The Fancy Flora Suite is a big beautiful collection of products.  I was sold on the Two Tone Flora bundle as soon as I saw the dies.  The large die is so pretty and I knew that I wanted to use it on vellum.   I finally got around to making that card.

Isn't it pretty?   I cut a large opening using the Stitched Rectangle dies on the Basic White card front.  I also cut 2 smaller frames (one for the front and one for the inside front) also using the Stitched Rectangle dies.  I secured the vellum to the front of the card and then attached the smaller frame over the vellum.  I attached the other frame to the inside of the card to keep everything looking neat and clean.  I added the luscious Pool Party Grosgrain Ribbon to the frame and tied a bow.  This ribbon is lovely to work with.  The flowers were stamped using Fresh Freesia ink and the leaves were stamped in Pool Party.  The centers of the flowers are from the Glossy Dots Assortment.

I added another card inside of the card.  Why?  This card will give you a place to write a message that doesn't show through the lovely vellum.  I stamped a sentiment where the frame will cover it up.   This sentiment is from the Something Fancy stamp set.

This sentiment is a must have for me.  It is so cute and perfect for those cards that will arrive a little or maybe a lot late.  

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the Fancy Flora Collection!

Welcome to the Inspire Create Share Blog Hop!  We come together and hop on the 2nd Wednesday of the month.  Each month there is a theme and this month the theme is…Birthdays!  What a great practical theme since we all need birthday cards.  

I used the bright and happy Enjoy the Journey DSP.  This pack is in the 2023 January-April Mini Catalog and was also a Sale-A-Bration choice in February.  The Sending Smiles bundle was used for the focal point.  The Sending was cut using Mango Melody and Polished Pink CS and so were the little flowers.  The center of the flowers are the Loose Frosted Dots (Online Exclusive product).  These pretty accents are currently not available but should be back in stock in early May.  

This is a wiper card.  When you pull out the side and back the cute little piggy from the This Birthday Piggy set pops up with a balloon and cake.   You can fussy cut the piggy out but if you check out the Clearance Rack you might still be able to snag the coordinating Playful Piggy dies for $12.40!  That is an amazing deal so make sure to check it out.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out what fun and fabulous idea Deb has for you!

Enjoy the hop!

I needed a manly birthday card.  We are doing some traveling so I have just an armful of stamp sets with me.   I couldn’t find a stamp set that felt right for the person I was sending the card to.  I do have the He’s the Man Specialty DSP with me and knew it would be perfect.  This pack of paper is special in that there are 2 die cut sheets of images and sentiments and 2 each of 5 double-sided designs.

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I chose one of the designs and created a pocket card.  

The pocket is secured with the Burlap ribbon from the Real Red & Burlap Ribbon pack.  The Cheers to All the Years is from the die cut sheets in the He's the Man DSP pack.  Both the top edge of the pocket and the flap edge were cut using the Basic Borders dies.   I thought it would be fun to mimic the points around the sentiment by using the Basic Borders die.

The birthday sentiment is from the Sending Wishes stamp set part of the Sending Smiles bundle.  This stamp set and dies have been so useful on this trip.  I use the sentiments often and the set covers so many situations.  I am so happy I brought them along.

This is a super quick and easy card to make especially using the He's the Man DSP and die cuts. 

Product List

Sending Smiles Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [158701] $22.00	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [147114] $8.00	Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [119686] $9.25	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276] $10.25
He's The Man 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper [159068] $15.00	Real Red & Burlap Ribbon Combo Pack [160386] $9.00	Basic Borders Dies [155558] $29.00

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you consider the He's the Man DSP for your next masculine card,

Just one more day left until Sale-A-Bration 2023 will be over.  It is always sad to see Sale-A-Bration end, I mean who doesn't love free products with a qualifying purchase?  Today I am using the Beautifully Happy stamp set.  

Here's the color combination I used.

Sweet Sorbet

Coastal Cabana

Old Olive

I haven't used Sweet Sorbet very much.  I don't really know how to use it and what colors it goes with so I decided it was about time I tried to figure it out.   I do like how it looks with Coastal Cabana.  

I really like how this 2 step stamp set creates shading on the image.  It is so easy to line up and the results are beautiful.  

Product List

Beautifully Happy Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [160804] $27.00	Very Best Occasions Cling Stamp Set (English) [159871] $25.00	Thanks A Bunch Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [160816] $18.00	Sweet Sorbet Classic Stampin' Pad [159216] $8.00
Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad [147097] $8.00	Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad [147090] $8.00	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] $6.00	Coastal Cabana 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [131297] $9.25
Sweet Sorbet 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159268] $9.25	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276] $10.25	Stylish Shapes Dies [159183] $30.00	2022–2024 In Color Baker's Twine Pack [159195] $15.00
Iridescent Rhinestones Basic Jewels [158130] $7.50

I do not know the name of this fold and if you do please let me know.

It is a "Z" type card on a 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" base and folds up to fit nicely in an A2 envelope.   If you would like me to do a tutorial on this leave me a comment and I will work on it.   

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to get your Sale-A-Bration orders placed before it is too late,

On Thursday I shared that I cut out all the flowers from the Hues of Happiness DSP.  Why did I do this?  One thing I realized when I packed up my craft room was I had a LOT of paper especially patterned paper.  I mean a lot.  I love paper and honestly I am not the best at using it.  I love certain designs so much that I don't want to use it.  Huh?  Sound familiar?  Well, I am trying to change my ways and am now making more of an effort to use and enjoy my paper and not save it.  I thought that if I cut out the flowers from the Hues of Happiness DSP I would use it.  This was a good decision.  I have made a bunch of cards using the flowers and have been thinking about the flowers and other ways to use them.  The flowers are color sorted and waiting patiently for me to use them.  Today's card was on my mind and I had to make it even though there were lots of other things I needed to do.

I used the Split Card Textures dies and added the Hues of Happiness flowers along the split.  Since the flowers and leaves were already cut out, this card came together easily and it made it easy to make other decisions like color.   I used the Gorgeous Grape and Fresh Freesia flowers which made me think about the Fine Shimmer Paper Pack which has a Fresh Freesia paper.  I cut the Fresh Freesia Shimmer Paper a little larger than the Split Card Texture so it would show through behind the cutouts and also act as a layer.  Everything is layered on a Gorgeous Grape card base.   The dots look black in this picture but they are actually Gorgeous Grape Glossy Dots.

Inside of the card I added a strip of the Fresh Freesia Shimmer Paper and another flower from the Hues of Happiness DSP.  The sentiment is from the Framed Florets set stamped in Gorgeous Grape ink.

I hope in this picture you can see the shimmer of the Fresh Freesia Fine Shimmer Paper.  This paper is so pretty and in the pack there are 6 sheets (2 each of Fresh Freesia, Soft Succulent and Gold).

Thanks for stopping by and if you would like your own pack of Hues of Happiness DSP you can shop online with me,

I am starting to cut the make and take packets for the Creativity Abounds By the Bay Stamp Camp.  Be sure to register soon for the camp.  Want more information?  GO HERE for all the details.

Love fun folds? Place a $50 order through my online store and receive this bundle (13 tutorials!!)  as a thank you.  You can also purchase the tutorial bundle for $15.00.  Please contact me (sharon@astheinkdries.com) if you would like to purchase the tutorial.

Welcome to the Creativity Abounds Blog Hop!  We are a group of international Stampin' Up!® demonstrators.  We hop together on the third Wednesday of every month.  Our hops focus around a particular bundle, holiday, occasion or product suite.  Every month we create a tutorial bundle. The tutorial bundle is available as a gift with a qualifying purchase or can also be purchased. This month our theme is Birthdays!

We also offer a quarterly stamp camp.  The next stamp camp will be in February 2023 and will feature a suite from the 2023 January-April Mini Catalog.  The suite we have chosen for the next stamp camp is…By the Bay!  I will be sharing more about the camp soon.

I used the Framed Florets bundle for my birthday card.  This bundle is in the upcoming 2023 January-April Mini Catalog.  It was also part of the Fitting Florets collection that debuted in November.  The bundle is the only products from this Collection that will be in the upcoming Mini.  I wish the Fitting Florets DSP was also in the Mini but it is not and will not be available after January 4th.

This is a simple fun fold.  I like it since it allows me to show 3 patterns of DSP and how well things coordinate.

• Night of Navy CS card base- 5-1/2” x 8-1/2” scored at 1-1/4” and 4-1/4” (14.9 cm x 21 cm scored at 3 cm and 10.5 cm)
• Night of Navy Oval frame-3-1/4” x 4” (8 cm x 10.5 cm)
• Night of Navy Oval frame (use large ornate oval die-the center piece) 3-1/4” x 4” (8 cm x 10.5 cm).  This piece will provide a backing for the Night of Navy/Basic White frame and make it more stable.
• Basic White card liner- 4” x 5-1/4”, ( 14.2 cm x 9.8 cm)
• Basic White Oval cut using the smaller oval frame-3-1/4” x 4”, (8 cm x 10.5 cm)
• Pick 3 patterns of DSP.  Cut two at 2-3/4” x 5-1/4” and one at 1” x 5-1/4” (cut 2 at 6.5 cm x 14.2 cm and one at 2.2 cm x 14.2 cm)
• Die cut flowers from the DSP and fussy cut 2 leaves.

Time to check out all the other stops on the hop!

Thanks for stopping by and please see below to see how you can receive the Creativity Abounds Birthdays Tutorial.

Place a $50 order through my online store and receive this bundle (13 tutorials!!)  as a thank you.  You can also purchase the tutorial bundle for $15.00.  Please contact me (sharon@astheinkdries.com) if you would like to purchase the tutorial.

Taking a break from my Christmas cards to share a birthday card using the Framed Florets bundle and the Fitting Florets DSP.  

I am loving the Framed Florets bundle.  The oval frames were something we have needed and I love how they work together.  

• Fitting Florets DSP 4-1/4" x 12", scored at 3-1/4" and 8-3/4". (Normally I would cut the DSP 4" x 12" to maximize the DSP.  This does result in a slightly narrower card.  This time I used 4-1/4" x 12" since the DSP had already been cut.) Cut from the score line to the center of the edge (2-1/8") and repeat on the other side.  Repeat at the other end.  The points will overlap.  Secure them to form a sleeve.  
• Night of Navy CS- 4-1/4" x  5-3/8"
• Basic White CS- 4" x 5-1/4"
• Balmy Blue CS-3-1/" x 4"
• Basic White- 3" x 4" cut out an oval using the larger frame.

The insert slides into the DSP sleeve.  I used Soft Succulent, Balmy Blue and Night of Navy Stampin' Blends to color the flowers and leaves.  I also added the Solid Faceted Gems in  Night of Navy.

The Fitting Florets DSP will only be available for a few more days/January 4th 2023 or while supplies last.  It is a very pretty paper and coordinates so beautifully with the Framed Florets bundle.  

Time for me to get back to my Christmas cards! Thanks for stopping by and be sure to get the Fitting Florets DSP before it disappears!

Welcome to the Stampers Dozen Blog Hop!  We are a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators that hop together  on the 14th of the month. This month our theme is Something New for the New Year!  We have a new Mini Catalog debuting in January as well as Sale-A-Bration so there is now shortage of new things to share.

I couldn't resist playing with the Adorable Owls stamp set.  This set is part of the Sale-A-Bration offerings starting on January 5th 2023.  What is Sale-A-Bration?  During January and February 2023 with every $50 or $100 you spend (before tax and shipping) you will be able to choose a free Sale-A-Bration product from the Sale-A-Bration catalog.  The Adorable Owls is one of those products available free with a $50 order.

Here I stamped all three of the owls and colored them with Smoky Slate, Fresh Freesia, and Pool Party Stampin' Blends.  The owls were all fussy cut, sadly there are no dies for the owls!  I added a little cake and balloons from the This Birthday Piggy stamp set and cut out using the Playful Piggy Dies.  Last time  I checked the Playful Piggy dies are still available on the Clearance Rack  for $12.40!  What an incredible deal.  The Playful Piggy die set has 18 dies all for $12.40!  Hard to beat that.  

The sweet Fresh Freesia DSP is from another Sale-A-Bration choice, the Dandy Designs 12" x 12" DSP.  This choice is free with a $100 purchase.  The paper pack has 48 sheets: 4 each of 12 double-sided designs.  The colors in this paper pack: Balmy Blue, Calypso Coral, Fresh Freesia, Granny Apple Green, Mango Melody, and Petal Pink.  Here i used 3 different patterns in Fresh Freesia.  

Now it is time to check out the rest of the hop!

Thank you for stopping by!

Free Shipping for one day only December 15th.  Please shop with me here.  

It is time for another Festive Friday Challenge!  National Cake Day is the festivity we are featuring on the Festive Friday Challenge. What is the Festive Friday Challenge?  The Festive Friday Challenge is a bi-weekly challenge that has an Inspo List.  What is an Inspo List?  Every challenge has an Inspo list  aka as an inspiration list, that has 10 items on it and those 10 items were inspired by a particular holiday, celebration or festivity.  You need to use 3 items from the Inspo list on your project.  You do not have to incorporate the festivity into your challenge but if you want to, you can.  Here is a link to more information about how to participate in the challenge.

As I mentioned before we are in house hunting mode which means I have just a few stamp sets with me in our short term rental.  Can you believe that not a single one had a cupcake, sprinkles or candle!  Fortunately we were going to our storage unit and I was able to rummage through my box of stamps and pulled out the This Birthday Piggy stamp set and yes, it has a candle! 

From the Inspo List I used, birthday sentiment, candle and patterned paper.  The sentiment is from the This Birthday Piggy stamp set and it is stamped on a banner from the All That dies.  Can you see the itty bitty heart?  This little heart is from the oval hearts frame surrounding the piggy image.  The oval hearts frame, the Granny Apple Green oval frame and the Basic White oval (the birthday piggy) were all die cut using the Framed Florets dies.  Love how they coordinate and love the little hearts.  The Framed Florets dies are available to purchase now and will be officially debuting January in the 2023 mini catalog.  There are more coordinating items including the Framed Florets stamp set  (purchase the bundle and save 10% 162407), the Framed & Festive stamp set (available while supplies last), Fitting Florets DSP (available while supplies last), and the Gold Adhesive-Backed Swirls (available while supplies last)

The image was colored using a variety of Stampin' Blends.  The colors used-Polished Pink, Granny Apple Green, Crumb Cake, Petal Pink, Smoky Slate and Daffodil Delight.  The bright and cheery striped patterned paper is from the Celebrate Everything DSP.  The Celebrate Everything DSP is a Stampin' Reward choice found in the 2022 July-December Mini Catalog.  

For more inspiration, be sure to visit the rest of the  Festive Friday Challenge Design team.

Ann Schach

Beth McCullough

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert 

Melanie Hungerford

Helen Jennings

Melva Peters

Jaydee

Diane Evans 

Joanne James

Thank you for stopping by and I look forward to seeing your creations in the Festive Friday Gallery!

It is Thursday and time for the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.  This week it is a super fun color challenge.

You know I love a Black, White, Gray with a pop of color palette.  I chose for my two colors Poppy Parade and Old Olive.

Are you wondering where that sentiment and images are from?  They are part of an early release that will be available for purchase in November.  It is the Framed Florets bundle.  This bundle will also be in the upcoming 2023 January-June Mini Catalog.  In November there will additional items available which make up the Fitting Florets Collection.  I will share more about the whole collection soon.

The flowers from the Framed Florets stamp set were colored using Poppy Parade and Old Olive Stampin' Blends and cut using the Framed Florets dies.   Did you notice?  The dies are named the same as the stamp set!  I am so happy about this change.  No more having to remember the name of the stamp set and also the name of the coordinating dies.   

The oval frame (cut using the Framed Florets dies) has embossed details around the edge.  So cool!  There also is another oval frame in the die set that is a little more ornate and I can see a lot of layering of ovals on my future cards.  

• Basic Black card base is 4-1/4" x 11" scored at 5-1/2".
• Basic White layer is 4-1/8" x 5-3/8".
• Metallic & Shimmer Specialty Paper is 4" x 5-1/4".

This is the first time I am using the Metallic & Shimmer Specialty Paper.  Isn't it beautiful?  I am looking forward to using the other colors in the pack, Evening Evergreen and Cajun Craze/Pumpkin Pie.  

Inside I added a strip of the Metallic & Shimmer Specialty Paper and another bloom from the Framed Florets set.  If you would like to learn how to get the Framed Florets bundle and the rest of the Fitting Florets suite early, please  contact me and we can chat about the different options available to you.

Thank you for stopping by and be sure to check out what colors the rest of the Create with Connie & Mary Design team chose for this week's challenge,