HUGS, PRAYERS AND LOVE

For today's card, I went back to the Inspiring Iris set (page 118) once again. I've used the iris from the set several times. But I thought it was time that I took on another of the lovely flowers in the set. The only one I haven't use thus far now is the carnation. Stay tuned!

If you look at the set on page 118, you will see that it is all two step stamping. This means that you have a basic outline stamp, and then another solid looking stamp. To do two step stamping, first stamp the outline image. Then come back in with the solid stamp in the color of ink that you want your image to be. 

For example, in my focal point, I wanted my flower to be Flirty Flamingo and the leaves Old Olive. Stampin' Up! designed this stamp nicely in that the outline portion is all on one stamp. But then, knowing that a stamper would probably want to make the flower and the leaves two different colors, they made the flower and leaf portions as two separate stamps. 

Thus, once you have your outline stamped -- and it doesn't need to be done in black, but in this case it makes sense, since I AM using two separate colors for the flower and leaves -- you come back in with the solid stamp inked up in the desired color and stamp over the outlined image. These stamps are not meant to be exact in their matching up all the lines capacity. By not matching just right, a watercolor look is achieved. 

OK. Back to the beginning. I did not start with the focal point. I am jumping ahead in my story. 

I liked the solid flower image and in my imagination, I saw these images stamped hither thither across a Whisper White background. I went ahead and did that. It was boring. Nice, but boring. 

To give it some pizzazz, I ran it through the Big Shot inside the awesome Old World Paper 3D embossing folder on page 185. That embossing folder gives SO much texture, which is the reason why I grab for it so often. I LOVE it! 

NOTE HERE: If you want a stamped and embossed background, always do the stamping first. If you do the embossing first, you will not get even stamping over all the dimension of the embossing.

Embossing the stamped piece made it ever so much more interesting. Now, what to do with it? That was all the plans I had. Just doing the background.

I then cut it to 3 3/4" x 5". Don't ask me why.

Since I liked the background immensely, I didn't want to cover up just too much of it. 

OK. Now we'll go back to the focal point. 

As I was mentioning in the beginning, I stamped the floral image with the leaves, using the solid stamps to "color" them in. 

I used one of the sensational dies from the Stitched So Sweetly dies (page 179) to cut it out. The white panel against the busy background just would not do. So . . .

Since I'd colored in my leaves with Old Olive ink, and Mossy Meadow goes so well with that, I used another one of the dies to cut a mat from Mossy Meadow cardstock. While it was an improvement, it still was not what I wanted. That Mossy Meadow piece needed some sort of help, which came, once again, in the form of an embossing folder.

I ran the Mossy Meadow piece through the Big Shot, but this time inside the Subtle 3D Embossing Folder, also found on page 185. This turned out to be the perfect solution. I adhered the white piece to the new Mossy Meadow piece.. 

It STILL needed something, so I grabbed a few of the Gilded Gens (page 157) in the medium size and popped them on each of the round protruding ends of the Mossy Meadow piece.

Just a close up of the focal point:

At this point, the card was still not finished. The Inspiring Iris set has some really beautiful sentiments. So I chose an appropriate one for my card. After stamping it in black -- to match the outline stamped image -- I die cut it with ANOTHER of the cool dies from the Stitched So Sweetly dies. (I'm not kidding -- I know I've said it before -- but you MUST get this die set for yourself! Seriously.)

To echo the theme of the Mossy Meadow surrounding my focal point, I added a looped piece of Mossy Meadow ribbon behind the sentiment piece.

Once I was happy with all my components, I adhered the background piece to a standard size Mossy Meadow card base.

Finally, I used Stampin' Dimensionals to add the two main sections to the embossed piece.

I am going to let you in on a weird little secret about me. Gulp.

You all know that I do a #dailycreating drawing each day, right? Remember, I warned you that this is weird. After I shut my computer down for the night, if I am happy with the drawing I'd done that evening, I put it on its easel and set it on my closed computer. If I'd created a card that I am satisfied with, I also set that near the easel. Then, usually, I complete the tableau with the little penguin guy I needle felted. (He always gets a kiss on the head because I am proud of my first needle felted character.)

When I wake up the next morning and go in by my computer, this is the sight I come upon. It makes me smile. If I especially like it, I snap a quick photo of it before I take the picture of my drawing to submit to the #dailycreating group. I had happened to take a photo of this card sitting on my computer with the corgi I'd drawn for the "life jacket" prompt. Oh, and my penguin. <smooch>

I told you it was weird. 

Weird

Smiles.