Fun Folds Friday Delicate Dahlias

 Have you ever seen a card then tried to find the instructions and come up empty handed? Well this card is the result of seeing a card, finding the instruction was so hard that I ended up making my own up! It took me ages because math is not my forte!! Lol 😉 

So for the final time this week I will be using the gorgeous  Delicate Dahlias with another Sale-A-Bration offering the super fun Penguin playmates. This fun pattern paper coordinates with a stamp and punch in the July to December mini catalogue from Stampin' Up! Which you can see Here. 

Now to the construction of the card. Start with a piece of cardstock measuring 14.85cm x 20.5cm.  Score at 14cm and 15.5cm as per the photo below.

Now with a pencil gently mark 2.5cm in and 2.5cm down from the left hand side . Then mark 2.5cm in and 2.5cm up from the left hand side as per the photo below.

Now cut from the marks to the 13cm scoreline top and bottom. The solid line in thw photo below indicates a cut line, the dotted line means a score line and the orange crossed the pencil marks.

Now to add some more score lines. First score at 2.5cm and 5cm between the cut lines. Then score at 10.5cm above and below the cut lines as shown in the photo below.

 Now to fold the first fold is a mountain, the second a valley.  The 3rd are mountain and the 4th a mountain too.the 5th and final fold is valley.

Now the fun part the decoration.  I firstly cut my pattern paper 14.4cm x 20cm for the outer portion of the card. I then cut a panel out by marking 2cm down and 2cm in on the left-hand side. Then mark 2cm up and 2cm in from the left hand side too. Then cut between the marks vertically.  Now staring at the mark cut horizontally to 13cm both top and bottom. Finally cut at the 13cm line between the horizontal cut lines. Remove the rectangle of patterned paper and use for anothwr project.

For the inner portion of the card I used a coordinating piece of patterned paper measuring 9.9cm x 9.4cm. Once adhered gently fold along the score line.

With the card base complete it was time to stamp fussy cut out my flowers and leaves. Once adhered to the card I stamped my sentiment and mounted it onto a piece of patterned paper.  A few square gems and sequins to add a litle twinkle and I was finished!

The card folds flat to fit within a standard C6 envelope but stands at a jaunty angle on the mantle!

 The view from the top shows how the card folds.

Well that's it from me for this week. Please join me next week when Gill will be sharing her creations with us all. 

Have a great weekend and remember to have fun 🙂

Cary xx

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Throwback Thursday Delicate Dahlias

 Do you have a special pair of scissors for certain jobs? I have a special pair of scissors that are over 15 years old! They are just perfect 👌 they fit my fingers, have the perfect point, are the exact length of blade... and what do I do with them? One job and one job only decoupage! And when I saw the large dahlia in the Delicate Dahlias I knew I would be getting those special decoupage scissors out!

I stamped the image 3 times using both the outline and infil stamps. Once stamped I looked at them and worked out where I was going to cut the layers. I use a pencil and mark the areas that I'm going to cut away. This helps me to "see" how it will look when finished.

Once all the layers are cut and I'm  happy with them it's time to use 3d foam to layer them together.

For my card base I used white cardstock and then cut a piece of patterned paper to cover the front. 

I found in my box of scraps an interesting shaped piece of card and decided to add some texture to is using an embossing folder set called Checks and Dots. I chose the check one to compliment the dotty paper I'd used.

A few fussy cut leaves, some twine, a sentiment and a few sparkley rhinestones and I was happy.

I was really happy to get those special scissors out and revisit an old technique.  I think the image works beautiful and it was worth the effort.

For the inside I stamped the same image on the bottom right hand corner.  This give the finished card that little something extra in my opinion. 

So do you have a special pair of scissors ? And what do you use them for?

Watercolour Wednesday Delicate Dahlias

 Sadly here in my part of the world the summer has come to a grinding halt and autumn is here already! I've  got my fingers crossed for a dry crisp autumn not a dismal wet one! My card today is full of rich autumnal colours with hints of gold just the colours that make autumn so beautiful.  And Dahlias remind me of autumn too for some reason! 

For my watercolour Wednesday card I thought I'd use a simple technique.  I chose the infil large stamp for this first stage of my design.

 firstly you ink up your stamp in a light coloured ink. Then take a sponge dauber and dab a darker colour around the edge or in the centre of you flower stamp. 

Next add water. You add water to the inked up stamp by misting it with a spritzer filled with water. Not too much misting as I didn't use watercolour paper so didn't want to make my white cardstock sodden. 

I then stamped quickly straight down and up. After each stamping clean the stamp and repeat until your cardstock is filled. Now pop it aside to dry.

Now don't panic if it doesn't look fabulous...yet! A little magic and it'll come together promise 😉

Once the piece is completely dry dab all over with an anti static bag . Then stamp the outline stamp using versamark ink. The stamps are photopolymer so linning them up is easy but don't panic too much.  A little this was or that isn't  a problem.  Heat emboss usingbgold embossing powder. The fine lines of gold really add that certainly little something that the photos dont really do justice to.

A gold heat embossed sentiment on a diecut shape in the same coral colour cardstock as the card base and mat . With a leaf also heat embossed in gold on coral card was fussy cut out and place beneath.  Then a little white bakers twine wrapped around and swirly bit added I was finished 

One tip I will share is when you start making the  background cut a piece of cardstock bigger than you think you need. Then when complete you can trim to size. Now don't discard the trimmings use them to decorate the inside of your card! 

So that's all for today. I hope the weather is good where you are and if it's not maybe that's a good excuse to get some crafting time 😉

Tips Tricks and Techniques Tuesday Delicate Dahlias

 For today I'm sharing not 1, not 2... but 3 cards!!! Each card is using the same stamps the gorgeous Delicate Dahlias.  

It all started with a colour combination that caught my eye whilst roaming the web. The colour combination was a bright pink called magenta madness teamed with the same gorgeous turquoise as yesterday's inspiration called costal cabana.  To go with this I used a beautiful yellow called so saffron.

 The combination is bright and bold just what I wanted for the gorgeous large dahlia detailed image. So inspired by the colours I kept the card clean and simple.

As I was creating this card another idea was forming in my minds eye. So this card has the same colour combination and the same flower stamp but uses a technique called Joseph's Coat.

First I used blending brushes to add colour to a white cardstock mat in roughly the same place as the previous card. Then I stamped in versamark and heat embossed using clear embossing powder. All  the while trying to follow the layout from the first card.

Next the mess..... uhmmmm fun begins.  The technique requires you to cover the entire piece with a dark ink! The magic is that the embossed areas will resist the ink and alow the colours below to shine through.

I chose to use a dark grey instead of the more common black ink just becuse I could! 😅 A gentle huff over the embossed areas and a soft cloth to gently buff any remaining ink from the embossed flowers then mount onto a card,  add a sentiment and voila card number 2.

My third and final card uses the same tequnique but with a twist. 

As I was buffing the previous card I wondered what would it look like if I stamped in clear onto white card and covered it in black ink 🤔 

Well that is exactly what I did ! My card is using the same stamps, the Joseph's Coat technique but no colour! 

I hope you like my little creative journey that I've  shared with you today. Do you find that one card leads to another and another and another....? Maybe that's the best tip of all be your own inspiration and follow your creativity where ever it goes 😃

Make it simple Monday Delicate Dahlias

 I've had a super busy week with family visiting, birthday celebrations and my tumble dryer going bang in the middle of the weekly wash!! So when I found the time to sit down and create today's samples I was so glad the week starts with Make it Simple Monday!

 I have chosen to show case a stamp set that didn't really jump out at me when I first saw it in the Sale-A-Bration catalogue. But you know what having played with it I love it! Does that happen to you? 

So which set have I chosen to celebrate this week well it's  called Delicate Dahlias . It is an exclusive set that can only be obtained for free with a qualifying purchase from Stampin' Up!

 One of the best parts of this set is that it's basically 2 stamp sets that work individually but also together! The stamp set is a photopolymer one which makes lining it up easy. The advantage to that is that it means you can stamp the open line elements then fill them with the beautiful etched infills.  But the infills are also stand alone stamps that look beautiful alone!

With so much choice in the set I decide to start simple, a super important part of Make it Simple Monday 🤣 . 

I  decided to use just one colour ink pad and white cardstock and the stamps. This ensures that it stays SIP ( stamps, ink and paper) and #simplestamping. 

The ink I chose to use is called fresh freesia and is a very pretty lilac shade.

I stamped the flower outline stamp first then the outline leaf. Next I used the etched stamp to add colour and texture to my flowers.

Finally a sentiment stamped in the same colour and my card was complete.

I so enjoyed playing... uhmmmm working 🤣 on creating this card that I got carried away and made another just to see if it would work in another colour 😉

So this time I replicated the card but used a pretty turquoise blue called costal cabana ink.

I also slightly changed the orientation of the layout because I stamped my first flower in the wrong place 🤪 and never one to waste I just carried on with it!

I was really happy that my cards turned out as well as they did in the time I had to create them in. Proving that sometimes having to work quickly can be all the inspiration you need!! 

As always on a Monday I shall be doing a Facebook live at 4pm BST on our Facebook page Here If you can join me that would be fantastic if you can't don't worry I'll post the link to the video afterwards Facebook live here

So which do you prefer?  Lilac or turquoise?