Thoughtful Branches – A spring/summer hydrangea

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At my card classes earlier this month we capitalized on the versatility of the Thoughtful Branches Photopolymer Bundle and stamped up cards representing spring/summer, fall and winter. (See an additional fall card here.) Today I'd like to share our spring/summer card. Isn't it fascinating how the same stamp/die combo turned one way and stamped in orange can be a pumpkin….

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 yet  flipped over and stamped in a different color becomes a hydrangea?!?  Yes, I do believe this bundle from Stampin' Up!® is truly one of the top most creative and versatile they've produced. And I'm so sad that in only 3 more days it will go away. 

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The color palette for this card is simple and fresh - generally monochromatic with its Whisper White, Basic Black, Pool Party & Bermuda Bay. The basic idea was something I'd seen online, but then I added my own tweaks, including the jaunty angles of the layers for an extra punch of fun.

For the hydrangea, we first tinted a piece of Whisper White cardstock a light shade of Pool Party with one of our new sponge brayers.  Then stamped over that with Bermuda Bay before die-cutting that wonderful lacy shape. Then layered that piece over an oval (of Pool Party cardstock) to provide the sense of dimension…. just as I'd done with the pumpkin.

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The stem & leaf were die-cut as well (Basic Black), and the stem adhered to the underneath oval with tiny spots from the Fine-tip glue pen. To back the leaves, we traced the shape of the die itself onto scraps of Pool Party and cut them out by hand before adhering behind the detailed black layer. The black polka-dotted layer comes from Pop of Pink Specialty Designer Series Paper, a HOT DSP package found in the still-newish annual catalog. (You can never have too many polka dots, can you? And when they're black they go with EVERYTHING!)

And here's a fuss-free tip for cutting a banner exactly the right length for your sentiment:

  1. Cut a piece of cardstock as wide as you wish your finished banner to be, and plenty longer than you want its finished length to be.
  2. Notch one end with the Banner Triple Punch.
  3. Orient the notched edge according to your ultimate design, and stamp your sentiment close to the notch.
  4.  Then clip off any extra length – to yield a perfectly-sized stamped banner!

Stay tuned for the "fall" and "winter" examples -  from our card classes earlier this month!

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