Sixth Street Sundries

Emily Midgett

etched peony blossom

Peonies + Lemons = Zesty Combination!

This post was sponsored by Simon Says Stamp. Thanks, Simon!

Hi friends! I have an intensely color saturated card to share with you today, pairing some of my favorite dies from Simon Says Stamp with plain white cardstock and OLO markers! I absolutely love customizing plain white die cuts with coloring mediums, and while perusing Pinterest, I saw a graphic that combined peonies and lemons and just had to try the combination out for myself using my OLO markers. This card is a big A7 card, which was the perfect size to give me plenty of room for my larger die cuts. Let’s get started with the details!

To start my project, I die cut the Abundant Leaves, Lemon Zest, and Etched Peony Blossom dies from some Hammermill white cardstock. I then used OLO markers in zingy, vibrant pinks, yellows, and greens to add lots of saturated color to the individual images. I think this color combination screams “summer!” I also die cut the Eucalyptus Leaves dies from some shiny Water Sprite mirror cardstock to add some fun texture and shine to the bouquet.

After I had completed customizing my die cuts, I trimmed down an A7 panel of Peacock cardstock, which is a lush, saturated teal, then added some extra depth by blending Raindrop Pawsitively Saturated Ink around the edges. This tone-on-tone blending creates a halo effect in the center of the card, which was the perfect canvas to start building my bouquet. To add even more interest to the background, I splattered some shimmery glitter watercolors on the background. Once they were dry, I arranged the colored die cuts on my card front, adhering them with foam squares, then tucked the shiny eucalyptus leaves in some of the bare spots and adhered them with liquid adhesive.

After I had finished arranging my lemon floral bouquet, I die cut the Thanks Frame from some white glitter cardstock. This is my first time using this die, and I love how clean and polished it looks with so little effort. And as a bonus, you can save the letters to use on a different project! I popped it up with a double layer of foam adhesive, then added some Sunbeam Pawsitively Dazzling Gems for extra sparkle.

Well, that’s all for my project today! We have lots of rain in the forecast, along with very cool temperatures, so this vibrant card provided some lovely sunshine in my craft room. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!

Shades of Blue with Simon Says Stamp!

This post was sponsored by Simon Says Stamp. Thanks, Simon!

Hi friends! I am back today with a pair of cards with some unconventional blue peonies. I have been in a blue mood lately; this transition time between winter and spring always seems to bring out my love for different shades of blue, as it can be both icy and cold for winter or fresh and crisp for springtime. I never tire of monochromatic projects, so I pulled out lots of different blue cardstock, my Peony Background, the gorgeous Half Spring Floral Mandala, and some other goodies and got to work creating this coordinating card set!

Navy blue is one of those colors that works well as a neutral nearly all the time. It pairs beautifully with so many different colors, and while I normally would pair this deep blue with magenta or coral, I thought it would unique to have some pale, icy blue peonies!

For my first project, I die cut the totally gorgeous new Half Spring Floral Mandala from Simon Says Stamp’s Holographic Aqua cardstock. This super thick iridescent mirror cardstock die cut this intricate die beautifully. The die cuts a delicately-patterned half circle, so I mounted it on my navy blue A2 card base using liquid glue, then added a thin strip of Midnight Navy Glitter Cardstock, nestling it right along the edge of the intricate die cut. This tone-on-tone glitter cardstock helps to create a visual buffer between the edge of the die cut and the solid blue background so that it’s not just floating in midair.

To embellish my lacy background and frame the greeting, I die cut the Etched Peony Blossom from Sea Glass cardstock and some foliage using the Abundant Leaves dies and some iridescent white foil cardstock. I arranged the flowers and foliage over the seam of the glitter paper strip and the die cut, popping them up with foam adhesive. For the greeting, I white embossed a sentiment from the new Birthday Basics on some cornflower blue cardstock, then die cut the larger sentiment with the coordinating die and popped them up with a double layer of foam adhesive to make them extra visible. Finally, I added a few Pawsitively Dazzling Gems Cool Tones for a bit extra sparkle and shine!

For my second project, I wanted to put the Box & Ribbon Gift Card die to use. I have always loved creating extra special gift packaging, but rarely find the time to dedicate to a specific gift, so I thought it might be a good idea to have some on hand the next time I need something! I wanted to create fancy “wrapping paper,” so I heat embossed my Peony Background illustration on some navy blue cardstock using Hero Arts Iridescent Blue embossing powder, masking off the back part of the gift card holder with some Post-It Notes to keep it nice and clean. This Iridescent Blue embossing powder creates the most beautiful tone-on-tone shimmer on colorful cardstock. Depending on the angle, it can take on a more aqua hue or, when angled the opposite way, can look almost purple. So unique and beautiful! I love that the details from the Peony Background are not lost in the slightest, even with this tone-on-tone project.

To embellish my “gift” gift card holder, I die cut the layered bow included in the Box & Ribbon Gift Card die set from some Midnight Navy Glitter Cardstock. I assembled the bow off to the side of the box, popping the top part up with some foam adhesive squares. (If you assemble the bow in the center of the card, it will fit into an A2 envelope when complete. This one won’t quite fit into an A2 envelope, but fits nicely into an A7!) I die cut some Gentle Blooms dies from Sea Glass cardstock and tucked them beneath the bow and greeting from Lots of Luck. Finally, I added a few coordinating aqua Pawsitively Dazzling Gems Cool Tones for extra sparkle!

Well, that’s all for my projects today! I am so in love with this pair of navy blue projects. Monochromatic blue cards are always a winner in my book! Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!