BEADY POINSETTIA

As you already know, I am in love with one of Stampin' Up!'s new Christmas stamp sets, Joyful Christmas. You've seen it on my blog a few times already. This is probably not the last time you will see it on Paper Seedlings.

Joyful Christmas is an exquisite set, begging to be used with a wide variety of techniques. This card happens to feature paper piecing once again.

This was one of the projects at my November Stamp-In workshop:

They had a choice of several red/pink-toned Designer Series Papers in a small print, as well as several greens. It seemed that, no matter which print in any color they chose, it was always a gorgeous-looking flower when they were finished.

Since the center of a poinsettia flower is those weird yellowish things, I thought yellow beads would work great on the card.

Even though the center of the flower was going to be covered by beads, I did paper piece in yellow the stamped center of the flower. As you can see in this closeup, the one bead -- upper right -- that didn't land on top of some of the yellow paper doesn't look quite as nice. So, if you do one of these cards on your own, be sure there is yellow paper underneath all the beads, especially if the beads are somewhat transparent as these are. Opaque beads would work just fine, even without the yellow paper under them.

If you'd like to give my card a try, here you go:

Supplies:

Apothecary Art stamp set

Curly Cute stamp set (retired, so so sad)

Joyful Christmas stamp set

Small-print red/pink and green Designer Series Paper

Naturals White cardstock

Basic Black cardstock

VersaMark Ink

Black StazOn Ink

Big Shot

Petals-a-Plenty Embossing Folder

Yellow beads

Paper Snips

Heat Tool

Black Embossing Powder

Stampin' Dimensionals

Tombow Multipurpose Adhesive

Embossing Buddy

Instructions:

PLEASE NOTE: This is another project where your Embossing Buddy is your BEST FRIEND!

Emboss a 3 3/4" x 5" piece of Naturals White cardstock in the Big Shot inside the Petals-a-Plenty Embossing Folder. Adhere a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Basic Black cardstock to a card front created from an 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" piece of Naturals White cardstock. Adhere the embossed piece over the black.

After first rubbing the paper well with your Embossing Buddy, in VersaMark, stamp the poinsettia twice on red/pink Designer Series Paper (DSP). Cover the images with Black Embossing Powder. Heat to emboss. Repeat this same process with your choice of green DSP and the leaf image, except stamp the leaf three times. Also stamp the center berries once on a yellowish DSP.

Carefully cut out the full poinsettia, then the smaller center part of the flower. Adhere together with a Stampin' Dimensional. Cut out the three leaves, and glue them to the back of the flower petals. Cut out the center berries and glue them in place. Use Tombow Multipurpose Adhesive (green glue) to attach the poinsettia to the embossed surface.

Dot green glue onto the stamped berries, and place yellow beads over each of the stamped ones. Set this aside. The beads stay wobbly for some time.

Ink up the banner portion of the Apothecary Art stamp with VersaMark and stamp it onto a scrap of Naturals White cardstock AFTER RUBBING IT WELL WITH YOUR EMBOSSING BUDDY. Cover with Black Embossing Powder, and heat to emboss. Stamp the sentiment in the center of the banner and heat emboss in the same manner.

Cut out the banner. Adhere it to the embossed background with pieces of Stampin' Dimensionals.

Beaded

Smiles.