FLOWERING FOILS

This afternoon, in the midst of all the confusion and angst that our world is experiencing currently, I was driven to do some coloring. And, how relaxing an escape it was! I so appreciate this Creative Therapy I am lucky enough to be able to indulge in during times of stress.

The second release of freebies you can earn during Sale-A-Bration has been available for a little while now. My favorite among these items is the elegant paper, Flowering Foils Specialty Designer Series Paper. 

I became super inspired by all you can do with this luscious paper while watching this video put out by Stampin' Up!. The sheet I used in my card is the one shown on the top of the pack as Natalie goes through the four designs in the video. 

I carefully cut the single flower I planned on coloring away from the rest of the sheet. I used Stampin' Blends in both shades of the Seaside Spray for the flower, Light So Saffron for the center of the flower, and the Light and Dark Soft Sea Foam for the leaves.

Once the coloring was finished, I fussy cut the flower tight against the image lines. I also fussy cut the little dangling buds.

The images on this set of DSP are done in an exquisite metallic silver and rose gold. Even though it is actually rose gold, I had some brushed copper cardstock that I thought complemented the color really well, so I used that as the larger circle that surrounds the smaller embossed circle in Soft Sea Foam on which the flower rests.

I made a mistake when creating the soft green circle for the flower, not following my own instructions that I always give at my workshops: When embossing and die cutting a single piece, ALWAYS do the die cutting first, THEN the embossing. With this card, I wasn't sure of the size of diecut I was going to use, much less the shape of it. So I embossed a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Soft Sea Foam cardstock with which to work. 

When I finally decided on the circle shape and size, I ran it through the Big Shot for die cutting. And -- woe is me! -- it slightly flattened the embossing. Which, happily, it worked to my satisfaction. The heavily embossed look was just a bit too much for the delicate flower, and would have overpowered it. At least, I tell myself that's the case. 

So, then when it came to using the same Basket Weave embossing folder (page 198 in the Annual Catalog) on the silver metallic cardstock, I first embossed it, and then -- you guessed it! -- I ran it through the Big Shot once more after removing it from the embossing folder to flatten it a bit too. 

Notice the soft embossing in the circle atop 

the equally soft embossing in the silver background. 

To carry on with the faux rose gold coloring by using copper embossing powder, I stamped and embossed the "Happy Day" sentiment from the darling Itty Bitty Greetings set (page 30, Annual Catalog).

After embossing my sentiment, I used the smallest rectangle die from the Stitched So Sweetly Dies on page 20 of the Mini Catalog. Don't you just love the scalloped edge and the stitching on this die? Perfection!

This is where I used the fussy cut buds I had saved. I just glued them at an angle on the sentiment label before adhering it to the card.

I must admit that, since this set of dies and the glorious Flowering Foils Specialty Designer Series Paper arrived on my doorstep on Tuesday, I have been completely infatuated. So, expect to see more featuring both of these products. I have a few things started already.

If you would like to get some of this beautiful DSP in your hands, there are only ten more days of Sale-A-Bration. Order $50 (before shipping and tax) and a pack of the DSP is all yours! Let me know if I can help!

Specialty 

Smiles.