Because He First Loved Us

Several pads of absolutely GORGEOUS designer papers arrived in the mail this week and I could hardly decide which one to use first!  I finally settled on one sheet from TWO pads because I thought they looked really beautiful together!  

The soft colors of the background paper have just a tint of that brighter pink along the bottom edge, and the intensity of the hot-pink-red of the heart really brings your focus there and makes the Cross stand out front and center.  (Hopefully you can see the embossing on the cross.  It was a bit hard to capture on that pearly gold paper.)  The clean and simple style really brings emphasis to the few elements that are there.  No distractions!

Three rhinestones...for the symbolism and for the sparkle!  And one more for the center of the Cross.

Here's the inside, with a strip of that same background paper and a heart to go along with this lovely scripture.

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Love
• Craft Consortium Retro Summer 6x6
• Craft Consortium Over the Rainbow 6x6
• Luxury Pearlescent Metallic 105# Cardstock - Gold 15 ct
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Crosses
• May Arts Vintage Sampler - Pink & White w/Rosettes
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Rhinestones - Hot Pink
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Celestial Copper
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Classic Hearts

Expecting a Miracle!

For this week our Stamp Simply design team is focusing on wreaths using some of our wreath sets and any other sets that might inspire a card-maker's creativity.  For today's slimline card I combined our Spring/Summer Seasonal Wreaths set with Welcome Baby, and sentiments from our Stick Family set.  

The birth of a baby is one of the most miraculous events I can think of, so I absolutely LOVE this sentiment.  Here it's stamped on a fishtail banner, framed by a couple of the dies from our Welcome Baby Basics Die set which were colored with Copic markers.  

The wreath was stamped on vellum which was carefully adhered in places that would be hidden by the die cut-outs layered on top. That onesie and bib, die-cut from designer papers, is just the sweetest ever!

The "due date" numbers are from one of our Stick Family sets stamped onto a Tim Holtz die cut tag. (Evidently this got accidentally misted by a water spritzer I used when creating the edging on the dark green mat underneath, which used matching Distress oxide ink.  Oops!).  I only put the year, but of course, you could be more specific if you know the particular due date or scheduled induction/birth/Cesarean section/adoption.  

The inside of the card features one of the printed squares from the Echo Park It's a Girl paper pad, along with another Stick Family sentiment and Welcome Baby die-cut.  I love how these papers, dies and sentiments work so well together!  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Welcome Baby & Beyond
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Stick Family Complete Bundle Quad Summe...
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Seasonal Wreaths, Spring/Summer
• Echo Park It's a Girl 6x6
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• May Arts 1/4" Variegated Silk - 54 yard spools - Pink/Champagne
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Rhinestones - Light Pink
• Jute String
• Copic markers

Monochromatic Fancy Fold

Ever so often I browse Pinterest for interesting card folds, and lately I've seen several iterations of this one.  I love these cards that look intricate when in fact they are not that hard to make. (The instructions for this card fold are here...just follow the link to her previous post to find the folding and scoring dimensions.  Play with the mountain/valley folds to find the orientation you like best).

This gorgeous Craft Consortium Ink Drops Earth designer paper is such a calming, peaceful backdrop for Stamp Simply's God Will Take Care of You stamp set.  The layout of the folds works perfectly with this long narrow sentiment.  

When you open the card, more details emerge.

I used Memento ink and Copic markers for the focal image.  I dragged some gold ink along all of the paper edges to give it just a little more contrast. 

This tag is completely hidden when the card is folded, making its appearance when the card is fully opened.

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps God Will Take Care of You Bundle
• Craft Consortium Ink Drops Earth designer paper
• Tim Holtz Tag Collection Sizzix Dies
• Stamp Simply Crosses Steel Dies
• Champagne Pearls
• Memento Ink
• Delicata Ink
• Copic markers
• Gelly Roll glitter pen

Masculine Autumn Silhouettes

It is soooo hot down here!  Our thermometer actually read 104 degrees a few days ago but I'm not sure about its accuracy!  I need to reset and test it!  (The heat index here as I write is 108 according to The Weather Channel).  Our son is visiting from Virginia and commented about how much the humidity influences one's tolerance for the heat.   He's lived up there for about a year, and already is not acclimated for that intense Florida heat. 

I needed to stamp a card, and that Ink Drops Sunset pad was on the top of the stack when I went upstairs to the studio...this card is the result.  Gotta love it when a card idea effortlessly manifests itself!

These two Craft Consortium designer papers work so well together and make this such a fast and easy project to put together.  A few passes through the die cutting machine, a little stamping (no coloring!) and splattering and it's done!

I love this sentiment!  Even though this card is all about the summer sunshine, I thought it was a good fit!

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Autumn Silhouettes
• Stamp Simply Typewritten What You Mean To Me
• Craft Consortium Ink Drops Sunset 6x6
• Craft Consortium Metal Textures 6x6
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles SM
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles LG
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Memento ink
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Celestial Copper
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Rhinestones - Orange
• Burlap string
• black soot oxide ink and white acrylic paint for spatters