So Detailed Valentine

Smoky Slate and Real Red makes for a dynamic color scheme, though one not typically used for a Valentine card.

A standard card base was cut from Smoky Slate and a Smoky Slate matte was also cut to completely cover the card front. The matte was dry embossed using the new Falling Petals Embossing Folder.

One of the So Detailed Thinlits was used to die cut a piece of Real Red card stock which was then adhered across the top of the matte using liquid adhesive. A length of the now retired Real Red Satin Woven Ribbon was adhered across the top of the die cut. (I had planned to use the 3/8" Stitched Real Red Ribbon but discovered that I hadn't yet ordered it! Horrors! Needless to say, I immediately rectified this mistake!) A bow was adhered to the ribbon using a Glue Dot.

The "love" sentiment was die cut three times using the Sunshine Wishes Thinlits. Liquid adhesive was used to adhere the three die cuts together. A coating of Clear Wink of Stella gave it a lovely shimmer. The sentiment was adhered to the card front using Glue Dots. A few red sequin hearts were also added to the card front with Glue Dots to complete the card.

Along with the unusual color scheme, this card is made even more dynamic by the use of several forms of texture–the lacy die cut, the dry embossed matte, a shiny ribbon, a shimmery sentiment and bright little hearts.

On a more personal note, though still related to Stampin Up, in the order I received today was a small black box.

In this box was a silver necklace to commemorate my promotion to the level of Silver demonstrator! So exciting! I will wear this necklace proudly! I would like to thank my customers and my new recruit, Shawna Lee, for making this possible–I couldn't have done this without your help!

Hoping For Sunshine

Tonight I was supposed to be teaching a stamping class but it ended up being postponed until Sunday so I got some play time!

With all the frigid temperatures we've been having, most people are longing for sunshine and warmer temperatures. I decided to make a card to reflect that hope.

With this one card, I was able to use a number of products and a try a few techniques.

I started by die cutting a small circle from a piece of the Inside The Lines paper. This designer paper is one of the FREE Sale-A-Bration products you can receive by placing a $60 order!

I used my new Watercolor Pencils to color it and blended with my Clear Wink of Stella pen. If you haven't yet purchased these, you should put them at the top of your list! They are wonderful! They can be used alone or with an Aqua Painter or Blender Pen or my personal favorite, Wink of Stella. My only complaint? I want more of them–in all of Stampin' Up's wonderful colors!

After coloring, I matted it with a Mambo Melon scalloped circle and then with a Pacific Point circle. I then die cut petals from Marina Mist using an oval from the Stitched Shapes Framelits. I used liquid adhesive to adhere them to the back of the circles.

Next I stamped a bee from the Dragonfly Dreams stamp set on watercolor paper using Basic Black Archival ink. I colored in the stripes of the bee with a watercolor pencil and then fussy cut the bee. Unfortunately, I cut off one of his antennas so I had to stamp another bee which I die cut with the Detailed Dragonfly Thinlits. I cut the wings off this one and glued it under the colored bee. I then used a Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker to trace the edges of the bee to cover up the white spots.

I cut a matte from Melon Mambo and embossed it with the Festive Embossing Folder. I used a piece of adhesive foam to adhere the matte to a Basic Black card front. I then adhered the flower to the matte using Dimensionals. The bee was added using Adhesive Strips.

I die cut the sentiment from both Daffodil Delight and Basic Black using a die from the Sunshine Wishes Thinlits. I gave the yellow piece a coat of Wink of Stella before using liquid adhesive to adhere the black behind the yellow, offset to create a shadow effect. The sentiment was then adhered to the card front.

I cut a Whisper White matte for inside the card and adhered a strip of the Inside The Lines paper down the right side. I used my Watercolor Pencils and Wink of Stella to color the strip to complete the card.

I'm hopeful that the warm thoughts I was thinking while creating this card will bring some warmer weather our way! What's the weather like where you are? Does it affect the type of cards you make?