Lovely as a Tree Starlight card

This card is simple, but stunning I think.  It uses the very old Lovely as a Tree stamp set, along with the new Star of Light stamp set from the 2016 holiday catalog.  Lovely as a Tree is one of my all time favorite stamp sets and can be used for just about any occassion you need a card for.  Today, I have used it for a Christmas card.

I first masked off an area using Post-It tape and sticky notes to form the rectangle for my focal image area.  I then sponged on Night of Navy and Marina Mist inks into the area.  I stamped the cluster of trees from Lovely as a Tree on top of the sponging.  The sentiment is stamped in Night of Navy ink and comes from the Star of Light stamp set.  It is one of my favorites from the holiday catalog.  It has many wonderful sentiments along with the images.  It is a large stamp set and also has a coordinating set of framelits to go along with it. Today,  I just used the sentiment and one of the small stars.  I did smudge a little ink below the sentiment, but didn't have time to redo the card.  I embossed the small star in gold to the left of the center tree.   

Supply list:

Night of Navy cardstock and ink

Whisper White cardstock

Lovely as a Tree 128655 wood mount or 127793 clear mount

Star of Light. 142110 (can be purchased in a bundle with Starlight Thinlits 141840 to save 10%. Bundle product code 143508

Stamping sponge 141337

Momento black ink

Thanks for stopping by today to look at my blog.   I hope you are inspired to create something today. I find that crafting is my therapy,  I hope you do as well.

Lovely as a Tree Starlight card

This card is simple, but stunning I think.  It uses the very old Lovely as a Tree stamp set, along with the new Star of Light stamp set from the 2016 holiday catalog.  Lovely as a Tree is one of my all time favorite stamp sets and can be used for just about any occassion you need a card for.  Today, I have used it for a Christmas card.

I first masked off an area using Post-It tape and sticky notes to form the rectangle for my focal image area.  I then sponged on Night of Navy and Marina Mist inks into the area.  I stamped the cluster of trees from Lovely as a Tree on top of the sponging.  The sentiment is stamped in Night of Navy ink and comes from the Star of Light stamp set.  It is one of my favorites from the holiday catalog.  It has many wonderful sentiments along with the images.  It is a large stamp set and also has a coordinating set of framelits to go along with it. Today,  I just used the sentiment and one of the small stars.  I did smudge a little ink below the sentiment, but didn't have time to redo the card.  I embossed the small star in gold to the left of the center tree.   

Supply list:

Night of Navy cardstock and ink

Whisper White cardstock

Lovely as a Tree 128655 wood mount or 127793 clear mount

Star of Light. 142110 (can be purchased in a bundle with Starlight Thinlits 141840 to save 10%. Bundle product code 143508

Stamping sponge 141337

Momento black ink

Thanks for stopping by today to look at my blog.   I hope you are inspired to create something today. I find that crafting is my therapy,  I hope you do as well.

Lovely as a Tree Starlight card

This card is simple, but stunning I think.  It uses the very old Lovely as a Tree stamp set, along with the new Star of Light stamp set from the 2016 holiday catalog.  Lovely as a Tree is one of my all time favorite stamp sets and can be used for just about any occassion you need a card for.  Today, I have used it for a Christmas card.

I first masked off an area using Post-It tape and sticky notes to form the rectangle for my focal image area.  I then sponged on Night of Navy and Marina Mist inks into the area.  I stamped the cluster of trees from Lovely as a Tree on top of the sponging.  The sentiment is stamped in Night of Navy ink and comes from the Star of Light stamp set.  It is one of my favorites from the holiday catalog.  It has many wonderful sentiments along with the images.  It is a large stamp set and also has a coordinating set of framelits to go along with it. Today,  I just used the sentiment and one of the small stars.  I did smudge a little ink below the sentiment, but didn't have time to redo the card.  I embossed the small star in gold to the left of the center tree.   

Supply list:

Night of Navy cardstock and ink

Whisper White cardstock

Lovely as a Tree 128655 wood mount or 127793 clear mount

Star of Light. 142110 (can be purchased in a bundle with Starlight Thinlits 141840 to save 10%. Bundle product code 143508

Stamping sponge 141337

Momento black ink

Thanks for stopping by today to look at my blog.   I hope you are inspired to create something today. I find that crafting is my therapy,  I hope you do as well.

A little Christmas train magic

The Christmas Magic (142119) stamp set was one of the sets I first noticed in the 2016 holiday catalog and knew I would need to have in my collection.  It has so many possibilities.  I created this card for my friend's husband and his children.  She passed away this July and I wanted to make a special card for them.  He is a huge train enthusiast and I know he will appreciate the thought.

I really enjoy coloring so this stamp set was definitely for me.  I find it to be very relaxing.  I remember as a child my mom and I spending time coloring, especially during the holidays.  It was always a fun time.  My brothers didn't have the patience to color, so I would often have a little time with mom to myself while they were off playing.  We still occasionally sit and color together when I go to visit.  The images are stamped on Shimmery White cardstock with Stazon black ink.  I colored the images with an aqua painter.  

Some of the colors used are:

Crumb Cake, Emerald Envy, Watermelon Wonder, Real Red, Crushed Curry, Dapper Denim, Mint Macaron, Sahara Sand, Smokey Slate and Soft Suede.  I used a Stampin' chalk marker for the snow around the trees and on the North Pole sign, then added clear Wink of Stella glitter pen on top of that.  For the silver area on the train, I used a retired Stampin' Dazzle silver pen.    The sentiment is from the same stamp set.  It was stamped inside the banner from Thoughtful Banners in Emerald Envy and punched out with the classic label punch (141491).

Thanks for stopping by my blog day.  I know everyone is busy and I am truly grateful for your time.  Please leave me a comment and if you need any supplies, you can order from my online store by clicking on the shopping cart.  Have a blessed day.

Ugly Christmas Sweater card

I was inspired to make this card from several posts on Pinterest.  I found the pin by Sue Parker of Sparkled stamps which showed how to cut the card to make the sweater.  I set about making my own version and this is the result.  I was very happy with how it turned out.  I hope you'll agree.

I used the Cable Knit Dynamic embossing folder on this one.  It's so awesome.  I thought it would be adorable to put the Santa face peeping out of the pocket.  The v-neck took a little working out as I used a the retired embossing folder called stylish stripes to make it.  It's a bit fiddle to get the stripes matched up and going opposite directions in order to make it pleasing to the eye, but it was worth the effort.

List of supplies:
Jolly Friends (Santa) stamps142112
Jar of Cheer stamps (tree) 142161
Cozy Critters stamp set (presents) 142214
Cherry Cobbler, Sweet Sugarplum, and Shimmery White cardstock
Whisper White thick cardstock for the base card
Gold Foil sheets (stars on tree) 132622
Confetti Stars border punch 135861
Blushing Bride, Garden Green, Mint Macaron, Smokey Slate, Sweet Sugarplum and Stazon black ink pads

Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my blog today.  I hope I have inspired you in some small way to make something of your own.  I'd love for you to leave me a comment.  If you need any of the supplies I've used to create this card, please click on the shopping cart and it will take you to my online store where you can purchase what you need.  Have a great day.

Cozy Critter color challenge

I challenged my favorite group of stampers to a color challenge.  The idea was to make something using the colors mint macaron, night of navy, calypso coral and flirty flamingo.  This card is my submission for the challenge.

It features my favorite host set from the holiday catalog on page 3.  The stamp set is a photopolymer set called Cozy Critters.  You can order with a $150 order or when you host a workshop that totals at least $150 US.  I loved this set from the very first moment I saw it.

List of supplies:
Cozy Critters stamp set 142214
Jolly Hat Builder punch 141847
Owl Builder punch (annual catalog) 118074
Very Vanilla and Night of Navy cardstock
Calypso Coral, Mint Macaron, Flirty Flamingo, Night of Navy, Early Espresso and Soft Suede ink pads
Wink of Stella glitter brush (clear) 141897

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.  I hope you are inspired to find a little time to stamp something today.  Feel free to leave me a comment, I'd love to hear from you.  If you need any supplies, please click on the shopping cart, it will take you to my online store.  I'd love to earn your business.

Cable embossed Jolly Friends trio

This card uses the lovely cable sweater embossing folder.  I love the depth of embossing this folder makes!  It's so awesome.  I also used the Jolly Friends stamp set and matching Jolly Hat Builder punch in the 2016 holiday catalog.  I absolutely adore the moose and had to have the set for that one stamp.  Do you also get stamp sets for a single stamp?  I like all the stamps, don't get me wrong, but I LOVE the moose.

 I used one of my favorite techniques for adding depth to a project.  I stamped and colored my images using an aqua painter, then used a stylus to go around the outside edge of the moose face.  I  turned the image over and went over the impression on the reverse side.  I then added some adhesive in the center and completely around the outside edge of the image.  I used a small amount of a cotton ball to stick on the adhesive in the center of the moose head on top of the adhesive.  (I saw this technique in a video by Deb Valder a former Stampin' Up demonstrator).  It gives a little extra depth and won't smooth down when mailed.  By putting the adhesive completely around the outside of the image, it will seal the cardstock down and push the cotton up to give the added depth.  I love this technique and it's really very easy.   I stamped and colored the hat pieces then used the punch to cut them out.  A tip for being able to stamp the images all at once is to use the punch as your stamping block.  Place your stamps directly over the images on the top of the punch, then ink and stamp!  They'll be lined up perfectly for the punch.

A list of supplies used is:
Shimmery white cardstock (it works well for using with an aqua painter)
Sweet Sugarplum cardstock
Cable Knit Dynamic embossing folder 143537
Jolly Friends stamp set 142112
Jolly Hat Builder Punch 141847 (Can be purchased in a bundle to save 10% #143511)
Labeled Alphabet (for the Christmoose saying)
Emerald Envy, Damper Denim, Sweet Sugarplum, Blushing Bride, Flirty Flaming, and Stazon Black ink pads
Aqua Painter

I hope you are inspired to stamp something today.  Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my blog.  Please leave me a comment, I'd love to hear from you!  Any supplies you'd like to order can be purchased in my online store by clicking on the shopping cart on the right.  Have a blessed day.

Jar of Haunt square fold flat box

I love this treat box made with the Jar of Haunts stamp set.  I was inspired by a fold flat box video I watched from Sam Donald of Pootles Papercrafts.  I altered her 2x2 box to meet the measurements to fit the jar framelit.  My box is 2 1/4" square and also folds flat.  Thanks Sam!

The measurements to make this box are:

You'll need a 93/8 x 7 3/4 piece of cardstock.  Score on the 9 3/8" side at 2 1/4, 4 1/2, 6 3/4 and 9 inches.

On the 7 3/4 side score at 1/2" 2 3/4, 5 and 7 1/4".  Trim it out until yours looks like the photo below.

Supplies used:

Rich Razzleberry Cardstock

Tangerine Tango Cardstock

Whisper White cardstock

Jar of Haunts Stamp Set 142247

Everyday Jar Framelits 141490

Old Olive, Rose Red, Basic Gray, and Stazon black ink pads 

Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Write markers

Aqua Painter

DSP from retired Brights collection paper stack (you could use any DSP you have on hand.). Dsp is cut at 2" square.  You will need 4 pieces.  I left mine plain on the back side and bottom.  

The jar and mummy are stamped in Stazon black ink on Whisper White Cardstock.  I colored the liquid in with rose red ink using an aqua painter.  I filled the boxes with chocolate peanut butter "eyeballs".  I hope the recipients enjoy them.  Thanks for stopping by my blog.  Comments are appreciated. 

Grateful Artistic Texture journal

I was inspired to make this journal for my friends after the idea on Pinterest by Sue Plote, This Pink Rooster.  She used the mini treat bag thinlets to cut the holes for binding the booklet together.  I used a piece of crumb cake cardstock for the cover and regular copy paper for the inside pages.  Stamp sets used are Touches of Texture (141934) and Awesomely Artistic (139950).  The outside images are stamped in cajun craze ink.  The dragonfly, flower and sentiment are stamped in basic black archival ink.  I colored the flowers with Stampin' Write markers in crushed curry, cajun craze and basic black.  The dragon fly is colored in rich razzleberry and island indigo inks and stamped with one of the Texture images from Touches of Texture.  The grateful sentiment comes from Endless Thanks (138796).  I made my bow from strands of a burlap ribbon I cut the edge off of and pulled the fibers apart.  The binding is stitched together with cajun craze baker's twine and a running stitch.                                                                                                

   

     

I love how these turned out and I hope my friends will too.  A very wise woman once told me to write down three things you are grateful for every day.  This journal is a great place to do that.  I hope you are inspired to creat one of your own.  Thanks for stopping by.  I'm grateful for all of you and my place to share a little creativity with you.

Rainbow of hope and love

This card was created for my husband.  I utilized the stamp set Over the Rainbow (138770) to make the rainbow and also for the sentiment.  The butterfly comes from the stamp set Grateful Bunch (140691) and the adorable hedgehogs from Love You Lots (141801).  I used real red, pumpkin pie, daffodil delight, cucumber crush, pacific point, island indigo and elegant eggplant ink to make my rainbow and overlapped the images slightly to blend the colors.  The hedgehogs are colored in crumb cake and soft suede inks with an aqua painter.   The butterfly is colored with calypso coral ink.  I love how this card turned out.  The focal image is mounted on a piece of Serene Scenery Designer Series paper which is mounted on early espresso cardstock.

The lady bugs are also from the Love You Lots stamp set and the sentiment on the envelope comes from Over The Rainbow.  I hope you enjoyed looking.  Thanks for stopping by today and taking some time out of your busy schedule to visit my blog.  

Jar of Haunts Mummy treat holder

This little treat holder is so stinking cute!  He's made with the Jar of Haunts  (142247) stamp set and Everyday jar framelits (141490).  His hat is from Snow Place (139738) and cut with the matching framelits Snow Friends (139664). He's stamped on whisper white with archival basic black ink.  I used an aqua painter and a little smoky slate ink to "dirty" his bandages to give him a little character.  I stamped two mummies and two hats then created a box to hold the treats.   I added the hats and tied them together to hold the box closed with some Halloween Night baker's twine (142027).  The final detail was to add some googly eyes.  He holds two hershey nuggets.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Please leave me a comment, I'd love to hear from you.  I hope you are inspired to stamp something for someone today.

Fairly Celebration in the meadow

I created this card using In The Meadow (140754) , Jar of Love (141587) and Fairy Celebration (141554) stamps sets.  The fairy images and the jar are stamped in basic black archival ink on whisper white cardstock and watercolored with an aqua painter using very little water so as not to pill the paper.  Be sure to allow enough time for the archival black ink to thoroughly dry before water coloring.  I used the Everyday jar framelits to cut ou the jar and fussy cut the fairy image.  I was inspired by a card made by my upline Melissa Zessin, and then added in images from In the meadow to create this card.   I stamped the mountains, trees and butterflies in basic gray.

I hope you are inspired to create something whimsical today.  Please leave me a comment, I would love to hear from you.  Thanks for stopping by.

Fairy birthday celebration frame card

I was totally inspired by a video I saw on Youtube by Amanda Fowler with Inspiring Inkin on how to make this fairly celebration card.  This is my version.  I added a little more color but left it mostly the same.  I made this card for my granddaughter's 12th birthday.  She loved it!  It uses the Fairy Celebration (141554) stamp set.  I inked the focal image in stazon black ink on shimmery white cardstock.  I then watercolored the image using calypso coral for the flowers, watermelon wonder for the toadstool, garden green for the grass and stems, pool party for the shirt, island indigo for the skirt and pool party and island indigo on the fairy wings.  I then fussy cut out the image leaving a small area on the bottom below the grass.  I then scored at the bottom and folded the score line so I could easily adhere my image to the inside of the frame.  I stamped the wings a second time and fussy cut those out.  I put a very small amount of multipurpose liquid glue along the left side of the wings and adhered only the edge down.  I then folded up the wing for some added dimension.  The diecuts are from the Flourish Thinlets (141478) and cut in pool party and calypso coral cardstock.  I snipped the flower and berries from the calypso coral diecut and adhered with multipurpose liquid glue to the pool party diecut for some added color.  I used wink of stella to give some added shimmer on the fair wings, the calypso coral flower tips on the diecut and the spots on the toadstool.

For the inside, I stamped another fairy on whisper white, colored her in pool party and stamped the wings a second time.  I then punched those out with the bitty butterfly punch and adhered them down with a glue dot in the center which allowed me to fold the wings up for some added dimension.

I hope you are inspired to make one of your own.  It was a lot of fun to make and although the card looks difficult, it really isn't, especially with the wonderful directions provided by Amanda Fowler.  Please leave me a comment, I'd love to hear from you.  Thanks for stopping by my blog today and happy stamping!

The Light of Heaven Christmas Card

When I first saw the Star of Light (142110) stamp set and Starlight thinlets (141840).  I purchased the bundle (143508 which saves you 10%) in the 2016 holiday catalog, I knew I had to have it and it needed to be paired with a retired stamp set from the 2015 holiday catalog, All Ye Faithful.  The two seemed perfect for each other.  Although you can't get the nativity image I used any longer, you could use the nativity image from Joyful Nativity which can be found in the 2016-2017 annual catalog on page 35 (141565) and get similar results.  The base of my card is a standard A2 card size cut at 8 1/2" by 5 1/2" and scored at 4 1/4".  I used a piece of whisper white cardstock as the base layer cut at 5 x 3 3/4". To this I stamped the sun image from Kinda Eclectic (135350) in So Saffron ink.  I then stamped the star swirl image From the Star of Light in Versa Mark ink and embossed it with silver embossing powder (109131).  To this I added the star which was cut from gold glimmer paper (133719).  I then stamped the nativity on a piece of shimmery white cardstock (101910) with basic black archival ink and watercolored the image with an aqua painter (103954).  The shimmery white cardstock is a great alternative to watercolor paper when you don't need to put a lot of water on your paper.  It holds up much better than the whisper white cardstock and doesn't pill.  I stamped the sentiment from the Star of Light stamp set in Versa Mark ink and embossed with gold embossing powder (109129).  I love how this card turned out.  It is every bit as beautiful as I had initially imagined it would be.  I hope you think so as well.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.  I hope you are inspired to begin working on your Christmas cards or at least get some ideas for what you would like to do this year.  Please leave me a comment, I'd love to hear your thoughts.  Take some time to stamp today.  Talk with you soon.

Halloween Mummy Jar of Haunts treat holder

When I saw the mummy image in the Jar of Haunts (142247) stamp set, I just knew I had to turn it into a treat holder.  It turned out so cute.  I first stamped the mummy image twice on whisper white cardstock and cut out with the coordinating die from the Everyday Jar (141490) framelits.  I then used a little smoky slate ink with an aqua painter to very lightly distress the "cloth" to give it a little dimension.  I then inked up two hats from the Snow Place (139738) stamp set and cut them out with the coordinating snow friends(139664) framelits.  I used a 3" x 3 1/2 " piece of whisper white cardstock to form the treat holder.  It is scored on the 3" side at 1" and 2" and on the 3 1/2" side at 1" and 2 1/2".  Then adhered to the base of the mummy on the longer sides.  It will hold two Hershey nuggets.  I then tied a piece of Halloween Night Baker's Twine in the black and pumpkin pie to the brim of the top hat to close the top.  Google eyes were added to finish off his look.  I hope you like him.  This will be my make-n-take at an upcoming workshop.

Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to stop by.  Please leave me a comment.  I'd love to hear your thoughts.  Have a great day and happy stamping.

Lots of Ladybugs thank you card

I fell in love with the little ladybugs in the new Stampin' Up! 2016-2017 annual catalog.  I saw a card on Pinterest where someone had stamped a lot of ladybugs for a card.  I then came up with this thank you card.  It showcases the Love You Lots stamp set (141801) which is available to anyone placing a workshop or personal order of $150 or more.  The base card is mint macaron with layers of Designer Series Paper from the Blooms & Bliss DSP (141654) .  I embossed the mint macaron card base with the large polka dot embossing folder (133739).  The focal image is stamped on whisper white cardstock (100730) and mounted on sweet sugarplum cardstock (141418).  I used blushing bride (131263), rich razzleberry (131259), sweet sugarplum (141818) and mint macaron (142234) Stampin' Write markers to color in the ladybugs which were stamped repeatedly in Momento tuxedo black ink (132708).  The sentiment is stamped on whisper white and punched using retired oval and scalloped oval punches.  You could use the new layering ovals collection frame lit (141706) to get the same results.

Thank you for stopping by.  Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think.  I'd love to hear from you.  Any supplies can be purchased by clicking on the shopping cart which will take you to my online store.  

Bella & Friends encouragement card

My granddaughter absolutely loves dogs so when she saw Bella & Friends (141870) in the new 2016-2017 annual catalog by Stampin' Up!, it was on her must have list.  I love this stamp set, it's so cute and the says are so uplifting.  The card base is in Island Indigo (122923) cardstock.  The Designer Series Paper layer comes from the Blooms & Bliss DSP (141654) DSP pack.  I stamped the images in Momento tuxedo black ink ((132708) and then colored Bella and the parrot using the retired Stampin' Blendabilities markers, but you could use regular Stampin' Write markers.  The focal image is stamped on Whisper White cardstock.  I love how cute this card turned out.  I hope you agree.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.  I hope it inspires you to create something of your own.  If you would like to purchase any of the items I used today, simply click on the shopping cart on this page and it will take you to my online store.  Please leave me a comment, I would love to hear from you.

m&ms Jar of Love shaker card.

Anyone who really knows me knows I am a HUGE m&m fan.  So when I saw where someone had used the Jar of Love stamp set to make an m&m shaker card, I had to make my own version.  I started with a patriotic card and moved on to a Christmas card.  I plan to make one for fall and for the spring as well.  This card features the Jar of Love stamp 141587 set and Everyday Jar (141490) framelits which can be purchased either separately or as a bundle (142342) to save 10%.  The background is stamped using the Touches of Texture stamp set (141934).  I used Real Red, Dapper Denim and Whisper White cardstock along with Real Red (126949) and Dapper Denim (141394) ink.  The jar was stamped on window sheet (114323) with Stazon black ink (101406) and cut using the Everyday Jar framelits.  The jar lit was embossed on whisper white cardstock with gold embossing powder as well as the ribbon and bow.  They are also cut with the matching framelits from the Everyday Jar framelits.  The banner was created with the Thoughtful Banners stamp (141614) set which has a matching punch called the Duet Banner punch (141483) and can also be purchased in a bundle (142330) to save 10%.  The shaker frame was made using the new foal adhesive strips (141825) which make shaker cards so much easier.  The m&ms were made utilizing a punch I had purchased from the m&m store in Las Vegas, Nevada.  

This is the Christmas version of the card.  It uses Real Red, Emerald Envy (141415 cardstock and 141396 ink pad) and Whisper White.  The sentiment for this card is from the Oh, What Fun stamp set (140386).  I used markers directly on the stamp to create the multi colored look.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and taking some time out of your busy day.  I hope you are inspired to create something today.  Crafting is my therapy and I love sharing my creations with all of you.  If you would like to purchase any supplies, please click on the shopping cart and it will take you to my online store.  Please leave me a comment and tell me what you think.  I'd love to hear from you.  Please stop back by.  I'm going to try to be better about posting weekly from here on out.  I've had quite a few health issues and other personal trials going so far this year.  Hopefully, the rest of the year will be much better from here on out!

Petals and Posies Fabulous Fall Shaker Card

I had so much fun making this card.  I love the colors and fall is my favorite time of year.  To make this card, I started with a piece of whisper white cardstock.  I sponged on crushed curry, cherry cobbler, rich razzleberry and Cajun craze inks in random places blending as I went.  I then stamped the leaf image from Thoughtful Branches  which is only available through the end of August 2016 (143539), and the smallest leaf images from Paisleys & Posies (142196) in Versamark ink (102283) and embossed them with white embossing powder (109132).  I used the Large Letters Framelits dies (141712) to cut the letters from the finished piece.  I then used a piece of window sheet (114323) adhered to the back to close the letters.  Some foam adhesive strips on the back (141825) made it easy to form the basis for my shaker card front.  I punched some small leaves from an old leaf border punch I had on hand to fill the letters.

The sentiment is from the Thoughtful Banners stamp set (141614) and cut with the Duet Banner Punch (141483).  These items can be purchased in a bundle to save 10% (142330).  I stamped the banner and sentiment in early espresso ink (126974) and mounted the shaker card front onto a piece of early espresso cardstock.  (119686).  

Thanks for stopping by my blog today and taking some time out of your busy schedule.  Please let me  a comment, I'd love to hear what you think.  

Thoughtful Branches love is a sheltering tree

I made this card for my 36th wedding anniversary for my husband.  I love the way it turned out and I hope he will too.  I wanted to make something extra special.

I started with a scrap piece of very vanilla cardstock and stamped some splatters on with the Touches of Texture (141934) in cajun craze, and crushed curry.  I then stamped the tree branches from Thoughtful Branches (143530) in Emerald Envy and another in Garden Green.  I cut both out with the tree top from the Beautiful Branches framelits dies (143438).  These are only available until August 31 and I highly recommend the bundle in which you can save 10%.  (144328). This is a very versatile set and will last the whole year through.  I used the balloon celebration stamp set (140675) to stamp a few clouds on a piece of whisper white cardstock to make the card front.  I then stamped the tree trunk from Thoughtful Branches onto the white cardstock after I had set down the tree top to judge the placement of the trunk.  I stamped the trunk in early espresso ink.  I then stamped the trunk onto a piece of chocolate chip cardstock in early espresso and used the coordinating die to cut it out.  I stamped one of each bird in the set using tempting torquoise with a little bit of dapper denim on the wing and delightful dijon on the beak.  I used smoky slate and a bit of sweet sugarplum on the other bird.  In order to shape my tree, I used adhesive foam strips (141825) in the middle section of the tree top and adhered the emerald envy tree on top of the garden green tree top to give it some dimension.  I used a little bit of snail adhesive on a couple of spots on the outside edges to the tree would appear rounded on the card.  Before placing the tree top on the card, I stamped some garden green splotches from the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set (130517) to make the tree seem extra full in the background.

From Sheltering Tree stamp set (137163) I used the swoosh to make the grassy area and used the stems and flower tops to make the flowers.  I also used these pieces on the inside of the card just to add some interest there as well.  The grass is stamped in pear pizazz, stems in garden green and flower tops in blushing bride.  I also used the sentiment friendship is a sheltering tree and used the selective inking technique NOT to ink the word friendship.  I used the word love from Thoughtful Banners (141614) to complete the sentiment to save love is a sheltering tree.  I punched hearts from the heart border punch out of blushing bridge and red glimmer paper (121790).  I finished off the inside of the card with a little stamping and a sentiment from Flourishing Phrases (141534).

Sunflower scenery mini treat bag

I was inspired to make this sunflower from a post I saw on Pinterest by Constantly Stamping.  She used a cafe bag to put her's on but I instantly thought it would look really nice on a pattern from the Serene Scenery Designer Series Paper made into a mini treat bag.  I love how this turned out.  It uses the Thoughtful Branches stamp set and Beautiful Branches thinlets dies which are only available during the month of August 2016.  The sunflower is stamped using the leaf stamp on crushed curry cardstock and embossed with clear embossing powder.  The center utilizes the tree top stamped in early espresso ink on chocolate chip cardstock and cut out using the coordinating framelits.  I then punched it into a circle using a 1 3/4" circle punch and mounted it on another circle of the same size.  The sentiment is also from the stamp set is is embossed in copper embossing powder on a 1 3/8" circle.  The stem is cut from old Olive cardstock utilizing the framelits.  I hope you are inspired to make something similar.    Supplies can be purchased in my online store at teresaharper.stampinup.net.