Apothecary Art Birthday CASE

I found this card on Pinterest and knew immediately that I would be replicating (CASEing) it. Often I need to see how someone else uses a stamp set before I can picture myself using it. This is the one that made me believe I might like Apothecary Art, which is a current offering in the Occasions Mini Catalog. This catalog will be available until April 30, so you have a few weeks left to decide if this is a set you'd like to own.

I used watercolor paper and black Staz-on ink to create the focal image, and I used Riding Hood Red, Blushing Bride, and Pear Pizzazz, colors in the Twitterpated Designer Series Paper, again from the Occasions Mini. This time I did use an Aquapainter , which works like a paintbrush with a continuous supply of water, to smooth out the colors after I'd used the markers, and I like the subdued effect. I used the 3rd size from the Labels Collection of Framelits to die cut the image when I finished. So much easier than hand cutting it, although that can be done.

I took a chance and ordered another new item that didn't seem at first to be something I would like. It's also available from the OCM and is a two-pack of Adorning Accents Edgelits. Edgelits are dies that cut the edges of card stock to make interesting edges on cards! There's the one featured on the top and bottom of the Pear Pizzazz mat on the card, and the other one is a scalloped edge, which is shown in the Riding Hood Red strip that's also on the card.

The card is complete with the addition of a piece of Twitterpated DSP. I'm not a big fan of Blushing Bride as a color, but in conjunction with everything else going on on the card, it complements. The ribbon is Baja Breeze seam binding.

This card proved to me that it's good to step outside your comfort zone and try new products that don't appeal to you immediately. More to come from this set!

These Things Come in Threes, Right?

That's what they say about bad things. That they come in threes. I'm not sure I believe that, but in the past month I've had to make 3 sympathy cards for friends whose parent has died. NEVER my favorite to create, but probably the most important cards I send. I don't feel it's important to be prompt in sending a sympathy card. With all the upheaval of the wake and the funeral, I think it's nice to time my card to arrive AFTER all that ceremony has passed, so that the person knows someone is aware that I know he/she is still grieving.

This card came together after seeing a similar card on Lydia's blog. I liked the idea of sepia toned leaves for the focal image, which is from Apothecary Art. I have been surprised at how much I've liked this set, since its style, vintage and shabby chic, is SO not my style. It pairs nicely with the Labels Collection Framelits, which debuted in the Occasions Mini (which you can purchase products from until April 30).

I used three of the Labels for this card, which is 5.25" square. I stamped the image on watercolor paper first with black Staz-on ink. Staz-on is waterproof, which makes it the best choice when you want to use an Aquapainter to apply color. While I didn't end up doing that--I used the Crumb Cake Stampin' Write Marker instead--I lean toward watercolor paper when I'm trying to achieve a more antique look. There's more texture in the paper than Very Vanilla card stock has.

The sentiment is from Love & Sympathy stamp set, and the patterned paper behind the image is from the Mocha Morning Specialty Designer Series Paper. It has several sheets that are flocked, which add nice visual and texture touches to the card. The base is Crumb Cake and all the Label Framelits are mounted on Basic Black card stock.

I'll show you some more cards featuring this set and its coordinating Framelits in the other posts I'll put up this week.