Partial Die Cutting a Sparkle N Sprinkle Digi

Seems like every card I make with Sparkle N Sprinkle stamps, turns out to be my favorite!

This stamp set by SNS artist, Jan Mahew is one of my new favorite digital sets.

I made the flower from a soda can (or was it a beer can?) 

The details for this project are on the SNS blog.

Thanks for stopping by...have fun!

Flourishes Design Team Friday Challenge Hop

Hello and welcome to my studio.

For today's blog hop, Tricia Traxler has challenged the team to use:

Patterned Paper

I have the great pleasure of using my favorite stamp set so far...

Bushel of Thanks

Illustrating stamp sets is such a joy for me!

All those years of drawing homework have really paid off, along with my love of Mary Engelbreit.

Although the, "bit of whimsy" I add is not even close to her artistic flair,

I do enjoy using markers and colored pencil like she does.

Here is another card I made recently with this set:

You can find the details for this card here.

Today's card images are indeed colored with Prismacolor Premier pencils and some

Distress Ink by Ranger around the edges and on the bunny.

I also used some Glossy Accents by Ranger to highlight the cabbages.

The patterned paper is by Authentique, and the beautiful blue is Color Made Easy,

both of which can be purchased in the Flourishes store,

along with this stamp set.

I used one of Flourishes' Exclusive Dies to make my sentiment tag.

Here is the blog hop list for you to enjoy more creativity using Patterned Paper:

Flourishes Blog
Barbara Thompson

Beverly Cole (me)

Linda Lucas

Naomi Gong

Rebecca Ednie

Tricia Traxler

Enjoy the Journey,

Silver Mum

Silver Mum...Silver Mum...sounds like a song, doesn't it?

This stamp set was my very first released. That will always make it special to me.

Fuji Mum

The patterned paper and gray marker works so well together,

allowing the yellow accents to just shine!

I used "Fuji Mum" by Flourishes of course,

and Authentique paper sold at the Flourishes Store.

Glossy Accents and a bit of twine from my stash finish off this card.

The fussy cutting was kept to a minimum. 

I simply used my paper trimmer to cut straight cuts,

and skipped wherever the flower overlapped the cuts. Then did the fussy stuff.

I added some Stickles to make the Fuji sparkle.

The black strips frame the design.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

The Artistic Stamper  10/1

Penny Black and More 9/30

Thanks for stopping by. I truly appreciate you looking at my designs.

Enjoy the Journey,

The Warmth of Friendship

Welcome to Flourishes' Friday Design Team Challenge!

You can find links to all the Design Team Cards at the bottom of this post.

Be sure to stay tuned...my newly designed Beverly Cole stamp sets, created exclusively for Flourishes, will be here in a few weeks!

a tiny hint...

Oh, how I enjoyed making this card!

As I have said before, with all the art I have been doing over the past few years,

my card making skills are rusty, to say the least.

So...today I decided to just relax and go back to my proverbial, "roots"

of card design.

I used so many fun tools and products from my stash, along with some classic techniques.

First, I took out a stamp set created by Sam Pickard for Flourishes entitled,
"Happy Thoughts"

How fitting for this warm toned card.  I made a mask for the flower stamp in the set,
after cutting the stem off the stamp...I know, I know but it's all good! I can simply reconnect the cut
pieces on an acrylic block when I want to stamp the flower with a stem.

Then, using the "cut" flower stamp and the mask, I created a border.
I colored using my Caran D'Ache Museum Aquarelle pencils, and blended them with
a clear Wink of Stella pen, instead of my water brush. They are subtly sparkly,
which is difficult to see here.

After fussy cutting the image, I flipped it over and used some deep orange ink on a sponge and rubbed the edges of the image, so they were no longer stark white.

Then I started on my background.

I used Flourishes New Leaves and  Tiger Lily card stock from the

Color Made Easy Collection.

I also used some of the adorable patterned papers in the,

"Nestled" 6x6 collection by Authentique. The are available in the Flourishes store.

I used the Perfectly Pierced Classic Hourglass Template Die set by Flourishes

to create an inlaid design. I then "quilted" the two pieces together

with an embossing folder by Anna Griffin.

It's a bit difficult to see in this picture, but if you look carefully, you can see it.

Then, I got out my Singer and zig zag stitched the edges around

the inlay and the edge of the card.

I then added a sentiment from the same stamp set

on Flourishes Classic Ivory Cardstock,

and cut it with another die from the same set.

I added some gems and gold Stickles to the card and the flower centers.

The border is on dimensionals to make it pop.

I truly loved making this. I was in my element...my happy place...my comfort zone.

It felt good.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
C.R.A.F.T. challenge 379 embossing
DL.Art September Linky Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Die Cuttin Divas Challenge #281 Must use a die cut

Visit my friends on the Flourishes Design Team and check out the Flourishes Blog

for Vicki Dutcher's challenge to the Design Team.

Beverly Cole (me!)

Vicki Dutcher

Amanda Havon

Naomi Gong

Linda Lucas

Nancy Nickel

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Lily!

It's my granddaughter's birthday soon, so I made a card with her in mind. She's only going to be 6, but she is such a little lady these days...grown up so much in the last year.

I used a Christmas set from Flourishes, to show that these sets are versatile...not just for Christmas.

This set is called, Harp.http://flourisheslc.com/product/harp/

I used the small corner flower. I actually cut the stamp in half, which I do quite often. It's easier than dealing with the rest of the stamp, and you can always put them back together on a block.

 I still had to do a bit of masking with a post-it note as I went along, stamping them in
Close To My Heart's Champagne ink,

and turning them this way and that to make a chain of sorts.

I colored them with Prismacolor markers and then with Prismacolor Premier pencils. I blended a bit with a blending marker.

Fussy cutting is never a big deal to me, as I love to cut...it's like therapy. I also love to ink the edges of EVERYTHING so you will notice that on nearly every element of this card.

 I used the die set from Flourishes called, "Perfectly Pierced Classic Frames", and offset the sentiment frame. The sentiment is from an older Flourishes set.

I added some glittery ribbon and pearls.

I really hope this card hangs around for awhile...maybe on the 'fridge.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Craft-Dee BowZ August - Handmade Bow
Dream Valley #138 - Pretty in Pink
Heart to Heart - For the Girls (used CTMH ink)
Love to Scrap Challenge Blog #84 -Anything Goes
Atlantic Hearts Challenge #174

Well, keep watching for my new stamp line from Flourishes...