HELLO

I purchased a pack of the True Love Designer Series Paper (page 11 of the Mini Catalog) recently because it was BLACK AND WHITE! I could make it any color I wanted to work with -- or leave it as is.

The papers in this pack are exquisite and actually beg me to get out my Stampin' Blends to make them even more beautiful.

One of the sheets that especially appealed to me was the one I used as the background of this card:

Millions of teeny tiny flowers and leaves. Precious. Not sure what to do with it. I didn't want to make a completely black and white card. 

Another of the sheets in this DSP pack features lovely clusters of larger flowers. So that's how I proceeded. 

I grabbed one of those sheets and, using Light and Dark Flirty Flamingo and Light Just Jade Stampin' Blends, I went to work coloring one of the clusters. After I finished with my coloring, I fussy cut the bunch.

Putting the fussy cut colored cluster against the miniscule black and white flowers . . . whoa. A no go for sure. 

Adding the larger flowers onto a black die cut circle was the perfect solution. 

Because there was a lot of black around the flowers, even with leaves extending past the edge, I decided to break up all the black by using the Just Jade Stampin' Blend to color three Basic Pearls. 

A close up of the colored flower cluster:

I wanted an equally pretty sentiment in a sort of scrolly font to complement the rest of the card, so I opted for this cute "hello". Unfortunately it is not a Stampin' Up! die. 

Die cut in black cardstock, it too blended in with the little background flowers when placed right against them. Adding it to a 3/4" by 4" strip of Flirty Flamingo cardstock alleviated that situation, plus brought in a little more of the Flirty Flamingo to give the card a nice balance.

It was mounted onto a Call Me Clover card base.

Did you happen to purchse this pack of Designer Series Paper? If so, how have you used it?

Hello

Smiles.

 

HERE'S TO YOU

I must say that, in the past several months, the Paper Pumpkin kits have been real hits with me. The March, 2021 kit, Here's to You, was no exception.

One thing that I did find unnecessary, however, were the separate liners that were supposed to be inserted inside the envelopes. To me, the envelope is a mere conveyance, something in which to put your creation to get to the recipient. In my experience, most recipients rip open the envelope to get to what's inside. Then toss the envelope away and keep the card.

To me, that's an absolute waste of time and energy. In the case of the March Paper Pumpkin kit, the liners were really nice pieces of decorative paper that I wanted to put to much better use than their intended one.

I used this pretty paper on my cards. And none of the cards were made as the instructions suggested, as per my usual modus operandi.

In the first card, I trimmed one of the envelope liners to act as a mat around the scenic piece. Even though the envelope liner was a mass of flowers, by using it in this manner, it just looks like colors that reflect those in the scene. Win! 

Another change I made was adding a small sentiment into the open green space rather than on a separate label. I liked being able to integrate it within the scenery.

I also did not use the card base that was provided, instead substituting a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Petal Pink cardstock that I embossed with the Painted Texture 3D embossing folder. 

A narrow strip of Pretty Peacock cardstock was adhered to the textured background just a bit above the halfway point. Finally, it was all added to a card base of Pretty Peacock.

I will certainly miss the Pretty Peacock color. Every time I fall in love with a color, it retires. 

For the second card, I didn't make all that many changes. Just enough for me to love it as one of my own. 

Once again, I took one of the other envelope liners and cut it as a mat for the main image. I love how these colors echo those used in the image.

I was absolutely not in love with the three strips that were added in the directions that comprised the sentiment. Nope. In place of that, I used a strip that was included in the kit and stamped the sentiment that was on the stamp set. This sentiment is lovely, and I can see it being used as a graduation wish.

I can't take complete credit for one of the ideas in the last two cards. I must admit that I saw the idea of using the light blue spaces on the envelope liner as spots to stamp a sentiment. Brilliant! Thank you to whoever came up with this concept!

Actually the rest of my card was changed up from that original idea. The only thing I appropriated was what I'd already mentioned.

Do you remember the Sassy Salutations stamp set from ages ago? Well, I've never really gotten over that set, and find myself reaching for it when I need a bit of "sassy" zip in a salutation, and when my salutation space allows for a larger font as in this set. I stamped the words in -- you guessed it -- Pretty Peacock.

I added a flag to each of the cards in Calypso Coral upon which the sentiment oval rests. I also added strips of ribbon and a cute little embellishment from the dinosaur stuff of last year. 

Oh, and by the way, the photo below shows what the cards should look like if I'd followed the directions. What fun is that??

Scenic

Smiles.

HAPPY DAY

Some images just beg to be embossed. The beautiful rose stems, from the Flowering Blooms set on page 70 of the current Annual Catalog, is just one of those images. (Hurry! It's retiring!)

Stamped in VersaMark ink, then heat embossed iin gold embossing powder, enabled this image to be a wonderful focal point.

One of the designs from the Forever Greenery Designer Series Paper on page 148 of the Annual Catalog makes a simply beautiful background for the rose. (But hurry! It's retiring!)

The simple sentiment, also embossed in gold, comes from the Itty Bitty Grettings set on page 44 of the Annual Catalog. (Hurry! It's retiring!)

Following I will treat you to a tutorial on how to recreate this card. But HURRY! Several of the products are retiring!!

SUPPLIES:

Brushed gold cardstock (non-Stampin' Up!)

Forever Greenery Designer Series Paper (page 184, Annual Catalog -- retiring!)

Basic White cardstock

Flowering Blooms (page 70, Annual Catalog -- retiring!)

Itty Bitty Greetings (page 44, Annual Catalog -- retiring!)

VersaMark ink

Heat Tool 

Gold Embossing Powder

Die Cutting machine

Stitched Rectangles dies (page 183, Annual Catalog)

Gold Metallic Pearls (page 156, Annual Catalog -- in the new catalog!)

DIRECTIONS:

This card base is not Stampin' Up!. Sorry. It is a brushed gold cardstock that measures 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", and creased at the center.

Onto this gold card base, adhere a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Designer Series Paper from the Forever Greenery pack.

On a scrap of white cardstock, stamp the roses from the Flowering Blooms set in VersaMark ink. Cover the stamping with gold embossing powder. Use the heat tool to heat the embossing..

Use the die that measures 1 5/8" x 3 5/8" from the Stitched Rectangles set to cut out the embossed roses.

Add this to a piece of the brushed gold cardstock that measures 2" x 4". Use Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere this to the card front, leaving about 1" of space at the bottom of the DSP.

On a 1/2" x 1 3/8" piece of white cardstock, stamp a sentiment from the Itty Bitty Greetings set in VersaMark ink and emboss it in gold to match the roses. Add this to the bottom of the card with Stampin' Dimensionals.

Add three of the Gold Metallic Pearls to the white surrounding the roses.

Rosy

Smiles.

SPARKLE BEE

Sure, in looking at these photos, I feel like I am the subject of "Liar, liar, pants on fire". I was unable to capture in these photos the true sparkliness of this bee. I embossed him with a glitter embossing powder. And he sparkles like crazy! Believe me.

Does the paper in the background of this card look at all familiar? I used the same paper in two of the squares in this card, Four Squares. Doesn't it make a huge difference when only sporadic honeycombs are colored in? Which do you prefer? 

The coloring on today's card was done with three Stampin' Blends: Light Granny Apple Green, Light Lovely Lipstick and Light Pumpkin Pie.

With the obvious honeycomb design, I needed to have a bee as my focal point. Right? This bee was the perfect size, but was from an old retired set. Embossing him on Daffodil Delight cardstock, I die cut him with one of the circle dies. I added the circle to a scalloped circle, just a wee bit larger, cut from a gold metallic cardstock. 

Adding looped SPARKLY gold cord to the back of the circle piece actually adds some sparkle that shows up in these photos. 

I realize that I often use retired product in my blog posts. Be honest now. Does this bother you? Or would you rather that I stick with current or upcoming product? 

I guess my point here is that if you love something enough to order it, you should really be using it as long as you still love it, retired or not. Isn't that the point of crafting? Not to just always have the latest and greatest. 

Hopefully, through my blog, PAPER SEEDLINGS, the goal of which from the beginning was to plant paper seedlings in your minds that hopefully will grow and thrive, I am still accomplishing what I set out to do originally. Through these posts, I have always wanted to instill a love for the products, whether current or retired. Maybe you will learn something a little bit new or remind you of something forgotten, inspiring you to slip back onto new/old creative paths with me.

I have been thinking about blogs/linky parties quite a lot lately. In a future post, I will talk with you a bit more about this.

I hope you enjoyed a little foray into the creation of my not-so-sparkly bee.

Stay well.

Sparkle

Smiles.

ALWAYS

Lately it seems that each month's Paper Pumpkin has at least one exclusive stamp in it that is beyond wonderful. The February 2021 had this spiffy bouquet that can be colored in any manner you choose.

I, of course, chose to color mine with Stampin' Blends. I know. What a surprise, eh? 

Not having a die to cut out my bouquet, it was a matter of fussy cutting. But I think it was worth the trouble.

To have bling to match my card, I colored a couple Basic Rhinestones 

with a Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Blend.

Keep on reading for a tutorial on how to recreate this card.

SUPPLIES:

Merry Merlot cardstock

White cardstock

Sale-A-Bration Designer Series Paper (do you have any of yours left?)

February 2021 Paper Pumpkin for the stamps (are you a subscriber?)

Merry Merlot ink

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Stampin: Blends:

  Light and Dark Rococo Rose

  Dark Daffodil Delight

  Light Mossy Meadow

  Light and Dark Just Jade

  Dark Cherry Cobbler

Die Cutting Machine

Tasteful Labels dies (page 179, of the current Annual Catalog)

Basic Rhinestones

Stampin' Dimensionals.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Fold a 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" piece of Merry Merlot cardstock in half, creasing it well with a bone folder.

To this card base, add a piece of white cardstock that measures 4" x 5 1/4".

To this, add a piece of Designer Series Paper that matches the flowers in your bouquet that measures 3 3/4" x 5".

Stamp in Merry Merlot ink a sentiment that fits on a white strip measuring 1/2" x 4". Adhere this to the bottom of the card, leaving about 1/4" of the DSP showing beneath..

On a scrap of white cardstock, in Memento Tuxedo Black ink, stamp the bouquet from the February 2021 Paper Pumpkin kit.

Color in the flowers as you wish. Fussy cut the bouquet, leaving a small white margin all around.

From Merry Merlot cardstock, use one of the Tasteful Labels dies to cut a mat for the bouquet.

Use a couple Stampin' Dimensionals to add the bouquet to the label.

Adhere the finished piece flat to the card front.

Add two Basic Rhinestones colored with Dark Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Blends (or whatever other color would match your theme) to either side of the sentiment.

Flowery

Smiles.

ON DISPLAY

This post is a little unusual for me and Paper Seedlings. Fair warning.

As you know, for my blog, I create a plethora of cards. And a lot of these cards I particularly like and found myself wishing I could enjoy having them on display in my computer work area.

For years now, I have been toying with various methods of having qutie a few of my cards out at one time. Shelves? Ledges? Little hangers? 

Several months ago I came across this nifty little arrangement online. A clothesline type of display, complete with itty bitty clothespins. (I know itty bitty clothespins are not that unusual, but they look cute used like this.) The space on the wall is the perfect fit for this system. When I'm sitting at my computer, I just have to swivel my head to the left -- and there they are! So cheery.

And I can have 30 cards on display at once!

The photo below was taken several months ago, once I finally filled up all the spaces with favorites.

Sort of funny. I took the following photo just a few days ago, specifically for this post. If you compare the two photos, you'll notice that I don't change things a lot over time. 

The other organizing/display thing I wanted to share with you today is how I store my beloved Stampin' Blends (did I ever mention that I LOVE my Stampin' Up! Stampin' Blends??? I DO!) 

The organizer that they are stored in comes from Stampin' Up! specifically built to keep the Blends. You can find them on page 145 of the current catalog. I have every single one of the Stampin' Blends. (But, now that I have the brand new Annual Catalog, I see they have added the five new In Colors in Stampin' Blends. Got 'em on my shopping list! That means I'll have to buy more storrage too.)

Anyway, back to my method. Look ahead at the following photo. This is located downstairs in my Creation Station. Believe me when I tell you that I had to push a lot of stuff out of the way to take this photo. 

I have my Stampin' Blends arranged inside the storage in rainbow order, always with the lighter of the color duo first. 

Spoiler alert: Now that I have an additional ten Blends coming, I will have to redo everything that I am telling you today. But, that's progress, eh? So I will talk about my current situation.

On sheets of Stampin' Up! Whisper White (I know that has been discontinued, but that's what I used at the time) I stamped a little open flower in rows, arranged identically to how the storage is arranged: six Blends in each row. It took two sheets of cardstock.

Once I had all my little flowers stamped, I took the pens out of their slot, one at a time, and colored in each of the flowers, followed by a tiny handwritten name of the Blend. 

After (and this took me two days to do it well) it was all finished, I encased the sheets back to back in a page protector so it's easy to flip it to see the rest of the colors.

I use this sheet constantly. Not only does it show exactly what the pen color looks like on Whisper White, which is what I'd used for Stampin' Blends coloring with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, but it is a great planner. Say, with all the greens together, it is easy to grab my color chart and decide which would be the best green for a project. 

With all the colored flowers in the same order on the chart as in the storage, it is easy to grab the color you want without having to look at the name on each pen. 

I must say I am sort of proud of myself for coming up with this system. I'm usually not all that inventive, relying on others' ideas, but this is all my very own. And it works splendidly for my purposes.

As I said, once I get the new In Colors in my colorful little hands, I will have to rework the system completely. Oh well, that's the way it goes if I want to be a hog and possess every color available.

Did I mention that I love the Stampin' Up! Stampin' Blends? Do you have any of them? If so, what are your thoughts on these little charmers?

Blended

Smiles.

FRIENDLY FLAMINGO

The friendly flamingo is back for an encore performance! I find him so irresistible. Don't you?

Using some of the gorgeous water lily Designer Series Paper from last year's Sale-A-Bration as a backdrop for him worked perfectly.

I used the Painted Texture embossing folder to add a little dimension to the plain Flirty Flamingo side. The contrast between the texture on that side coupled with the texture in the flamingo himself brings a little uniformity to the two sides.

The double label for the sentiment topped onto some ruffly ribbon finishes off the card. Of course, the sentiment needed a bit of bling in the form of a couple of Opal Rounds. They are so classy!

Keep reading for a tutorial on how to recreate a card like this.

SUPPLIES: 

White cardstock

Flirty Flamingo cardstock

Water Lily Designer Series Paper (retired -- do you have any left??)

Celebrate Sunflowers stamp set (page 13, Annual Catalog)

Shaded Spruce ink

Die cutting/embossing machine

Tasteful Labels Dies (page 179, Annual Catalog)

Flamingo Dies (page 43, Mini Catalog)

Painted Texture 3D Embossing Folder (page 43, Mini Catalog)

Opal Rounds (page 41, Mini Catalog)

Ribbon (retired)

Stampin' Dimensionals

DIRECTIONS:

Fold a 4 1/2" x 11" piece of white cardstock in half, creasing it well with a bone folder.

Cut a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Flirty Flamingo cardstock and run it through an embossing machine inside the Painted Texture 3D Embossing Folder.

Raised from the center point a bit, add a piece of chosen ribbon, securing the ends of the ribbon on the back of the embossed cardstock.

Attach the ribboned embossed piece to the card base.

Choose a piece of Designer Series Paper that will coordinate with your project and cut it to 2" x 4". Add this to the card, leaving a small border on the right edge.

From Flirty Flamingo cardstock, die cut a flamingo and his textured wing. Using a Stampin' Dimensional or two, adhere him (her?) to the DSP.

Stamp an appropriate sentiment on a scrap of white cardstock. I used Shaded Spruce ink because that coordinates with my DSP.

Cut the sentiment out using one of the dies from the Tasteful Labels set. From more white cardstock, and from the same die set, but a larger tag. Adhere the sentiment piece to this.

Add a folded piece of the coordinating ribbon to the back of this piece so the ends dangle downwards about an inch.

Use a couple of Stampin' Dimensionals to add it over the ribbon.

Add Opal Rounds in two sizes to either corner of the sentiment piece.

Flirty

Smiles.

#dailycreating NOVEMBER 2020

Well, here we are, about four weeks since featuring a month's worth of #dailycreating. 

As part of Terry Runyan's Facebook group, #dailycreating, we are encouraged to do something creative each and every day. Every Sunday afternoon, Terry adds to the Group page a list of prompts for the upcoming week. These prompts are just suggestions, completely optional. But they are put in place for many of us (me included) to use as jumping off points for our day's creating.

I usually follow the prompts, unless, for some reason, a day's prompt simply does not resonate with me. This doesn't happen often, but occasionally ir does, twice among this month's drawings..

Following you will discover 14 pieces that I created during November 2020. Obviously, in looking through these drawings, it was a very "birdy" month for me. I do love to draw birds, but I didn't think I actually did it so frequently.

As always, above each drawing, I will include the prompt for the day, as well as any other pertinent information I may have on the subject matter.

Here we go:

#what keeps you warm

#lunch

#thing on thing

#dinner

#caturday

#late night snack

lemur slow loris

#off prompt

great egret

#off prompt

#kindness

#world peace day

#favorite place

black swan

#thing on thing

rainbow lorikeet

#turkey

#eagleurday

If you or anyone you know could use a little daily distraction encouraging you in your creativity, I know Terry would welcome you to the group with open arms. You can find it on Facebook under Daily Creating Group. 

Please note that these are my own personal drawings and are not to be used in any way without my express permission. If you would like a Giclee print of any of my work, please contact me. Thank you for your respect.

#dailycreating

Smiles.