Welcome to the February NC Demos Blog Hop! I hope you just came from Toni’s post – amazing, wasn’t it!?! I always love the projects that she shares. She is definitely a talented artist!
Thank you so much for stopping by my post. As you know, we are bugging out this month and featuring the great bugs 🙂 that are included in Stampin’ Up!’s current catalogs! There are quite a few that add a lot of fun to stamped projects – bees, dragonflies, butterflies, and ladybugs! Yup, ladybugs! As you’ll see from the card shown below, I just couldn’t pass up making a card with an absolutely adorable ladybug 🙂
This card is definitely a little outside my comfort zone. I wanted to change things up a little from my usual style and tried to focus on using Designer Series Paper and layers of texture. It was a lot of fun making this card!
Here are the basic steps to make the card:
- Start with a card base using Thick Whisper White card stock (my go-to for card bases) cut to 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″, scored and folded at 4 1/4″ on the 8 1/2″ side.
- Next, cut a piece of Basic Black card stock to 4 3/16″ x 5 7/16″ as the frame behind the embossed focal point.
- Just a warning – I cannot be held accountable for how much you will truly love the new Absolutely Argyle Embossing Folder! The detail from this EF is really gorgeous.
- Okay – get a piece of Melon Mambo card stock cut to 4 1/8″ x 5 3/8″. Use the Absolutely Argyle EF to emboss this piece. You’re going to have a tough time choosing which side of the embossed design to use 🙂
- Cut a piece of Basic Black card stock to 3 1/4″ x 3 1/4″.
- Choose a piece of Designer Series Paper for the background for the main flower on the card. I used a piece from the Best Dressed 6″ x 6″ DSP. There are some really pretty papers in this collection. Cut the DSP to 3″ x 3″.
- Don’t put your DSP away yet! You’re going to need it to finish the card 🙂
- Let’s all pause here for a minute. If you’re like me, you buy DSP because it’s beautiful. Then, you get the paper in your hands and decide that it’s too pretty to cut up. Admit it — come on, you’re among friends – just admit it! I have finally given in and started to use the DSP that I have been saving. And, trust me here, it’s actually liberating. Give it a try 🙂
- To make the focal points for this card, I used a few pieces of DSP. Grab your Little Ladybugs stamp set (this is the wonderful SAB host/hostess stamp set) and your Lily Impressions Designer Series Paper (a Level 1 FREE SAB product). Stamp the flower and stem onto a piece of the green DSP. Stamp the flower onto a piece of the gorgeous multi-pink DSP.
- Use the flower die from the Ladybug Dies collection from the Coordination Product Release to cut out the stamped pieces.
- Color and highlight the die cut flower with some Watercolor Pencils. The colors I used are shown below. You can see the flower before and after I colored it.
- Stamp “Happy Birthday!” from the Little Ladybugs stamp set on the bottom right corner of the DSP piece, as shown.
- Stamp one of the ladybugs from the multi ladybug stamp onto the DSP piece, as shown. I used my Basic Black Stampin’ Marker to ink only the ladybug that I wanted to use. Color your ladybug with the Watercolor Pencils, using the same colors you used to color the flower.
- To finish your card, adhere the Basic Black card stock piece to the card base. Next, adhere the embossed Melon Mambo piece to your card front.
- Build the focal point by adhering the 3″ square DSP piece to the 3 1/4″ square Basic Black piece.
- Adhere the colored flower piece onto the die cut flower and stem piece.
- Adhere the finished flower to the 3″ square DPS piece, allowing the ladybug to show as sitting on the stem, as pictured.
- Use dimensionals to add the finished piece to the center of your card.
- Step back and just smile at the ladybug. Yup, it’s really that cute ! 🙂
Be sure to head over to Tracie’s post! I know she has an amazing project to share with us.
Below are the folks who are participating in this month’s blog hop.
Jo Anne Hewins
Amy Kinler
Tina Lesson
Toni Campana
Laurie Meier <– YOU ARE HERE
Tracie Evans Langley
Ariel Matera
Below are the main products that I used to make my card. If you click on any picture, you’ll go to my on-line store.
Happy stamping!
Laurie
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