Very Simply Susan

My adventures with Ink & Paper!

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Happy Hanukkah!

Filed Under: Gallery, Project Gallery

15-1208-0296Happy Hanukkah everyone!  I decided to make a silver and blue card and of course, went back to my favorite set Jewish Celebrations , a retired set. But I am sure many of you have held on to it.

This card uses the silver foil paper as well as Shimmery White. I don’t use nearly enough of the Shimmery White and it certainly is a great holiday paper. The blue and white combination is lively with this stamp set and the silver foil paper and metallic silver ribbon are a nice accent.  It doesn’t show in the picture, but I also used the Illuminate stamp pad with this.  Another retired item, but one I hung on to since you can create shimmery silver effects by over stamping an image with it. Or you can emboss with it.  I was almost brave enough to try embossing on the silver foil, but not quite enough!  You expert embossers out there could create some wonderful metallic effects with silver foil paper and silver embossing powder. Look for a stamp with a good coverage of ink but not too fine on the details and it is hard to tell that it isn’t metal.

Recipe

Papers: Night of Navy, Shimmery White, Silver Foil
Inks: Night of Navy, Illuminate
Stamp Sets: Jewish Celebrations (retired)
Embellishments: Silver Metallic 1/8″ ribbon, Starburst framlet(retired), Faceted Rhinestone


Botanical Gardens for #GDP014

Filed Under: Gallery, Project Gallery

12-11-15-0304

One of my favorite places in St Louis is the Missouri Botanical Gardens.  I am there quite often year round. In fact, I am a member of the gardens. With so many visits, it made sense to just join.  In the winter, I escape to the Climatron, a large geodesic dome structure that contains a tropical garden.  No matter the temperature outside, it will be 72 degrees or so inside.  It is a nice escape from the gray skies of winter and makes me feel like I am back home on Florida.   There is a large waterfall right in the middle of the dome with a wonderful bench nestled into the tropical plants.  I sit by the waterfall and watch all the tropical birds that live in the dome.  So, when I saw the Botanical Gardens suite that is coming out for Spring 2016, the designs really spoke to me!

This is my entry for The Global Design Project.  This weeks project was a sketch, so that gave everyone lots of options. You need to check out some of the fabulous cards the challenge participants have posted HERE!    I love, love, love the new Botanical Suite, of course that was my choice for the design.  The papers, the colors, the stamps, the framelets, everything goes together wonderfully in this suite! I will certainly go back to this set time and again this year.

I wasn’t quite happy with the card when I first finished it. Something was bothering me about the washi tape at the top.  I didn’t like the way it meshed with the DSP below it.  I took a narrow piece of Mossy Meadow card stock and Viola, the design came together for me! I really like the Polynesian look and feel to the colors and design of the card.  Also fun was the very large “Just for You” stamp from the Sale-A-Bration set “Botanicals for You”.  A really neat thing this year is the assortment of Sale-A-Bration items that match the Botanicals Suite.  This year, you will find a stamp and a Design Vellum Paper Stack to coordinate back to the Botanical Blooms suite.

I can’t believe it the holidays are almost over!  I have stamped holiday items since August and I don’t think I have done nearly enough.  It can’t be time to pack up holiday and get out Valentine’s and Spring stamps!  Well, for me, working with all these bright new papers and colors over the dreary winter months will be kinda nice!  Not to mention a visit to the Climatron at the Botanical Gardens here is St Louis.

Recipe

Papers: Botanical Gardens DSP, Mossy Meadow, Black, Cajun Craze
Stamps: Botanicals for You
Inks: Archival Basic Black , Cajun Craze
Tools:Botanical Builder Framelets Die
Embellishments: Rhinestone, Botanical Gardens Washi Tape


All Jolly and No Stamping?

Filed Under: Gallery, Project Gallery

Simply More Jolly
Simply More Jolly

That’s right!  A quick and easy card with just paper! That is really something to be jolly about this time of year!  The thinlets make that possible because what is a card without a sentiment?  This design was an effort to do something with this particular paper in the Many Merry Moments DSP.  I love the repeating tree design and just haven’t come up with a card for it. This seemed quick and easy and allowed me to combine 2 greens to match back to the trees.

I embossed the card stock for the tree because a plain tree was not doing it.  I also tried adding a star to the top of the tree, but nothing seemed to work.  I did not try making the “Merry” die cut in red foil with a red foil star.  That may have worked.  You might see a similar idea next week! But with these more traditional colors, I think the design worked.  And it is a totally workable design for other colors and papers as well. So, get your “jolly and merry” on and try some color combinations.

Thanks for stopping by!  More of my “Quick and Easy” cards later this week, so come back!

Recipe 

Papers: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Crumb Cake, Many Merry Moments DSP
Embellishments: Christmas Greeting Thinlet
Tools: Bohemian Embossing FOlder, Tree Punch, 2.5″ Circle Punch