Spring

Our weather is starting to warm up and I am really looking forward to Spring.  I have used some more new products from Joan's Gardens to create my Spring card.  First, the purple and white background was created using one of the new JustRite background stamps called "Stitched Ribbon Background Stamp" (CL-03620).  It was white embossed on lavender card stock.  This piece was layered over another background that I embossed with the Marianne Design (DS0915) Cut and  Emboss folder.  Most of that embossed background was covered up but I wanted the cut and embossed design along the left edge of that embossed piece.  I think it made a very pretty border.  

On the right side, I used the new JustRite "Nested Oval Medallion Labels" (JB-10025) to create a frame for the stamped image.  I layered the largest and next to largest dies together and ran them through the die cut machine to create a frame.  I used the smaller of the these dies to die cut a lavender center, that I embossed with the Dotted Swiss embossing folder.  The pretty butterfly is from the JustRite "Botanical Butterflies" clear stamp set.  It was white embossed twice.  One was cut out around the frame with scissors, and the second one I cut out the butterfly to make it dimensional.  These pieces were attached with dimensional dots.

The flowers were created with the new Tim Holtz "Mini Tattered Floral Set".  These are a smaller version of those larger Tattered Flowers dies that we all love to use.  I die cut the flowers using white card stock then sponged on "Spun Sugar" Distress Ink then shaped them using the tools from the Flower Tool Kit.  I love the look of beads in the center of flowers, but as a rule they are very flat centers.  I discovered that I could use a "blob" of YES Glue and created a molded (dimensional) center. The YES Glue holds it's shape because it is a very thick glue.   I love that look for the center of the flowers.  I used an old chop stick to pull out the YES glue and placed it in the center of the flower, then tried to shape it into the mound that I wanted - it wasn't perfect, but after I poured the tiny pink beads over it, it was much easier to shape because I wasn't touching the sticky glue with my fingers.  Another fun way to use your YES glue! The leaves under the flowers are the Cheery Lynn "Tropical Flourish" (B127).  

Down under the flowers I used the My Favorite Things "By the Letters" (216650) alphabet dies.  These letters are all attached when you receive them.  I did not break them apart.  After running them through the die cutting machine, they just fell out of the die.  I can see lots of uses for these letters.  You could use a background stamp to give them texture or even run them through an embossing folder or die cut design paper letters.  Today I elected just to use them plain.

In this picture you can really see the rounded shape of the center of the flowers when using YES GLUE.  Once the glue is completely dry, it holds it's shape.

As you know, all the products I use can be purchased from Joan's Gardens.

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