Wedding Card

Good Morning Paper Gardeners.   

One of my granddaughters was married last week and this is the card I designed for her wedding.  

I created a 5x7 inch frame, using instructions from one of Susan's Garden Club Facebook Videos.  In the background is a piece of burgundy card stock - this is one of the University colors where she met her husband seven years ago.  An older Spellbinders die set was used to die cut the doily.  There is a bar across the upper part of the frame to divide the bouquet from the wedding elements.  I purchased the wedding elements from the craft store.  On the bottom of the frame, I used small number stamps to add the date of their wedding.

Shannon's bouquet was white peonies and white roses.

I used Susan's rose die set to create three small roses.  They were die cut using Susan's Specialty Cardstock, shaped using her Flower Tool Kit and assembled using Kids Choice Glue.

The Peony die set was used to create one white peony.  It was also created using Susan's Specialty Cardstock.  

Using Susan's Fern and Victorian Garden Foliage die sets, greenery was added behind the arrangement.  NOTE:  The Victorian Garden release will be available March 10.  

Spirea Tutorial

Hello Paper Gardeners.  Today I wanted to create an arrangement using Susan's Spirea die set.  I usually am not very happy with my spirea because it appears kind of flat.  I wanted to figure out a way to make a nice full branch.  I have a ton of small styrofoam balls, that I usually use to create berries, and wondered if I could glue them to the spirea stem to help give them fullness.  So I decided to experiment.

First I will tell you about this card.  It is a 6x6 inch card.  I used a piece of design paper from my stash for the background.  For texture, I used the Spellbinders Lisette Oval Shadowbox Frame (S5-391).  I laid all the dies on a piece of dark gray cardstock and ran through my Platinum die cut machine.  The ovals were glued to the center of the card.

Using all Susan's Garden die sets, the rose, daisies, spirea, berry branch, and ferns were die cut.  The pieces were die cut using Susan's Specialty Cardstock, colored, and shaped using Susan's Flower Tool Kit.  Kids Choice Glue was used to assemble.  One of Susan's ladybugs was die cut, colored and added to one of the leaves.  A butterfly from my stash was also added.

SPIREA TUTORIAL

This a picture showing the Spirea branch covered with styrofoam balls, and the branch on the right shows the finished branch.  Susan's Garden Spirea die set was used.

l.  Item needed are some styrofoam balls in a ziplock bag.  I put mine in a small tray to try and catch any that fall out.  You need a thick glue such as Kids Choice Glue, something to help spread the glue on the branch - I am using one of the Silli Pod tools, and two die cut spirea branches that are glued together.  

2.  Spread the glue over all three stems of the spirea, using the tool to be sure the flower portion of the stem is all covered with glue.  

3.  Place the stem inside the bag with the styrofoam balls and press it down so the styrofoam ball adhere to it.  If the glue is thick, when you press the balls down, they will adhere to the glue.  

4.  Lay the stem over, face down,  on your work mat and add glue to the other side of the stem and repeat step 3.  Add glue to the sides with the tool and place styrofoam balls on the sides so the stem is fully covered.  Allow to dry.  Clean up the little styrofoam balls that are floating everywhere.  😁

 

5.  There are two sizes of little flowers for the spirea -- They have been shaped before getting to this point. I have them separated in two separate little trays.  For this step you need a thinner glue such as Bearly Art Glue.  Place a dab on the non-stick mat.  Pick up the little flowers with the tweezers and lightly dip just the center bottom of the little flower in the glue, and place on the stem that is covered with styrofoam balls.  Cover both sides with the little flowers, including the sides, to create a nice full stem.  

 

Again, here is a picture showing the stem covered with styrofoam balls and on the right the finished stem.  Once the stem is dry, I used a light green pen to add a dot in the center of each little flower.

I know this is an extra step adding the styrofoam balls, but I like the results.  

Gerber Flowers with Berries

Today I have another Gerber Daisy card.  

This is a 6x6 inch card.  The background is embossed with the Altenew Basic Plaid 3-D embossing folder.  I used an old  oval die to die cut the oval with the tiny holes around it.  I then used oval two dies and cut a small purple frame to glue around the oval opening.  A piece of design paper was glued behind the opening.

Susan's  Gerber daisies were die cut using Susan's Specialty Cardstock and colored with OLO Markers.  There are Prills in the center of each flower.  You can watch Susan's YouTube Video for instruction on how to create these pretty flowers or watch her Susan's Garden FaceBook Live videos.

Susan's Fern die set was used to die cut the Maidenhair Ferns.  They were colored with OLO markers and shaped with Susan's Flower Tool Kit.  Susan's Berry Branch die was used to for the Berry Branches.  I colored small styrofoam balls with alcohol ink and attached to the berry branch.  There are two branches of berries that have been cut apart and placed behind the arrangement.  

Susan has a Ladybug die in many of her die sets.  One was die cut, colored and attached to one of the leaves.  Clear Crystal Glaze was added to make her shiny. 

Double Diamond Popup Card

I love the challenge of creating different shaped cards and adding dimensional flowers.  This is a 6x6 inch card.  It is a Double Diamond Popup Card.  I found the instructions on Sam Calcott's YouTube Video.   

For the side panels, I used Susan's Bamboo 3-D Embossing Folder and cut them down to fit.  They were die cut using green metallic cardstock.  They are mounted onto white cardstock.  For the small triangles on center section, I used the same metallic green cardstock.  After cutting the pieces to fit, they were placed in the Altenew Garden Harmony 3-D Embossing Folder.  For the center diamond shapes, I embossed a piece of white cardstock using the Altenew Angled Mosaic 3-D Embossing Folder.  It was cut to fit and glued to the top of the diamond shapes.  

On the side panels, I used Susan's Carolina Allspice die set and created the branches of flowers.  They were die cut using Susan's Specialty Cardstock, colored with OLO markers, and shaped using Susan's Flower Tool Kit.  The card was closed to the 6x6 shape and held down using the reverse tweezers so I could glue the Carolina Allspice down so it didn't intefere with the diamond when the card is closed.  

For the top diamond, Susan's Cactus Dahlia die set was used for the flower.  It was die cut using Susan's Specialty Cardstock, colored with OLO markers and shaped with the Flower Tool Kit.  

One of the stamps from Susan's Garden Favorites Stamp Set was used for the Sentiment.  It was stamped using VersaFine Black Ink, clear embossed, then die cut using a square die.  It was backed with a piece of the same green cardstock as the base card and mounted with dimensional tape

This card will fold down and fit in a 6x6 inch clear acrylic box for mailing.  When open, it stands up for a great display card.  

Topical Arrangement

Good Morning Fellow Crafters!   I am so tired of all the cold weather so decided to dream of being somewhere tropical.  My card today is created using Susan's Bird of Paradise, Hybiscus, and Pulmeria Die sets.

For the background, I used Susan's Bamboo Trellis 3-D Embossing Folder.  I used a piece of light green mirror cardstock.  Don't you love that embossing folder!

The Hybiscus was created using the Hybiscus die set .  If you need help in creating any of Susan's flowers, be sure to check out her YouTube Videos.  The flowers were die cut using Susan's Specialty Cardstock and colored using OLO markers.  For the stamen, I glued on small red flat backed pearls on the top and added yellow pollen down on the stem.  

The Bird of Paradise die set was used to create two Bird of Paradise flowers.  They were also die cut using Susan's Specialty Cardstock, colored and shaped using Susan's Flower Tool Kit.  Kids Choice Glue was used to assemble the flowers.  

The Pulmeria die set was used to create the little pulmeria.  A Prill was glued in the center.  

Susan's Rosemary die was used for the extra greenery.  If you watch Susan's YouTube Video she used the Rosemary to resemble Palm branches.  

I want to thank all of you that have used my links below to order your products.  I really appreciate your support.