Elegant Bouquet Impressions Folder

This isa shameless CASE, but I was so impressed with this card that I couldn’t see any good reason to change it. Dawn Olchefske is the original artist and has even made a video tutorial for those of us who are visual learners. I received a CASE of her card as a convention swap and couldn’t wait to try it when I got home. Here are my results:

Sincere Salutations stamp set
Very Vanilla Card stock and Shimmer White card stock
Elegant Eggplant Classic Ink pad
Elegant Eggplant and Daffodil Delight classic ink refills
Basic Black Stampin’ Write marker
Big Shot, Top Note Bigz die and Elegant Bouquet Imprssions folder
Very Vanilla 5/8″ Satin ribbon
Gold brads
Large Oval and Butterfly punches

My apologies for the quality of the photo – photos are going to be a little hit and miss for a while. My poor little point-and-shoot has been dropped on its head a few times too many and it’s getting a little wonky, not to mention I have to wrap a rubber band around it to keep the battery door from opening and dropping the battery on the floor. A new camera is NOT in the budget right now, so we will make do with what we have.

If you find a color combination you love, be sure and let me know. I played with quite a few and this was my favorite, but I’m sure there are more out there! Happy punching.

It’s that time of the year…caps and gowns and diplomas, oh my!

No graduates in my house – or my immediate family – this year, but we have lots of friends graduating from high school and college. I’ve enjoyed making cards for them with little nods to their schools and even their personalities. That’s the whole point of a hand-made card, isn’t it?

Fifth Avenue Floral, Elements of Style and Well Scripted (retired) stamp sets
Whisper White, Brocade Blue and Night of Navy card stock
Brocade Blue and Night of Navy Classic ink pads; Whisper White Craft ink pad
Versamark ink pad; Crushed Curry Stampin’ Write marker, Vanilla Smooch Spritz
Embossing Buddy, Powder Pal, Clear Embossing Powder and Heat Tool
Scallop Border punch, Elegant Bouquet Impressions Folder and Big Shot

My little point-and-shoot doesn’t pick up the details too well, but there’s Smooch Spritz (I can’t decide if I should laugh or cry when I say that) on the floral panel and the sentiment is embossed with clear embossing powder. The Craft White ink is on the Night of Navy panel behind the sentiment. It was originally larger and destined for another use but I scrapped the entire concept on the basis of irreconcilable differences – that card was NEVER going to work. The pieces survived to find purpose in an alternate relationship!

I’m ought to apologize for using a retired sentiment, but I don’t feel too badly about it. There are tons of great “Congratulations” stamps out there and I’m sure you’ll find a substitute if you don’t have this one. There are always so many great sets in the mini catalog (this was the Occasions Mini) and it always seems as though there’s one set you should have purchased when you had the opportunity.

It’s a glorious Maui day and my son is finished with finals today, so his sister and I are going to take him out to lunch in Lahaina. Too nice a day to stay inside, even for stamping!