Stampin' With Michelle Pepper

Stampin' Up! is running a weekly deal promotions all of April . Beginning on each Wednesday in April is a new set of deals of the week. Today's card features two of the products that are being promoted this week: Secret Garden Framelits (#129372) and the Framed Tulips Embossing Folder (#121809). At Stamp Nation, my favourite craft international forum hang out place :-), we have been treated to a week of mini class on using patterned paper on cards. I was inspired by Maureen's class on lining a card front with patterned paper. Tips: I first embossed that awesome green lined paper from the Gingham Garden DSP set with the Framed Tulip Embossing Folder. To highlight the pattern, I sponged over the embossed tulips with Pear Pizzazz ink. I stamped in Versamark the flowers from the Secret Garden stamp set onto watercolour paper. I experimented with embossing in White, Clear and Gold. I like the way it all turned out - ha, is that a helpful hint at all?! Hmm, that yel...

It has been a busy February in that we had another camping trip, and I was also trying to sort out our homeschool curriculum this year. I got some crafting time in but I couldn't feature a project yet on the blog as it is for a Stamp Nation Swap. When the swaps come back to me, I will not only be able to blog about the card I made, but you, my blog readers, will have a feast for the eyes as I will show you all 14 cards the other participating swappers would have made! So watch this space.... Today's card I am a little late in featuring. It was made by Irene at my monthly class in February. Inspired by my sample, Irene took on the challenge in the class to make this one for her friend having a new baby. A posie of flowers, how cute!

Do the leaves on this card look familiar? It is the "left over scrap" from this Freshly Made Sketches winning card . The leaves in that card were cut out from a piece of Pear Pizzazz card stock. What did I do with the "negatives", ie the part left over? By laying it over a piece of Basic Black card stock, I made it the main feature on the card pictured above. Let me encourage you, next time you go to use your dies or framelits or punches, think strategically about using the "negatives". By the way, this card was promptly sold about two days after I made it. I was still deciding whether to put a sentiment on it, and if so, what kind (birthday, thinking of you, thank you, sympathy, get well...oh the decisions!). Apparently, "blank" cards can be popular too. I'd love to hear your feedback - cards with a sentiment, or no?

I am really starting this journey with a hiss and a roar...created 2 cards tonight! Freshly Made Sketches is a weekly challenge blog, with new sketches posted on Wednesdays. Below is the sketch for this week . Provided I don't change my mind, this card will be given to a happy couple for their wedding in August. Wow, I am super organised, for a change! The flowers are done using the Faux Stained Glass technique. Stamp the image in versamark on Vellum card stock, cover with White Emboss Powder, heat emboss then let dry. Turn the vellum over, and colour the back of the image. I tried two ways of colouring...the lighter flowers were coloured using a blender pen to pick up Calypso Coral from the inkpad. The darker flower was sponged with Calypso Coral. The blender pen way created a more subtle look, whereas the sponged way is a lot quicker! I didn't make a banner from the sketch as it didn't look quite right.  I had done the stained glass technique befo...

The colour inspiration is from ColourQ this week . What a fun colour combo. This definitely stretches me as I don't think I would have put those colours together. I am really enjoying the challenges. I had a play with the Secret Garden set I recently acquired. I love the co-ordinating Secret Garden Framelits which meant no fussy cutting! I picked up a little trick from who I cannot remember (apologies that I cannot give credit to that person...I will update this when I find it) to mark with permanent Sharpie on the framelits a point that is easily recognisable so you can match the framelit to the stamped image easily. It worked a treat.