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

Gypsy Butterflies Fluttering By by Jean Okimoto

Gypsy Butterflies and a Sunshine and Wildflowers greeting create a double-tab card from the new Summer Meadow release.   Hi, Jean here with a stenciled, layered, tabbed design for a special friend.  It's also easily-adapted to use with and take advantage of the great collection of Memory Box dies, mirror cardstock and glitter cardstock.  

Cut a stencil using the solid Gypsy Butterflies dies.  Printer paper is OK - but I prefer heavy vellum for stencils because it seems to resist the ink and produce crisp edges.  Use a sponge or blending brush to stencil white cardstock with Distress Oxides.  Colors used here are shaded lilac, salvaged patina and cracked pistachio.  Spritz the applicator with a very light mist of water and blend the colors with a clean sponge for a softer look.  Dry the inks and diecut the backgrounds.

Cut the detailed  layer from the lavender Lagoon Collection 6x6.  Cut the center portion from the violet Rainbow Reflections 6x6.

Cut a light blue Lagoon Collection 6x6 with the 2-1/2" wide Nested Globes die.  Re-cut the globe again with the 2" and 1-1/2" Nested Globes dies.  Tape the dies together to create a background.

Stamp the greeting - from the new Sunshine and Flowers Clear Stamps Set - on the lavender 6x6 with Purple Delight VersaFine Clair.  Quickly heat-emboss it with detail clear powder.  Cut the cooled greeting with the smallest Nested Globes die.  Cut another globe and attach it behind the stamped piece to reinforce the tab.

Cut white cardstock to 5-1/2" x 8-1/2".  Score it at 3" and 7-1/4".  Trim the corners and folds with a corner rounding punch.  Attach the diecuts to the card - use foam tape for the left side of the big butterfly - and a strong liquid adhesive (like Tacky Glue) for the greeting and small butterfly.

Attached 1/4" punched  dots from the purple Glitzy Glitter Pad 6x6.  Cut an A2-sized piece  of cardstock to protect the card front for mailing.

Thanks for visiting the blog...see you on Friday!

 

 

 

Supplies

 

94890 Gypsy Butterflies

cl5290 Sunshine And Wildflowers Clear Stamp Set

94532 Nested Globes

sp1010

gp1007 Glitzy Glitter Pad

fp1003 Rainbow Reflections Mirror Pad

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

Collage of Ethereal Butterflies by Jean Okimoto

Create a colorful Ethereal Butterfly window card with the classic Butterfly Coterie Collage.  It's a thank you card here - but could easily be a birthday, Mother's Day, get well or friendship card.  Hi, Jean here with a collaged window card for any occasion.

I used an ink-blended paper from my stash - lightly-splattered with Imagine's  Gold Sheer Shimmer Spritz.  Cut the Ethereal Butterflies set - plus extras of the medium and small butterflies on the left bottom side of the photo on the envelope.  Cut three sets of the centers from the gold Rainbow Reflections 6x6 - shorten them for the two smallest butterflies.  

Cut the front of a white A2 card with the Butterfly Coterie Collage.  

Here's a tip to simplify placement of the butterflies.  Instead of flipping the card front back and forth to position the butterflies on the inside - cut a 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" piece of cardstock  to use as a template .  Attach it inside the card with removable tape. Use the template a a guide to attach the butterflies inside the card. 

Attach 1/4" punched circles of the violet Graceful Garden 6x6.  Attach a Thank You Foil Greetings Black Circle Tab - there are 4 each of 9 great designs in each set.  Cut an A2-sized piece of cardstock to protect the card front for mailing.

 

Here's an interior view of the card.  The butterfly diecuts aren't identical to the collage cutouts - but they create a colorful surprise when the card is opened. There's space for  a short note and/or your signature on the inside.

Thanks for visiting our blog...see you again  next week!

 

Supplies

 

94885 Ethereal Butterflies

94642

st009 Thank You Foil Greetings Black Circle Tabs

gp1007 Glitzy Glitter Pad

fp1003 Rainbow Reflections Mirror Pad

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

Embossed Easter Treat Wrappers by Jean Okimoto

 

 

Emboss and diecut ink-blended treat wrappers in bright jellybean-colors for Easter.  3-D embossing folders - Spiral Delight and Winter Knit - create abstract patterns for artsy eggs.  

Hi, Jean here with a just-in-time project for that stash of Easter candy waiting to be shared. We've used the popular 3D-emboss/brayer/heat-emboss process several times, but it's the first time I've used a winter sweater knit embossing folder to decorate Easter eggs!

Sponge heavy white cardstock with overlapping layers of bright spring colors - I've used salvaged patina, shaded lilac, squeezed lemonade and kitsch flamingo Distress Oxides.  Spritz each sponge with a light mist of water and blend the individual colors into each other to soften the shading.  Lightly spritz both sides of the ink-blended cardstock,  then pressure-emboss it using the plate(s) required for your machine.  Heat-set it if it's still moist.

Place the embossed cardstock on a hard flat surface and brayer the raised design with Wedding Dress Memento Luxe.  Heat-emboss it with Imagine's Iridescent Embossing Powder.  Cut it with the 3" tall Half a Dozen Eggs die.

Repeat the process with the Winter Knit 3D Embossing Folder.  It's a great pattern for holiday sweaters, stockings, backgrounds and decor when used horizontally as intended.  Diecut it diagonally and it becomes a very intricate Easter egg motif inked in spring colors.  Brayer it with Wedding Dress Memento Luxe and heat-emboss it with iridescent powder - and it's a glittery Easter egg!

Cut white cardstock with the 2.5" wide Slim Basic Rectangle Layers die.  Score and crease it at 3-5/8" and 3-7/8" to form a flat base for the treat wrapper  Attach the decorated egg.  Punch a hole at the top.  Attach a Ghiradelli chocolate square inside the wrapper with doublestick tape.  Tie the top with coordinating cord or ribbon.

Thanks for visiting our blog...Happy Easter to everyone celebrating on Sunday!

Supplies

 

ef1033 Spiral Delight 3D Embossing Folder

ef1044

30072 Half a Dozen Eggs

94556 Slim Basic Rectangle Layers

Delightful Peony Blossom Celebration by Jean Okimoto

Pick a floral print from the Memory Box 6x6 paper collection and add a layered Delightful Peony Blossom to create a downsized version of a floral design from an earlier post.  Hello, Jean here with another idea for your stash of ready-to-go birthday cards.

Cut Delightful Peony Blossom from lavender-blue cardstock.  Assemble the blossom  - there's a great layering guide on the back of the product envelope.  Cut the stamens from the gold Rainbow Reflections 6x6.

Cut the delicate blue and gold Anemone Grove 6x6 with the 2-1/2" wide Nested Globes die.  Cut 3 circles with the 3/4" Circle Basics die. 

Cut a 4-1/4" x 10" piece of white cardstock and score it at 4-1/2".  Attach the diecuts - the petal on the right extends about 3/8" over the edge of the shortened card front. The detailed layers and delicate 6x6 print balance the bold blossom and keep things from getting too poufy.  

Cut a circle of the lavender-blue cardstock with the 1" Circle Basics die.  Layer it - offset - behind a Happy Birthday Foil Greetings White Circle Tab.  Cut an A2-sized piece of cardstock to protect the card front for mailing.

Thanks for visiting...hope your week is off to great start!

 

Supplies

 

94875 Delightful Peony Blossom

94532 Nested Globes

30087 Circle Basics Set

fp1003 Rainbow Reflections Mirror Pad

pp1026 Anemone Grove 6x6 pack

st010 Happy Birthday Foil Greetings White Circle Tabs

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