The theme for this month’s Blog Hop card project is Nature. When I was deciding what to create I decided to rely on serendipity! Quite by chance the birds who feed at next door’s bird feeders sit on our roof to munch their goodies. They have dropped seeds into my hanging baskets and I now have a sunflower just blooming!
So serendipity took me to sunflowers.

If you’ve read my previous blog you will know my favourite new products might also have drawn me to the same place. I love the Sunflower Embossing Folder. It is so large that you can emboss 2 card fronts that fit A5 card bases at the same time. There are so many techniques that you can use with it. It’s so versatile. You can use it as I have done today as a base for colouring or just as an embossed background. In my previous blog I showed a watercolour technique, today I will be using Stampin’ Blends!

I could go on but let’s look at the card!

Collect everything you need to make the card.

Cut your Cardstock and paper
Card base- 14.8cm x 21cm scored 10.5cm
Mat layer – 14.3cm x 10 cm
Basic white scrap for greeting.
Stylish Stitched Shapes dies
Sunflower Embossing Folder
Low Profile Sparkle Dots
Mossy Meadow/Gold ribbon
Simply Said stamp set
Stazon ink
Old Olive ink pad
Stampin Blends of your choice
Blending Brush

Begin by applying Stazon ink to the “debossed” side of the embossing folder. That is the side that has sunflower shaped “indents”. Follow instructions for Cut and Emboss machine and emboss the card layer with the sunflower folder. Place paper carefully on the side that doesn’t have ink on, choosing an area that gives a whole flower image if possible. 

Start to colour the raised areas as shown – if you have got the other side, don’t abandon it – give it a go and see what it looks like. Mistakes are what turns us into artists!.

The colour combination that I used was Pecan Pie, Old Olive and Cajun Craze on a card base of Mossy Meadow. I stamped with Old Olive.

I began by colouring the flower centres, leaving a little white space around in light or dark Pecan Pie. After that I coloured the focal flower with dark Cajun Craze, the others with light Pumpkin Pie. The leaves are Old Olive, light first and some dark for the detail.
Once I had my colours, I went back and made sure I was happy with the blending.

I used the new Old Olive and gold ribbon to make a bow, and die cut a circle for the sentiment. I used the birthday wishes greeting from the Simply Said stamp set, another “go to” for me. It’s definitely earning its place on my craft shelf. 
Once I had stamped the greeting, I used a blending brush with the Old Olive ink to add colour and give a softer edge to the die cut.

Stick the embossed layer onto the card base. Use more multipurpose adhesive than you would if sticking 2 flat pieces of cards, it gets into the uneven surface of the back of the embossed piece. This is quite a deep folder.

Use Stampin’ Dimensionals to adhere the die cut topper to the card.

Since you are using a dark card base, add a white insert inside the card. You can add an additional greeting or a strip of contrasting DSP on the inside if you wish. The final result is shown below.

166781

£14.00

166145

£11.25

163756

£16.00

154974

£5.75

154892

£10.25

166158

£9.00

166157

£9.00

160518

£14.00

154879

£10.25

161674

£10.25

Ink

• Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad [147090] £8.50
• Jet Black Stāzon Ink Pad [101406] £10.00

Card Stock

• Mossy Meadow A4 Cardstock [133683] £10.75

Accessory

• Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] £4.00

Big Shot

• Stitched Shapes Dies [152323] £28.00
• Stitched Shapes Dies [152323] £28.00