Over at SUO Challenges this week we are celebrating! Our own Michelle Laycock has been a Stampin’ Up demonstrator for 10 years and we thought it appropriate to make “Congratulations” cards in her honor. These are always fun cards to make, aren’t they??!!
As I told you last week, my boys and I went down to Washington DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival and to visit the wonderful museums. Card first and then I’ll share the inspiration photos. With cherry blossoms on the brain, I had no choice but to pull out a flower set…and what better set than Elements of Style? I wanted the focus to be on the flowers so I thought I’d try using my Labels Collection Embosslits to create a frame. First I cut the center piece out of Watercolor Paper. I stamped the flower and colored it using my Blender Pen with Pink Pirouette, Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzazz inks. Next, I created an embossed frame on Very Vanilla paper. Getting the Big Shot “sandwich” right was the only difficult part. Here it is:
- Multipurpose Platform on Tab 1
- Cutting Pad
- Silicone Rubber Mat
- Very Vanilla Card Stock
- Embosslit with the cutting edge turned up (**see note)
- Typing paper
- Cutting Pad
- Shim (for me a piece of thick paper that comes in the DSP packs)
**Note: Make sure the cutting edge is turned up or you could cut into your silicone mat
Every Big Shot is a little different so you may have to play with the “shim” part to get the desired level of embossing.
I added a “Potato Masher” bow (tutorial here) and some of the tiniest of the pearls in the Basic Pearl pack. I love the elegance of this card!!
Now, in truth, almost all the cherry blossoms are already gone. But I went in search of and found some holdouts! The first picture is from a set of trees near the Jefferson Memorial (which you see in the background). These are a later blooming variant. The second picture is from a lone tree along the Tidal Basin that was still blooming. I loved that I could get the Washington Monument in the photo! I tormented my children with many pictures of them with the trees too but will save those for an MDS project.
Well, off to enjoy a beautiful day here in Virginia. I hope that you will join us at SUO Challenges with your happy cards! See you tomorrow!
Stamps: Elements of Style, Silhouette Sentiments (hostess, retired); Paper: Very Vanilla, Watercolor; Ink: Early Espresso, Pink Pirouette, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz; Accessories: Big Shot, Labels Collection Embosslits, Very Vanilla Seam Binding, Blender Pen, Basic Pearls, Dimensionals
11 Comments
Oh this is absolutely lovely!! I love how you embossed with the framelit — I really need to try that!
Beautifully elegant card, Jen. I love the Cherry Blossoms! I have so many wonderful memories of Spring in the Washington, DC area when my husband (and our family) was stationed there so many years ago. It was such a welcome change after a truly dismal Winter. I remember many hours rolling strollers up and down the Tidal Basin to soak in all that wonderful color.
Jennifer, this is a gorgeous, elegant card. I love the way you’ve turned the other way to make that embossed frame on the card. Excellent idea.
What a beautiful card – I love how you made that frame. I’m going to have to try that, so elegant!
This is stunning! My hearts framelits will be here tomorrow so I really want to try the embossing. I really want this framelit set! Congrats to Michelle!
Gorgeous card! Thanks for the “sandwich” for the embossed framelits; haven’t tried this yet but it looks so, so pretty. TFS
Beautiful card Jen. And I love your inspiration. We were in DC at the tail end of cherry blossom season several years ago. Loved it!
Lovely card, great photos of cherry blossom time and thanks for the note about the silicone pad! Unfortunately for me it came a week too late and I cut mine to ribbons, sigh. Another is on the way, JIT for my Tuesday workshop!
I love the card. Thanks for sharing the technique!
I love your card! I may have to try the embossing myself! And who can resist the lushness of cherry blossoms?!
What a wonderful card!