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

POPPY MOMENTS

When I first saw the Peaceful Poppies Suite in Stampin' Up!'s January-June 2020 mini catalog, I loved it . . . the images, colors, coordinating products . . . all of it.  

PEACEFUL POPPIES SUITE

Unfortunately, the entire suite wasn't in my budget, and it was difficult to decide which of the products I should purchase.  The product that continued to call to me was the Poppy Moments dies.  Whether I'd have to wait to purchase either or both stamp sets, I knew that I could make pretty things with just the dies.  FYI . . . the inventory is currently low on these dies, so order quickly if you're as smitten with them as I am!

Just look at these beautiful dies!!!

  

I finally bought them, and this is the first card that I made:

I love the layering cuts for the leaves, and doesn't the cut-out flower outline look pretty on its own?  This is a set of dies that I can REALLY use again and again, and I'm so excited to have them!

Other products featured on my card include:

Modern Heart stamp set

Country Floral 3D embossing folder

Stitched Shapes dies

Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder

Heat Tool

Embossing Buddy

Peaceful Poppies DSP

Whisper White cardstock

Vellum cardstock

Pear Pizzazz cardstock

Poppy Parade cardstock

Old Olive cardstock

Basic Black cardstock

Poppy Parade Classic Stampin' Pad

VersaMark Ink Pad

Need assistance with any Stampin' Up! products?  Let me know!  Ready to place an order?  Just click HERE and be sure to enter my current Hostess Code (2BSA4ZJG), and I'll send you a handmade thank you card!

SKETCH CHALLENGE

In my Facebook group, I posted the following sketch for this week's challenge:

The sketch was found on Pinterest, and I borrowed it from Julee Tilman's "Mojo Monday 521" blog post.  I thought it looked like a fun sketch, and it looked really easy, too.  As a matter of fact, it was fun and easy!  This is the card that I made for my aunt Betty:

Stampin' Up! products featured on my card include:

Cardstock:  Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Gorgeous Grape, Highland Heather

Specialty:  Vellum cardstock, Silver Foil Sheets

Dies:  Stitched Shapes, Stitched So Sweetly

Embossing Folder:  Coastal Weave

Stamp Set:  Modern Heart

Accessories:  Baker's Twine, Rhinestone Jewels, Silver Sequins, Stampin' Dimensionals

Would you like to play along with the challenges in my Facebook group (and see project ideas)?  Email me at randari@hotmail.com with the subject "Join Facebook Group", and I'll send you an invitation.  I'd love to have you join us.

ETA:  A Stamping Sponge was used to color the front of the white envelope with Gorgeous Grape and Highland Heather ink, and then I randomly stamped the image from "Flourishing Phrases" stamp set with Gorgeous Grape ink.

THE LAST OF MY 2020 VALENTINE DESIGNS

Between the layers on these cards, there's a scalloped circle that rotates to reveal four different words.  The stamped layer features Stampin' Up!'s Beautiful Friendship images, of which I cannot get enough!  From the photo below, you get a glimpse of how those same beautiful images were used to decorate the inside of the cards.  The tiny hearts that appear in the word window are from the To Every Season stamp set from the 2019 Holiday catalog.

Stampin' Up! colors featured on these cards are Whisper White, Old Olive, and Petal Pink.  The frame around the "word window" is from one of the Noble Peacock Specialty Designer Series Papers, which are jewel-toned with foil accents.  Foam Adhesive Strips were used to separate the layers on these cards.

So this completes the sharing of my 2020 Valentines.  I think now it is time to start working on Spring projects!

CROSS-STITCHED HEART + A QUICK & EASY VALENTINE

Ready to see two more Valentine cards?  Not the best photos, but here goes . . .

This first card features a cross-stitched heart design that was framed with an embossed layer:

I had lofty goals of using this design for all of my Valentines this year, but it didn't take long to realize that I didn't have time to complete enough of them.  Along the way, I discovered a heart that was quicker to stitch, but this three-color design was my favorite.  On this one, I finished it by adding three hotfix Swarovski crystals, which added the perfect amount of sparkle!

The last card that I made was the quickest and most simple of all.  A stencil and white Craft ink were used to place the hearts on the Crumb Cake cardstock, and the sentiment was embossed with white Stampin' Emboss Powder onto Early Espresso cardstock.

VALENTINE SHAKER CARD

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I had every intention of sharing photos of a few "cards for the occasion" earlier in the week, but it just didn't happen.  Better late than never, right?  

First up is one of my favorites this year . . . a fun shaker card!  I absolutely love sequins.  Or maybe I love collecting them.  This week I actually used a few of them, along with clear beads, for the shaker bits.  If you're thinking this card looks slimmer than the standard A2 size, you're correct.  

I think the size of this card is perfect for its simple yet fun design, and the gold-embossed sentiment tag just looks nicer extending slightly past the edge.

Stampin' Up! products featured on this card include:
To Every Season stamp set
Good Greetings (retired) stamp set
Layering Squares dies
Stitched So Sweetly dies
Window Sheets
Blushing Bride glimmer paper
Whisper White cardstock
Firm Foam adhesive
Blushing Bride ink
VersaMark ink
Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder

I have a couple more Valentine cards to share this weekend, but this is all for now.  Have a great day!!!