Texture and Hearts

This is one of my favorite times of the year.  I love to see all the new Valentine's Day themed products out.  The hearts, the glitter, the sweet sentiments, and all the girl-y touches.  It just makes my heart happy {smile}.  

So, when I saw the new color challenge from Nacho Average Challenge, I knew I wanted to make a Valentine's Day card.  

Here are this weeks colors:

Here is what I did:

Stampin' Up! has come out with some new and wonderful products, and I  have used some of them.  The card base is pool party cardstock.  I just love this shade of blue.  It's soft, has a bit of green in it, and just so pretty!  I then added a matt made from the new Core'dinations cardstock in pool party.  This new texture paper has a white core, so when you sand it, the white core is revealed, and gives such a pretty contrast.  I used some of the new Designer Series Paper (pattern paper), too!  This collection is called More Amore DSP.  I just love the colors and the patterns.  I matted the tiny heart paper onto some real red cardstock.  Then I layered some of this beautiful double heart paper onto some primrose petal card stock.  I added an embossed heart, made with real red cardstock and the Fashionable Hearts embosslit.  The banner piece I made myself.  I cut a piece of very vanilla cardstock to 1/2" width, and stamped my sentiment in basic grey classic ink.  I used a square punch to flag the end.  Matted this sentiment piece onto some primrose petal card stock.  Then I layered a pool party decorative button from the Artisan Embellishment kit.  I used some plain white bakers twine to tie the bow through the button.  I wanted to add a feminine touch, so I added some of the pearl jewels to opposite corners.

This card was quick and easy to put together.  Stampin' Up! makes it simple.  There is a color chart with each pattern paper collection (DSP) that lets you know which colors of solid cardstock will cordinate with each collection.  All you need to do, is add your own personal style {smile}.

Please join us this week @ Nacho Average Challenge.  As we would love to see what you create with this week's color challenge!

Happy Crafting! hugs, Sharon W.

Circles of Love

I hope this post finds you well.  Me, I'm ok.  I can't believe this month is racing by.  Where is the time going?  Oh well.
The talented Jennifer, over @ Sketch Frenzy Friday, has a wonderfully creative sketch challenge for  you to try this week.  I had alot of fun with this one.  And I hope that you will join us!

Here is the sketch:

Here is what I did:

Pretty shocking, that I didn't change a thing from the sketch, huh?  I really enjoyed working on this card.  I received a few goodies from Stampin' Up! and I just had to play with them.
The pattern paper is called More Amore DSP.  I love all the hearts and the colors are so pretty.  I matted the largest circle with real red card stock.  I matted the two primrose petal pattern papers with primrose rose card stock.  The top circle is matted in basic grey card stock and the tiny hearts pattern paper is matted with pool party card stock.  I added a heart and a simple bow for my embellishment cluster.  For the sentiment, instead of stamping directly onto the card front, I made a little banner.  

The card base is Basic grey cardstock.  The main panel is the new textured pool party cardstock.  I used hand held circle punches for the pattern paper (1 3/4", 1 1/2", 1 1/4", 1", and 3/4").  Then I adhered them to scraps of solid card stock and hand cut the matts.  I used my sanding block to smooth out any bumps or wayward scissoring.  I added dimensionals (foam tape blocks) to the backs of the matted circles to give them height.  To give the circles a little bit of interest, I added three stray rhinestones.
As for the heart and bow cluster, I used the largest embossed heart from the Fashionable Hearts emboss lit.  The ribbon is the black taffeta ribbon.  I adhered the bow to the embossed heart with a glue dot.

For the banner piece, I cut a strip of very vanilla card stock to 1/2" wide.  I used my stamp-a-ma-jig to center the sentiment.  The sentiment is stamped in basic grey classic ink.  I used a square punch to create the tail.  I matted the very vanilla card stock onto a scrap piece of basic grey cardstock.  And viola!  Easy peasy!  

This card was fairly easy to assemble and was alot of fun to create.  I hope you join us!  Don't let the sketch fool you.  The circles could easily be replaced with hand made paper blossoms, or butterflies or any other shape you fancy.  Your circles could be pattern paper (like mine) or you could do some stamping.  Circle Circus, stamped in coordinating colors would look wonderful, too!  Alot of different possibilities, so get creative and join us @ SFF.

Happy Crafting! hugs, Sharon W.