Gypsy Swallow-tail, Swirls and Spirals by Jean Okimoto

Highlight the swirls and spirals of the new Gypsy Swallow-tail with a coordinating background and a greeting that matches too!  Hi, Jean here with another design from our Summer Meadow collection.  It's 3D- and heat-embossed, glittered and layered in a warm mix of yellows for summer thank-yous.

Cut Gypsy Swallow-tail from natural cardstock (body and wing overlay), ink-blended cardstock (narrow yellow center strip) and gold Glitzy Glitter Pad (wing background and top accent strip).

Color the beak section with pale orange and black markers and attach it behind the head.  

Cut Summer Squash with the 3.25" Circle Basics die.  Press Cheerful VersaFine Clair ink onto the smoother side  of the Spiral Delight 3D Embossing Folder.  Spritz both sides of the cardstock circle with a light mist of water.  Place it in the Spiral Delight 3D Embossing Folder and pressure-emboss it with the plate(s) required for your machine.  Heat-emboss the design with detail clear powder to highlight the design.  The spirals will curl to the left, matching the bird's wing.  Details, details!

Attach the diecuts to a side-folded Summer Squash A2 card - use a liquid adhesive like Tacky Glue for the area over the shiny embossed circle and foam tape for the wing and tail.

Attach a Thank You Foil Greetings Black Circle Tab with Tacky Glue.  Add punched 1/4" dots of the Glitzy Glitter Pad 6x6.  Cut an A2-sized piece of cardstock to protect the card front for mailing.

Thanks for visiting our blog - hope you're enjoying our designs from the  Summer Meadow release!

 

Supplies

 

94891 Gypsy Swallow-tail

ef1033 Spiral Delight 3D Embossing Folder

gp1007 Glitzy Glitter Pad

sh44018

30087 Circle Basics Set

st009 Thank You Foil Greetings Black Circle Tabs

More Wildflower Fields by Anne Thompson

I know that Laura just posted what she did with one printing of the WILDFLOWER FIELD CS2086 cling stamp to create three cards.  What I did was to experiment with various wet media to create four cards from four stampings of the Wildflower Field on watercolor paper.  Here's the pile of them.

This is the stamp:  CS2086 WILDFLOWER FIELD CLING STAMP.

I did not use an acrylic block with this large stamp.  I just inked up the back, picked it up by two corners and flipped it onto the smooth side of the watercolor paper, pressing across the image to transfer the ink to the watercolor paper.  One could also do the reverse--ink up the stamp and place the paper on top of the inked stamp and press across the paper to transfer the image.

Now let's look at each one from the top card to the bottom one in the pile.  Because this is such a large stamp I did cut the images down to fit a standard A2 card with a bit of a colored border around the edges.

For the top two cards (which were the last ones I made) I used green card stock from SP1011 GREENERY to cover the front of horizontal (side fold) white note cards.  I used my favorite watercolors and a small pointy brush to paint the flowers.  With such small details I didn't always stay inside the lines, so I spattered paint as I finished with each color thinking that maybe the extra blobs might hide my errors.  :-)   For the larger image on the top card I did stamp it with VersaFine Clair Nocturne (black) ink and I heat embossed it, but I still went outside the lines.  Just think of it as artistic license...

Here's the first card...

and the second one...

For the other two cards I covered the front of white note cards (one side fold, one top fold) with card stock from SP1012 BLUSH.  For the horizontal top fold card I used a small pointy brush dipped in water to pull color from the flat end of watercolor crayons.  I cropped the panel to have a more open space in the center where I can eventually add an appropriate sentiment over the pale green leaves.

For the more vertical side fold card I used a small pointy brush and water to pull color from the sharp ends of watercolor crayons.  You can see in the image that I smeared the orange and red paints in several places (remember to try to paint from the top of the image to the bottom or turn the paper rather than laying your hand on wet paint like I did) so I'll need to get creative when I add an appropriate sentiment or maybe a small butterfly.  I might even decide to splatter paint on this image as well.

 

Bookmarks.  Gift tags.  A panel to decorate the front of a gift bag.  Even a framed piece of art.  These are just a few ways that come to mind for possible uses of this stamp.  I think you'll love it!

Happy Crafting!

CS2086 Wildflower Field            SP1011 Greenery                      SP1012 Blush

 

Buds, Blossoms and a Little Bird by Jean Okimoto

Need a background, a focal point, or stems for buds and blossoms?  The versatile new Sunshine and Wildflowers Clear Stamp Set can be all three - and more!  Hi, Jean here with a garden greeting from our new Summer Meadow collection of stamps and dies.  

Diecut the largest Heritage Rectangle Frame from smooth white cardstock.  Stamp the new Sunshine and Wildflowers image with Nocturne VersaFine Clair.  Quickly heat emboss it with detail clear powder.  Attach it to a side-folded white A2 card.

Cut the Bird Blossoms from light, medium and dark peachy/coral 6x6's in the Blush Collection.  Save the extras for another project - or a mixed-bouquet variation of today's card.

Attach adhesive label paper (or a sticker sheet) to light gray wool-blend felt and cut the Bird Blossoms bird.  The paper backing stabilizes the felt and keeps liquid adhesives from saturating it.  Use a toothpick to define the eye area.  Cut the beak/head section from yellow cardstock.  Color the eye area with a black marker and attach the diecut behind the head.  Cut the wing from Black Glossy Paper (cardstock).  

Cut the smallest Heritage Rectangle Frame from the light peach cardstock.  Trim the ends of the Thank You Foil Greetings White Tab and attach it to the frame diecut.

Attach the diecuts and greeting tab to the wildflower background.  Cut an A2-sized piece of cardstock to protect the card front for mailing.

Thanks for visiting our blog...have a great weekend!

 

 

Supplies

 

cl5290 Sunshine And Wildflowers Clear Stamp Set

94883 Heritage Rectangle Frames

94864 Bird Blossoms

sp1012

sh44004 Black Glossy Paper

st004 Thank You Foil Greetings White Tabs

Summer Meadow Garden Greetings by Jean Okimoto

 

Garden Beauties dragonflies from the new Summer Meadow collection join the Elegant Peony Blossom on a card for any occasion.  New Heritage Rectangle Frames create a collage-y backdrop.  Hi, Jean here again with another design from our latest release.

Cut Elegant Peony Blossom from Raspberry Sorbet Cardstock.  Cut the stamens - and the narrow, pointy blossom section - from Glossy Black Paper (cardstock).  Create a freeform peony - or refer to illustrations on the back of the product envelope for layering and assembly details. 

Sponge smooth white cardstock with Rocket Red Gold Brilliance ink - use a well-inked stamp pad for quick coverage.  Heat-set the ink.  Diecut it with 3 sizes of the new Heritage Rectangle Frames - 3/4" x 2", 1-1/2 " x 2.75" and 2-1/8" x 3-3/8".

Cut the new Garden Beauties dragonfly wings from the gold Rainbow Reflections Mirror Pad 6x6.  Cut the center sections from the gold Glitzy Glitter Pad 6x6.

Attach the diecuts to a side-folded white A2 card - use foam tape for the tips of the dragonfly wings and the outer edges of the peony.

Add 1/4" punched circles of the gold Glitzy Glitter Pad 6x6.  Cut an A2-sized piece of cardstock to protect the card front for mailing.

It's my second Heritage Rectangle Frame card in 2 days- it's such a great set of 6 dies that it's hard not to use it again!  The details are well-defined but they don't compete with other design elements.

Thanks for visiting...have a great weekend!

 

 

Supplies 

 

 

94883 Heritage Rectangle Frames

94893 Garden Beauties

94878 Elegant Peony Blossom

fp1003

gp1007 Glitzy Glitter Pad

sh44016 Raspberry Sorbet Paper Pack

A New Collection…Summer Meadow 2025 by Jean Okimoto

Welcome the month of May - and prep for summer - with our latest collection,  Summer Meadow 2025.  Gypsy Swallow-tail, Heritage Rectangle Frames, Gypsy Butterflies and Garden Beauties set the scene for summer projects, celebrations and greetings.  Hi, Jean here with an all-occasion design from this great new release.

Cut Gypsy Swallow-tail from ink-blended cardstock, the aqua Rainbow Reflections 6x6 and the blue/teal Glitzy Glitter Pad 6x6.  Cut the little beak/head section from Summer Squash cardstock.  Color the eye area with a black marker and attach it behind the head sections.

Cut two of the leafless Eucalyptus Bouquet stems from heavy craft  cardstock.  Trim about an inch from the bottom of one of the stem diecuts, then layer them for a longer stem.   

Cut ink-blended cardstock with the 1-3/8", 2" and 3/4" Heritage Rectangle Frames dies.  

Stamp the greeting - from the new Sunshine and Wildflowers Clear Stamp Set - on white cardstock with Warm Breeze VersaFne Clair. Quickly heat-emboss it witgh detail clear powder.

Attach the diecuts to a side-folded white A2 card - use foam dots for the Swallow-tail and greeting.  Cut an A2-sized piece of cardstock to protect the card front for mailing.

A swallow-tail,  butterflies and dragonflies are perfect for summer projects - enjoy creating with them!

Thanks for visiting...

Supplies

 

94883 Heritage Rectangle Frames

94891 Gypsy Swallow-tail

94807 Eucalyptus Bouquet

cl5290

sh44018 Summer Squash Paper Pack

fp1003 Rainbow Reflections Mirror Pad

gp1007 Glitzy Glitter Pad

Butterfly Card by Donna Sledzik

Hi everyone!  Today I have another card that uses products from the 2025 Peony release.

I began by ink blending a background on white cardstock using Mustard Seed, Carved Pumpkin and Wilted Violet Distress inks.  Once the background was dry, I spattered it with black ink, adhered it to a black cardstock mat, and glued it to a white card base.

I stamped the butterfly 3 times onto white cardstock and ink blended them with the same ink colors as the background. I added a white gel pen to add some detail to the butterflies and  used the coordinating die to cut them out. 

The 2 back butterflies were glued to the card front and foam tape was used to adhere the middle butterfly.

The word Hello was stamped with black ink onto white cardstock, die cut with the coordinating die and adhered to the card. 

To finish the card, I added some black epoxy dots to give it some texture.

That's it for today!  Thanks for stopping by!

 

Supplies

 

CL5289D Hello Butterfly Stamp and Die set

Birds, Blossoms and Birthdays by Jean Okimoto

Celebrate a special birthday with a colorful row of mixed buds, blossoms and felt birds.  Hi, Jean here with garden greetings for spring and summer celebrations.  

Cut the blossoms and buds from the new Crocosmia Stems set from a bright coral Sunset Collection 6x6.  Color two of the centers with a black marker.  Layer two sets of the buds.  

Cut the Bird Blossoms flowers from a turquoise Lagoon Collection 6x6.  Cut more flowers from pale peach cardstock.

Cut Wild Grass Border from dark gray cardstock -  leave about 3/4" of extra cardstock at the base of the border.  Trim the short ends.  Attach the border to a rectangle of white cardstock that's slightly larger than an A2 card.  Trim the white cardstock and the attached border with the largest Wrapped Stitched Rectangle die.

Attach adhesive label paper (or a sticker sheet) to light aqua wool-blend felt - the paper layer stabilizes the felt and keeps adhesives from saturating it.  Cut two of the Bird Blossoms birds.  Cut the beak/eye face section from orange cardstock on the Sunset Collection and color the eye area with a black marker.  Define the eye cutout with a toothpick or skewer.  Cut the wings from a turquoise Rainbow Reflections 6x6.

Attach the Wrapped Stitched Rectangle to a side-folded white A2 card.  Add the floral diecuts and felt birds.   Add an instant greeting from the Happy Birthday Foil Greetings Black Circle Tabs.  Cut an A2-sized piece of cardstock to protect the card front for mailing.

Thanks for visiting our blog.  Have a great weekend - see you in May!

 

 

 

Supplies

 

94879 Crocosmia Stems

94864

30094 Wrapped Stitch Rectangles

94415 Wild Grass Border

st011 Happy Birthday Foil Greetings Black Circle Tabs

sp1013 Sunrise 6x6 pack

sp1010 Lagoon 6x6 pack

fp1003 Rainbow Reflections Mirror Pad

Bubble Dots and a Blossom by Jean Okimoto

 

 

Send a dotty thank you with the Elegant Peony Blossom on a Bubble Dots Plate background.  Add a circle greeting tab and glittery black dots too!  Hi, Jean here with design that started with just a dotted background and became ultra-dotty.

Cut Elegant Peony Blossom petals from Cherry Red cardstock.   Cut the stamens from Black Glossy Paper (cardstock).  Assemble the flower.

Cut a narrow strip of Black Glossy Paper and spritz the reverse side with a light mist of water.  Place it in the longest woodgrain section of the Vintage Tray 3D Embossing Folder.  Emboss it using the plate(s) required for your machine.  Trim it to  3/4" x 3-1/4".  

Here's a tip - prep the Bubble Dots Plate by rubbing it briskly with scrunched waxed paper for easy removal of the dots from the plate.  Cut a piece of heavy plastic (like a quart or gallon ZipLoc bag) slightly larger than the plate.  Place the plastic layer between the cardstock and the machine's cutting plate to help cut through every dot and keep the dot offcuts  from sticking to the cutting plate.  

And another tip...if there's room on your cutting plate, place the die+cardstock+plastic at a slight angle to help it enter the diecut machine.  

Cut dark gray cardstock with the Bubble Dots Plate.  I used the entire plate because so I'll have extra pieces for other projects.

Cut Cherry Red cardstock and the dark gray Bubble Dots diecut with the Vintage Tray die.   We're using the narrow Cherry Red diecut for the card too.

Another tip...attach the dotted background to the Cherry Red rectangle with 1/8" wide strips of doublestick tape placed diagonally between several rows of dots instead of along the edges.

Attach the diecuts to a side-folded natural A2 card - use foam dots for the sides of the blossom and the ends of the glossy black woodgrain-embossed strip.  Attach a Thank You Foil Greetings Black Circle Tab.  Add  1/4" punched dots from the black Majestic Hues Glitter Pad 6x6.  Cut an A2-sized piece of cardstock to protect the card front for mailing.

Thanks for visiting our blog...hope you like dots!

 

Supplies

 

sh44015 Cherry Red Paper Pack

ef1040

sh44004 Black Glossy Paper

94878 Elegant Peony Blossom

st009 Thank You Foil Greetings Black Circle Tabs

94858 Bubble Dots Plate

gp1008 Majestic Hues Glitter Pad

Happy Easter Gift Tag by Donna Sledzik

Hello everyone!  Today I have a cute Easter tag for you that uses some new products as well as some older ones.  

I began by die cutting one of the one of the Nested Globe dies twice from white cardstock.  From one of the die cut globes, I die cut a circle towards the top of the globe and then used the Anemone Drift 3D embossing folder to add some dimension to it.

The bunny, leaves and flowers were die cut from white cardstock and colored with dye inks.

Once the bunny was assembled I glued it to the back of the die cut circle.  Next I picked a plaid patterned paper to go behind the bunny and adhered this to the other die cut globe piece.

I glued the leaves and flowers to the tag as shown.

The Happy Easter words were die cut from white cardstock and glued to a coordinating cardstock shadow die cut.  This was adhered to the tag right under the flowers.

To finish the tag, I added a ribbon to the top of the tag.

That's it for today.  I hope everyone wonderful day!

 

Supplies

 

94876 Peony Bud Stems

94906 Cheery Happy Easter

94727 Cute Layered Bunny

EF1041 Anemone Drift 3D Embossing Folder and Cutting Dies

94532 Nested Globes

30087 Circle Basics Set

SP1013 Sunrise 6x6 pack

Floral Springtime Greetings by Jean Okimoto

Celebrate Easter and spring with layering dies from our 2025 Peony Collection.  Cheery  Happy Easter and Gentle Peony Bloom work perfectly with a floral garden print from the Anemone Grove 6x6 set.  Hi, Jean here with a design that also works for birthdays, thank-you's and Mother's Day with just a change of greetings.

Cut the new Gentle Peony Bloom from pale peach cardstock and a 6x6 from the Greenery collection.  Cut the stamens from the lemon-yellow Graceful Garden 6x6.

Cut the dark green, peach and white floral print from the Anemone Grove 6x6 set with the 2-5/8" wide Fringed Scalloped  Frame Set die.

Attach Scor-Tape over a piece of the Greenery 6x6 used for the leaves and cut the solid background from the Cheery Happy Easter set.  Cut the detailed top layer from  lemon-yellow cardstock.  Attach the detailed layer to the background.  Cover the exposed adhesive with detail clear embossing powder, then tap off the excess.  Heat-emboss it.  It's a timesaving way to assemble the greeting and add a glossy background.

Attach the diecuts to a top-folded Key Lime cardstock A2 card - use foam dots for the greeting, leaf tips and the top petals. Cut  an A2-sized piece of cardstock to protect the card front for mailing.

Let your Memory Box dies, 6x6 prints and cardstock do the work for you!  Make several of these cards with different prints and colors. Have them ready for when you need a quick card - and have just enough time to add the right greeting.

Thanks for visiting our blog.  Make a stash of ready-to-go cards,  and have a great weekend!

 

Supplies

 

94906 Cheery Happy Easter

94872 Gentle Peony Bloom

pp1026 Anemone Grove 6x6 pack

94842 Fringed Scalloped Frame Set

sp1011 Leafy 6x6 pack

gp1002 Graceful Garden Glitter Pad

sh44005 Key Lime Paper Pack