Anniversary Tulips and a Stitched Snowflake

Happy Sunday - hope you're having a wonderful weekend! I've been busy doing crafty clean-up but then getting distracted by card ideas. First up, anniversary tulips for my friends, Connie & Doug:

Supplies: Paper - MFT Petite Gingham (retired);

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Poptone black; Tim Holtz silver metallic;

scrap of pink ombre

Stamps with Dies - Hero Arts Tulip Bouquet Bundle

Stencil - Hero Arts Color Layering Tulip Bouquet

Dies - Creative Expressions Hobnail Vase (retired) &

Mini Shadowed Sentiments - Happy Anniversary

I used a Hero Arts 4-layer stencil set to ink-blend the tulips using various Hero Arts inks. I did two panels of tulips, then decided to stamp the outlines over top and die cut them both. I added a bit of shading with Copics but the stencils really make it easy to get a lovely flower. I used one tulip bouquet as it, then cut up the second one, tucking the flowers wherever I want to fill out the arrangement. Next I die cut and dry embossed the vase, inking it with some black to antique it a bit. The bouquet was too tall for an A2 card so I used an A7 card base with a mat of gingham, black & white. I popped up the vase and some of the flower buds with foam tape. I die cut the sentiment with outline & added to the vase, using foam tape on the sections that went off the vase. Done!

Next, I made a Christmas card using the Spellbinders Stitched Snowflake Card Front die set:

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Arctic;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb

Dies - Spellbinders Stitched Snowflake Card Front

Other - Taylored Expression sentiment strip;

DMC embroidery floss - DMC598; Docrafts gems

I received this stitching die with my July club box which arrived on July 22nd. I've been busy so hadn't had a chance to get into this box much yet. Well, I did die cut the snowflake set pieces right away - was really eager to use it! It just took me awhile to find the right embroidery floss and stitch it up! Did it while watching the Twins game on television Friday night - we won - yay!

I die cut the snowflake 3 times from heavy Neenah white card stock, stitching through one diecut using two strands of floss, then stacking with the other two diecuts for dimension. I die cut the card front panel and the snowflake center from Arctic cardstock. No, the card isn't dirty - I just inked the corners of the card with HA Fog ink to vintage it up a bit. I finished the card with a TE sentiment strip & some gems (thanks to my friend Heather who gifted them to me years ago). If you'd like to see another example of this fun set in use, go HERE to see my friend Lin's version - so fabulous!

I'll send the tulip bouquet card over to the current Sweet Stampin' Challenge where they're doing a Wedding/Anniversary theme. The snowflake card will go over to Darnell's August NBUS Challenge since that die set is newly used on a card. The tulip sets are new too but I'll just send the one NBUS link.

Thanks for stopping and have a crafty week! I hope you'll be back tomorrow for my regular Diva post - we're doing Pop-Up Creations for August using fabulous Poppystamps products.