CHEERIEST BIRTHDAY BOUQUET EVER

In the new catalog, that went live June 1, there is the greatest stamp set on page 92. 

It is Beautiful Bouquet, and it consists of 37 (THIRTY-SEVEN!) stamps! 

Look at the precious bouquet you can make 

using the stamps along with the matching dies on page 93!

Besides the components to create a plethora of flowers,

 there are 15 very useful sentiments in the set.

I'd ordered and received both the stamps and the dies a few weeks ago. 

With my dad dying so recently, I have been struggling with my creativity. 

I told myself that I didn't actually have to make anything. 

Merely put ink to stamp, then to paper. 

Just do SOMEthing.

Well, one thing led to another, and soon I was in the process of making a card! 

I had put the oval with the flowers together when I decided to call it quits for the night.

The next day I gazed upon the cute flowery oval, and wondered how to proceed from there. 

It's funny, but when I'd been making my Easter cards a couple months ago, I made several backgrounds that consisted of the circles from the Playful Backgrounds set on page 150 embossed in white. Then, using the embossing on Whisper White cardstock as a resist, I sponged Melon Mambo over the top.

While the backgrounds looked cute, they were not the look I was hoping to achieve for my Easter cards. So, the stack sat unused -- and so forlorn! While I was scouting out something I could use as a background for my card-that-originally-wasn't-going-to-be-a-card-but-was-turning-into-one, my eyes landed on this pile of cuteness.

Yay! It was perfection for the flower-y oval I had created!

Aren't those flowers just the cutest when they are die cut and popped up with Dimensionals?

To carry the Melon Mambo a bit further, I added a bow in that color to the stems of the bouquet.

I mounted the polka dot background atop a piece of Crushed Curry cardstock 

that measured 4" x 5 1/4", then onto a Whisper White card base.

Some dimension -- not a lot -- but just the right amount, I think.

Finally, you are probably wondering why I named this blog post the way I did since nothing on the card says "Birthday". Well, tomorrow is a milestone birthday for me, and I'm feeling a little down about the number, so I am considering this a cheery birthday card from me to me. There! I feel so much cheerier now!

Cheery

Smiles.