Just like many of you, I have been playing with stamps, ink, paper, and embellishments for many years now.  And, I am convinced that I will continue playing with them for many, many more years.  There are just far too many techniques, new products, and amazingly talented people who share their ideas for any of us to get bored with our creative passions!

Recently, Stampin’ Up! published a new beginner customer brochure.  Click on the picture below to see the brochure.  I hope you’ll agree with me that there are some amazing products and samples included in the brochure.

I decided to focus on one of the stamp sets in the brochure called Magnolia Blooms to create a birthday card.  The images and sentiments in the stamp set are really pretty.  Take a look at the card which is pictured below.

There are some subtle details to this card that are a little difficult to capture in pictures.  I guess you’re just going to have to create your own card to see the details!!

Here are the basic steps that I used to create the card:

• Start with a Thick Whisper White card stock base for your card.  This card stock is the perfect weight for a card, and the elegant white color is a dramatic yet subtle background.
• Next, cut a piece of Whisper White card stock to 5 1/4″ x 4″ to be your focal piece.
• Use your Stamparatus (the best stamp positioning tool on the market!) to stamp the magnolia flower image from the Magnolia Blooms stamp set on two opposite sides of the focal piece.  Reference the picture to see the positioning.  I used Soft Suede ink to stamp the flowers.  Place your stamp as close to the corner as you can.
• Fussy cut the corners of the focal point, as pictured.  Essentially, you want the fussy cut corners to look like the edges of your flowers.
• Use the Stamparatus to stamp the two remaining flower images on to the card base.  Again, reference the picture for positioning.  One of the images is the smaller flower in the stamp set, and the other is the leaf image.  Use Soft Suede to stamp these images as well.
• While you have your Stamparatus out, be sure to stamp “Happy Birthday” on to the focal piece using Mossy Meadow ink.
• Use your Blender Pens to add some color to your flowers and leaves.  I used layers of Petal Pink, Flirty Flamingo, and Mossy Meadow inks to color the images.
• Grab your Soft Suede Stampin’ Marker to add a colored edge to the fussy cut flowers on your focal piece.  Tip:  Hold your paper so that the stamped image is away from you when you are adding the colored edge.  This will help ensure that you don’t accidentally color over your stamped image.  Also, use the larger, brush end of the marker to add the color.
• Next, gently add a little curl to the fussy cut flower corners.
• If you would like to, add some “grunge” to the front of your card.  Be sure to make masks to protect your flowers if you do this.  I used the retired Timeless Textures stamp set to add my “grunge”.  I also used various intensities of ink when I added the “grunge”.
• Adhere your focal piece to the top of the card base as pictured.

I really hope you will try this technique.  If you do make this card (or one like it), please post a picture in your comment.  I would love to see your work!

Below are the main products that I used to create this card.  If you click on any picture, you’ll go directly to my on-line store.

Happy stamping!
Laurie