Storybook Friends card set

I always try to keep a selection of hand-stamped card sets all packaged and ready to give as gifts. I have a few friends and family members who have received card sets from me for the past several birthdays and/or Christmases. (They all seem to enjoy getting them, so I hope they're not just humoring me.) Today I made an adorable set of cards with the Storybook Friends stamp set from Stampin' Up!^®, and I'm really tempted to keep these for myself.

Supplies for cards and envelopes (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Storybook Friends
Paper: Basic Black, Very Vanilla card stock; First Edition Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP)
Ink: Jet Black StazOn, River Rock, Crumb Cake, Sahara Sand, Soft Suede, Going Gray, Riding Hood Red, Cajun Craze, Garden Green, Not Quite Navy, Daffodil Delight, Blush Blossom; Stampin' Write Journaler
Accessories: Blender Pen, Jewelry Tag punch, large oval punch, scallop oval punch, paper piercer and mat, Simply Scored tool and diagonal scoring plate, mini silver brads

Maybe it's just me, but don't they make you smile? I am a sucker for animal stamps, though. Especially cute ones.

Here are the measurements:
Basic Black card base: 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" when folded (3-1/2" x 7" open)
Layer of First Edition Specialty DSP: 3-1/4" x 3-1/4"
Layer of Very Vanilla: 2-3/4" x 2-3/4"
Layer of Very Vanilla inside card: 3-1/4" x 3-1/4"

I stamped the images with Jet Black StazOn ink and used a Blender Pen and ink pads to color them. I really like the shading and softness you can create with a Blender Pen, although I am in no way, shape or form an expert at it. You can't tell in the photos, but I very lightly colored River Rock on the "white" parts of the dog and the duck so they are just a touch darker than the Very Vanilla card stock.

I used a Stampin' Write Journaler to make the doodled border around each of the images. I thought about using colored markers for the borders, but I really liked the strong contrast of the black and vanilla and decided to use colors in just the images.

The fox card was my prototype for this set. I started with that image because it was the largest one, and I wanted to make sure that whatever design I used would work with all the different images.

I added the Jewelry Tag punch and mini silver brad on the upper left or right of each focal image, depending on where there was more open space. I struggled to decide what embellishment to use (flowers? buttons? ribbon?) but I think this a great accent and really fits with the card design.

Because the cards are not standard size, I also made coordinating envelopes. The First Edition Specialty DSP works perfectly for the envelopes: it's lightweight and easy to fold, and it coordinates with the cards. I did make one goof-up, though. I forgot to take into consideration that when you make envelopes, you end up turning the paper on an angle, which means the type on the DSP runs diagonally on the envelopes. Oh, well. I decided to just go with it.

I used a 6" x 6" piece of DSP for each envelope and scored it (diagonally) at 3-1/4" on each side. The finished envelope size is approximately 3-3/4" x 3-3/4". I did not add any sort of adhesive on the top flap to seal the envelope. Since these obviously can't be mailed, I decided they would be fine just folded closed.

On the front of each envelope I added a Very Vanilla oval punch layered with a Basic Black scallop oval punch to provide a space to write the recipient's name.

I hope you like these cards as much as I do. I did package them in a clear box when I was done making them so at least I'm a little less tempted to keep them myself ... Thanks for stopping by!