Grown with Love

Hello, Crafters.

Yesterday I finally managed to get my Die Storage Folder back up to date again since I bought several of the new dies sets available in the new Spring/Summer catalogue!

One of the big advantages of my filing system is that because I clean any glue residue off the backs of the dies, and then make a die cut with each die, I get a really good look at them rather than just a cursory glimpse of them. 

I have already used this stamp set before, but not the co-ordinating dies, so I decided I would change that with the card I made for today. 


At this time of year, I'm well aware that one set of InColours will be retiring when the the current annual catalogue retires on 31st May 2018. 

In order that I don't finish up with too much InColour cardstock, I try to make sure I don't overlook these colours when choosing which colour I'm going for each day.

For today's card I chose two of the 2016 - 2018 InColours - Peekaboo Peach and Emerald Envy.  

Apart from the dies and the colours, I didn't have any idea what I was going to do for today's card. 

I chose the tulip-like flowers because I preferred the sentiment AMAZING YOU. 
 
However, once I'd finished my card, I did think I could have used the other bunch of flowers, but used my preferred sentiment as I fussy cut it and popped it up on Dimensionals - I could have covered the other sentiment with my fussy-cut!

I painted the flower stamp using my Marker Pens - Peekaboo Peach, Emerald Envy and Cajun Craze - and stamped it on a spare piece of Whisper White CS. 

Then I repainted the flowers in Peekaboo Peach, and stamped them on a scrap of Whisper White CS. 

There are dies for the three flowers in the middle, and I  hand cut the two outside flowers. 

Next I repainted the sentiment and stamped it onto another scrap of Whisper White CS, and cut around it making sure I avoided the stems and the leaves.

Using Cajun Craze, I stamped another flower pot and die cut it. 

I also like the little flag with the heart in it so I cut one to match the flowers and one to match the leaves and stems. 

At this stage I had no idea what I was going to do with them.....I just like them!

I used the largest Stitched Shape Circle die to cut the image out, but it meant cutting off a large portion of the flower pot, but I was OK with that.
 
I think on the finished card, it looks like the pot of flowers is in front of a round window, or that the circle is the sun behind the flower. 

You may be seeing something different, but either of my possible explanations, one thing's for sure, it doesn't look odd!

I dry-embossed the Whisper White CS background using the Brick Wall Embossing folder, and adhered it to a layer of Peekaboo Peach CS. 

The image on it's own wasn't enough, but I didn't have any suitable rinbbon to wrap around the layers, so I deciided to use my Ticket Tear Border Punch.

I don't believe I've see this punch used on any cards I've seen since this punch first became available on 1st June 2017! 

Have you used it or seen any cards that have used it? 

I have to admit, I'm not that keen on the punch, although I do like the look of it with the Linen Thread wrapped around.

To decorate the inside of my card, I added a layer of Whisper White CS on top of a piece of Peekaboo Peach CS. 

Using Cajun Craze Ink, I stamped the watering can on a scrap of Whisper White CS, cleaned the stamp, and stamped the top part only, using Emerald Envy.

I die cut the main watering can, and then cut out the green patterned band by hand, and adhered it onto the main can. 

I inserted one of the flags in the top with the opposite coloured heart, and then went back to the front of the card and added the flag in the top of the flower pot!     

That's my card for today and I hope you've enjoyed this project.

Whatever you have planned for the weekend, I hope you're able to relax and enjoy it!

Until tomorrow, happy crafting,

JanB.

Grown with Love

Hello, Crafters.

I finished off the personal Get Well Card I shared with you yesterday by adding the recipient's name, and as I'd hoped, it finished the card off beautifully! 

I have to confess that I did think my card was looking somewhat bare, but it all came out well with the addition of the name! 

Phew! Thought I might have to go back to the drawing board on that one!

I'm so, so pleased I saw Frenchie's video that I shared with you last week about marking all unused stamp sets with Washi Tape; it gets removed when the stamp set is used. 

Today's card has used another of my previously unused stamp sets, but before I tell you about it, I'd like to tell you about the other part of Frenchie's video I didn't tell you about!

She explained she had this idea from how she organises her wardrobe! 

Each year after she has finished her annual spring clean, Frenchie makes sure all her the hangers in her wardrobe that have clothes on, all the hanger hooks (handles) are facing the same way i.e. all to the back or all to the front. 

When she puts something back in the wardrobe after she's worn it, and it's been washed/cleaned the hanger goes back into the wardrobe with the hook facing the opposite direction! 

Therefore when she does her next annual spring clean, clothes on hangers that haven't been worn, get tossed out, and she starts again! 

She says if one year is too soon for you, put a ribbon around the hanger hooks that haven't moved, and then start again. 

The next sping clean, if a hanger with a ribbon still hasn't moved, definitely toss it out! 

Why am I telling you this? Because I have a huge fight trying to get my clothes in and out of my wardrobe - I'm a terrible hoarder! - which is effort enough at the best of time, but definitely not a good idea with two broken ribs! 

Anyway, today's card! This is actually take two, because I wasn't happy with take one and, very fortunately, I had time to try again! 

I started with the flower stamp and painted it using my Marker Pens: Rose Red for the flower heads, Olive Green for the stems and leaves, and Basic Black Archival Ink for the sentiment.

I stamped the watering can in Versamark and then heat embossed it with Copper Embossing Powder.
 
I cut it out leaving a small white edge all around. 

I die cut the flowers using the largest circle Stitched Shapes Framelit die and layered it onto a scalloped circle I'd die cut using the largest scallop circle from the Layering Circles Framelits die. 

This is where I went wrong on take one!

For take two I took a top layer of Whisper White Cardstock (CS) and embossed it used the Dynamic Pinewood Planks Embossing Folder.

I adhered this onto a layer of Wild Wasabi CS, and tied a piece of the amazingly soft 0.25" Copper Trim around it, and into a bow.

I love this trim because it can be pulled to open it up, as I have done for the tails!

I adhered the flowers using Tombow, and then the watering can using Dimensionals. 

This was then adhered to my Whisper White CS card base. 

If I did take three - which I would have done if I'd had more time! LOL! - I'd leave off the ribbon, and centralise the flower image and the watering can, as well as using a middle layer of Copper Foil.

To finish my card, I painted the top half of the flower stamp again, and stamped it in the bottom right hand corner of Whisper White CS layer, which I adhered to a layer of Wild Wasabi CS, and then I adhered both inside the card.

That's about it today. Until tomorrow, happy crafting!

JanB.