Good morning! Today is Day 2 of the Simon Says Stamp Beautiful Days release blog hop, and I am so excited to be a stop on the hop! You should have arrived here from Amy Rysavy, and your next stop is Maura Hibbitts. You can also start at the beginning at the Simon Says Stamp Blog. The new Beautiful Days collection is filled with gorgeous, springy products, many of which are utterly perfect for creating handmade Mother’s Day cards. Nobody appreciates a handmade card like a momma appreciates a handmade card, right? I am extra excited to have one of my own illustrations included in this release: Mother’s Day Dogwood. I designed this set to feature a simple dogwood branch (which you can see in action HERE) and a detailed dogwood heart, featuring large dogwood blooms, lush foliage, and sweet filler flowers. I also included a wide variety of sentiment-building stamps, so that you can create unique, heartfelt sentiments for your Mother’s Day cards, but they aren’t limited only to Mother’s Day! I have two projects to share with you today using new goodies from the Beautiful Days collection, so let’s get started with the details.
My first card features the large heart illustration in my Mother’s Day Dogwood stamp set. I began by stamping the image on some Hammermill cardstock using Intens-ified Black ink from Hero Arts. After ample drying time to ensure that the ink was set completely, I used OLO markers to add delicate pink, lilac, and turquoise color to the images, also coloring the edge of the die cut a super pale shade of aqua to coordinate with the colorful background. I wanted to keep the color palette light and feminine, and the lovely pale pink dogwoods shine amongst the bright accent images. I die cut the finished image with the coordinating die, which doesn’t just cut the outline, but also the interior of the heart, which I think adds such a polished look.
To accent the detailed image, I wanted to add some subtle texture to the background, but didn’t want to overwhelm the main focal point. Enter the Detail Bohemian Plate! I ran this beautifully pierced background through my machine using some of the new Color Blend Pastel cardstock, using the lovely aqua ombré piece that coordinated beautifully with my dogwood heart wreath. I also die cut another heart wreath from a scrap of vellum, making sure that just the center was intact. I wanted to draw the eye towards the floral wreath and accent it even further, so adding the vellum center softens the pattern behind that center area.
I designed the sentiments in the Mother’s Day Dogwood set to be individual elements that would work together or to complement other stamps and dies. Versatility is important! I paired the “for believing in me” sentiment with the previously-released Bold Thanks die. I die cut it three times from some Pitch Black cardstock and layered them together, creating a dimensional die cut sentiment. I adhered the colorful wreath to the pierced, textured background using foam tape, then added the two sentiment pieces with a double layer of foam tape to add extra height. A few black jewels finished it off and added one last black accent (completing my “rule of three” for black accents!).
My second card features the new Delicate Florals, using it to create a shaker window! I die cut the Delicate Florals from some Simon Says Stamp Rose Gold Metallic cardstock, as well as from a panel of pale blush cardstock, reserving the negative space to create a shaker window by backing the panel with some clear acetate! I added the detailed rose gold die cut over the top of the acetate window, avoiding clumps of glue splurting out the sides of this super delicate die cut by adding Micro Dot Adhesive to the back. I love the textural contrast between the shiny foil die cut and the matte blush background.
For the greeting, I die cut the detail layer of the Simple Mother’s Day from some Pencil Eraser cardstock three times and layered them together. The darker shade of warm pink pops beautifully from the blush cardstock. I filled the shaker portion with some rose gold confetti from Pretty Pink Posh and backed it with some more of the warm pink cardstock to add a little contrast behind the shiny rose gold die cut.
Once I had the shaker card assembled, I added a bit of textural accent to the bouquet with a warm pink twine bow. (This is why I save everything! I bought that twine probably 10 years ago haha, and the color worked perfectly with the overall color scheme of the card!) As an afterthought, I added a super thin rose gold frame, cut using the A2 Thin Frames, around the edge. It helps to frame the images and adds a bit of interest to that wide expanse of open space around the floral focal point.
Well, that’s all for my projects today! To celebrate the new Beautiful Days collection, Simon Says Stamp is offering a Gift With Purchase! Simply use code: BUD at checkout to receive the Flower Garden emboss and cut folder FREE with a purchase of $30 or more!
Simon Says Stamp is also giving away a $25 coupon to every stop on the hop from your blog comment section. Winners will be selected and posted on the Simon Says Stamp blog on Wednesday the 12th of April. Winners can email Simon Says Stamp to claim your prize, so be sure to check out the Simon Says Stamp blog next week to see if you’re the winner!
Your next stop is Maura Hibbitts. Here’s the full hop list:
Thanks so much for stopping by today, and happy hopping!
