a strip of  Painted Blooms DSP - scored 1/4 inch in and folded over to show the other side and used multimono adhesive  in a fine line and attached the venetian lace.  Wild Wasabi CS distressed around the edges with my nails, and the center panel was stamped with the sentiment first in Rose Red, then added the leaves in Wild Wasabi and then used the stamp positioner to stamp the flowers but  inked first with Daffodil Delight then used Rose Red around the edge of the stamp in the Rock and Roll technique to get the dual color look.  Distress the edges - I think the more the better- then layer over the Wild Wasabi piece and it was the easy card of the evening.

Lynda

Tap, tap, tap

 I was surprised to find this stampset that I really adore make it into the next catalog and when I needed a card for my May workshop it was perfect.    I unfortunately did not have a new DSP that fit my card design so I used the Moonlight DSP which I am hoarding - I love it's color combo- a gender neutral/ slightly masculine pack perfect for this type of card. 

 The base card is Sahara Sand ( my new neutral favorite!). with a 1 inch strip of Typeset DSP and a 1/4 inch strip of Blackberry bliss. Piece of Shimmer paper was used to stamp the typewriter in Memento Black.  Then made a mask to cover the typewriter then stamped the notepaper stamp in Sahara Sand.
Then used Lost Lagoon ink to watercolor in and Hello Honey marker to add some accent.  The banner was stamped in Memento and sentiment stamped with same ink.  I used the banner die to cut out the Note banner and the piece of DSP .  The banner is cut at the top to make it fit and then I used the stapler to attach the note banner.  But after all that it still looked unfinished.  It just needed a little something.  I got the metal buttons.  I used one the letters in the long stamp to see if I can make an alphabet typekey but it was the wrong size and how could I make the card fit everyone's needs?

Well, the answer was to try the Hi sentiment.  The one on the right used 1/2 inch punch and put on a big button.  Because I had too many people in my class of the amount of buttons I had so I tried and alternate button - the circle is the larger eye circle in the owl punch but inside the smaller button with the raise lip and I think I like it even better- it really looks like one of those old fashioned type keys.  Use glue dot to adhere it - works the best.
Just change the message to Happy Father's day and it would be perfect for that too.......

Enjoy.
Lynda

Beautiful Bunch Gift certificate Holders

With MDS retiring, I wanted to make sure I download all my digital purchases from the website before it disappears and it was a good opportunity to upgrade the look of my gift certificates.

I love the ease of MDS and am sad to have it go away but have to admit I did not buy as much of the digital downloads as I did the stampsets and paper supplies.

I get 4 gift certificates out of one sheet of 8 1/2x11 sheet and use my hoards of DSP from the past to make the trifold envelopes.  Use the envelope maker to make the perfect center indent on the inside, round the corners in the front and use the same DSP backwards to make the belly band.  The Beautiful Bunch flower is stamped in Smoky Slate 3 times for each flower and then onto the DSP to punch out the center then an extra large pearl in the center (retired)- each layer is separated by dimensionals and 2 leaves are added using coordinated DSP.  My favorite way of making long envelopes.....

Enjoy,
Lynda

A little flower box topper

 I got the Bouquet Bigshot die when I saw the bouquet on the occasion catalog cover but the largest flower in the set was really huge - a bit too big to use for the projects I had in mind but the rest of the die was really quite useable and I wanted an easy way for people to make the flower so this is how I set it up for my workshop.

Each person got a sheet of whisper white CS.
They are cut longways into 2 1/8x 11 inch pieces as shown on the left.

 I stacked 2 of the pieces and cut them 1 1/4 inch piece rectangles as shown.

The other two strips are cut into 1 3/4 inch pieces.  I used 8 of each on my flower but this will make lots more for people to play with or make fuller flowers.

You can put a stack of 4 larger rectangle over the bigger flower and 4 thinner rectangles over the smaller petal as shown. Then you only have the run it twice to make all 16 petals. Really speedy.  Then run the black for the stamen and the Old Olive for the petals.

 Here are all the ingredients to make one flower.
8 Big petals, 8 smaller petals, 2 green leaves, a black center.  I used one 1 1/2 inch circle as the base to build the flower and a daffodil delight 1/2 inch circle (the clear faceted button shows what is underneath and the daffodil circle helps it look better)

 The outside petals are folded over but less severely than the ones that go in the center.

 Use a chopstick or some rounded stick to curl the petal edges.  This step is crucial to make it look a little more realistic.

 Use the circle to tape down the 5 petals as shown.

 I then added the 3 left over petals in the center as shown.

 Then the smaller petals are placed, 3 petals per layer in 2 more layers. 

Then I put the 2 left over petals in the center- you could put 3 which may make it easier then add the center stamen.




This is how it looks from the back.  I initially made it without the base and it was all wonky after it was made - with the base it is more sturdy and easier to attach to the box anyway.

These are the flowers I made with 2 different size faceted buttons- both really pretty!  Enjoy and try it yourself.  You can make the box with the boxmaker from Stampin' Up in different color for a more masculine look, texture the box, or stamp on the box  to make it your own. 
Lynda