Simply Sketched

I'm still busy playing with new stamp sets from my latest Stampin' Up! order, and one of those sets was the Simply Sketched hostess set. I don't use watercolor painting on my cards very often, but this stamp set just seems to scream for it.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Simply Sketched, Gorgeous Grunge, Hope for Comfort (inside card)
Cardstock: Crisp Cantaloupe, Very Vanilla
Ink: Jet Black StazOn, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pear Pizzazz, Basic Gray (inside card)
Accessories: Adorning Accents Edgelits dies and embossing folders, Ovals Collection Framelits dies, Aqua Painter, Dimensionals

I don't like having a need for sympathy cards, but I actually do enjoy making them. I think it's because the colors and images have a peaceful feeling. For this card I stamped the flower image in Jet Black StazOn on Very Vanilla cardstock and watercolor painted it with an Aqua Painter and Crisp Cantaloupe and Pear Pizzazz ink. I used Crisp Cantaloupe for the card base, and I also cut an extra piece of that cardstock measuring 4-1/4" by 5-1/2". I used one of the Adorning Accents Edgelits dies to cut decorative edges on the long sides of the extra piece of cardstock and then embossed the edges with the coordinating embossing folder. (Note: Be sure to die cut both edges before embossing; if you cut and emboss one side first, the embossing will get flattened when you die cut the other edge.)

Using Crisp Cantaloupe ink I stamped the sentiment on the bottom of the die-cut cardstock and used one of the stamps from the Gorgeous Grunge set to add some spatter-type images to the background. I cut out the focal image with one of the Ovals Collection Framelits dies and then used Dimensionals to adhere the oval to the die-cut cardstock and to adhere that piece of cardstock to the card front. I love how the focal image is framed by the two die-cut edges.

I also really like how the inside of this card turned out. I stamped the same image from the front of the card on the inside panel using Crisp Cantaloupe ink. I did stamp the image on scratch paper first, so it was a little lighter inside the card. Then I stamped the greeting in Basic Gray over the flowers.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Simply Sketched, Gorgeous Grunge
Cardstock: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Old Olive
Ink: Jet Black StazOn, Old Olive, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede
Accessories: 1/8" Old Olive taffeta ribbon, linen thread, Candy Dots - Regals, Aqua Painter, Dimensionals

For happier occasions, here is a gender-neutral birthday card. As with the previous card, I stamped the focal image in Jet Black StazOn on Very Vanilla cardstock and watercolor painted it with an Aqua Painter and ink. I used Old Olive for the grass and Crushed Curry for the bird, highlighting a few details with Soft Suede. I tore off a strip of cardstock from the right side of the focal image and added a piece of Old Olive ribbon and some linen thread to the left side.

I stamped two images from the Gorgeous Grunge set on the Soft Suede card base and stamped the sentiment in the lower right corner. I adhered the focal piece to the card with Dimensionals, added three Crushed Curry Candy Dots to the left of the image and glued a narrow strip of Old Olive cardstock below the sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by!