Have a Great Day

First I want to congratulate Geri (Geri's Cards).  She joined us in our weekly challenges at Joan's Gardens and was randomly selected yesterday for the $100 gift Certificate to Joan's Gardens.  What a great way to end the year.  CONGRATULATIONS GERI.

Also I want to announce the winner from the Heartfelt Creations Alumni Blog hop.  Becky Spinks won the  $25 gift certificate from Heartfelt Creations.   CONGRATULATIONS BECKY.

I have had a fabulous year designing for Joan and hopefully have given you some creative ideas for using all the great products you can purchase from Joan's Gardens.  Joan is constantly on the lookout for the newest products out on the market to help us create cards and projects we will all be very proud of.  Today I want to show you how to use one of the new Memory Box dies to create a very pretty, dimensional flower embellishment. I love creating my cards using embossing folders and a variety of dies. Below is a "mini" tutorial on how I created this card.

This is a 5.5"x6" card.  The right side is embossed using the Sizzix "Ornate Frames" (656989) embossing folder.  The left side was embossed using the Cuttlebug "Swiss Dots" embossing folder.   

On the left side of the card I created the dimensional flower by using the Memory Box "Primula Blooms Die" (98149). Above I am showing you the envelope the die comes in  plus a yellow and a green die cut from this die.   This is such a fun die to work with.   You could just use this cut flat,  but it creates such a beautiful flower when you use the tools from the "Flower Tool Kit" to shape both the leaves and the flower pieces.  When you shape the flower pieces it sure brings them to "life"!

Here is a close up of the flower I created with this die.  The yellow flower was assembled over the green flower.  To cover the green on the die cut I actually cut out two yellow pieces.  The yellow flowers, attached to the stems,  were cut off and glued over the flowers on the green die cut to create a yellow base for the dimensional flower.  The individual die cut flowers were sponged with "Mustard Seed" Distress ink.  Each of the petals were shaped using tools from the Flower Tool Kit.  In the center of the large flower I used the smallest green piece, from the green die cut,  for the stamen.  Doesn't this die create a pretty little flower!   

 The bird cage is the Poppy Stamps "Carousel Bird Cage" (800) and the bird is the Memory Box "Perched Reed Bird" (98160).  I think that is the cutest little bird.

To color the bird I sponged on Tea Dye and Mustard Seed Distress Inks.  A marker was used to color the bill and add his eye.  It doesn't show up well in the photo, but I used a regular pencil to lightly draw in his wings then sponged over it again to blend it all together.  Blue chalk was sponged behind the cage.

For additional greenery behind the flower and behind the bird cage, I die cut the Poppy Stamps "Meadow Leaf" (806) and "Gentle Leaf" (807) using light green card stock.

 Under the green silk bow, I added the Memory Box "Woven Circle" (98114).

I love working with all these dies.  The die cut always pops right out of the die so they are very easy to use.  If you would like to create this card, you can order all these products from Joan's Gardens.

I want to wish  you all a very Happy New Year.  We plan to spend a quiet evening at home and I know we won't be able to stay awake to bring in the new year.  Enjoy your weekend.

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