Stampin’ Up! Thoughtful Branches Hydrangea

Happy Weekend, y’all!  As I promised – I’ve got a peek at the beautiful new stamp set called Thoughtful Branches!  This one is so new, in fact – that only demonstrators can get it right now!  But not to worry – on 2 Aug, you’ll get your chance.  And boy – are you going to want it!!  Take a look at the set, first, okay?  You can click either picture and see a full-sized flyer!  Check those great sentiments and fonts!

I know you can see all the possibilities of this set – and your creative brains are already spinning!  I used it today to make a thank you card – I love the combination of sentiments in the stamp set.  And, as you can surely tell by the title of this post – I made a hydrangea.  One of my favorite flowers! Take a look-see:

How pretty is that flower?!?

I came across two challenges that just clicked for me with this set – and the Serene Scenery DSP Stack.  The first is a theme challenge.  TGIF Challenge #64 was looking for sunny and summery.

Nothing says summer to me like the hydrangeas blooming behind my house.  And – when the sun is setting – it shines thru the trees and highlights the blue flowers – just like in this card!

The layout was inspired by the CAS(E) This Sketch challenge #181:

My first step in making this card was to build the flower.  I actually cut two of the Beautiful Branches Thinlits flower die cuts – one in Dapper Denim and one from Canson 90lb Cold Pressed Watercolor Paper.  At that point, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them – I was just really excited to cut something with that cool die! 😉  Once I saw how pretty they were – I came up with the idea of watercoloring one and then layering them up.

I used my Aqua Painter and ink in the lid of my Dapper Denim ink pad and washed color onto my Watercolor flower.  Now – in truth, I could have colored the paper before I cut it.  It might have been a little easier.  But, it worked out!

Since, as we know, paper curls a little when we watercolor, I played up that tendency.  As the paper dried, I used my fingers to encourage it to curl into a convex shape.  I also used a large stylus to encourage it even more.  Then I let it dry all the way.

I used several small pieces of Stampin’ Dimensional on the back of my dry and curled watercolor paper flower – in the middle part – not the edges – and adhered it over my Dapper Denim flower – just ever so slightly offset.  And all of a sudden – I had a beautiful mop-head hydrangea!

I set it aside so I could build my card front.  Using the perfect-for-my-theme design from the Serene Scenery DSP Stack, I cut the piece to the size I needed for the card front – and then cut it again to make the center panel.  I used Multi-Purpose Liquid Glue to adhere the top and bottom panels to an Old Olive mat.  Then I SNAILd the middle section to another Old Olive mat.

At that point, I started dry fitting my pieces together on the card.  I used the stem die in the Beautiful Branches Thinlits to cut an Old Olive stem.  As I laid everything out, it became pretty obvious that I needed to lose one of the leaves on the stem.

So I did! Just snipped it right offa there with my Paper Snips! 🙂

Once I knew where everything was going to fit on the card, I stamped the first sentiment in Early Espresso.  And it was ready to SNAIL onto the card front, making sure I had my image all lined up!

I used Multi-Purpose Liquid Glue to adhere the hydrangea to the card front and a little more – plus some Stampin’ Dimensional on the bottom – to add the stem.  I gave the card a bit more of an organic flavor by making a small bow from four lengths of Linen Thread and then adhering that with a Glue Dot just under the flower head.  I brushed the flower with Clear Wink of Stella and added some Pearl Basic Jewels to the flower and under the sentiment, and the card front was done.

On the inside, I stamped the leaf image from Thoughtful Banners in the middle of a Whisper White panel.  Then, curving the second sentiment onto my acrylic block (yes, this is a photopolymer set – thank you, Stampin’ Up!), I stamped it around the leaf in Early Espresso.

I SNAILd the panel to an Old Olive mat, and then secured three lengths of Linen Thread on the back with scotch tape.  I added a tiny bow with a dab of Liquid Glue.  Then I SNAILd it into a Daffodil Delight card base, popped the card front on with Stampin’ Dimensionals, and the card was done!

My Medium Whisper White Envelope got a line of Old Olive Thoughtful Branches leaves across the front…

…and the last of the Serene Scenery DSP Stack paper on the envelope flap.  Thank goodness I have a new stack arriving on Monday! 🙂

Et Voila!  I hope you’re already starting to love this set as much as I am!  I can’t believe how much is in the bundle – so many fun things to stamp and cut and combine and create – and then add in the great sentiments.  This is a keeper, for sure!  I’m really looking forward to playing with it in the next few weeks!!

Scroll on down for the card cuts and all the goodies you need to make this for yourself! 

HOST CODE FOR 14 Jul – 31 Jul 16: J62ZFZYG

Use this host code when you order and receive a free gift from me! But, if your order is over $150, please don’t use this code (you’ll miss out on your own Stampin’ Rewards if you use it) but you’ll still get the free gift – your choice of any item valued up to $8.00 in the 2015-16 Annual Catalog.

GOING ON RIGHT NOW!

For every $50 you spend* between July 7 and July 31, you’ll get a $5 Bonus Days coupon that you can use between August 2–31, 2016! This is a great opportunity for you to get items from your wish list, whether you buy them now or with your coupons in August. This is the first time Stampin’ Up! has offered this type of promotion, and it’s a deal everyone will want in on!

NOTE: Bonus Days coupon codes will be delivered via email, so an email address is required to participate in this promotion. Stampin’ Up! cannot resend emails with coupon codes, so make sure you save the email and write down the codes in a safe place so you don’t miss out on the coupons you earn.
*Participants will receive a Bonus Days coupon code via email for every $50 they spend in a single order (catalog price before shipping and tax).

Details:

• An email address is required to participate in this promotion; Bonus Days coupon codes can only be delivered to participants via email.
  Stampin’ Up! strongly recommends that participants both save emails containing their Bonus Days coupon codes AND write down the coupon codes in a safe place—the codes cannot be resent if the participant loses the email, and Demonstrator Support cannot recover lost codes.
  
• Participants will receive a $5 Bonus Days coupon code via email for every $50 they spend in a single order (catalog price before shipping and tax). There is no limit to the number of coupons participants can receive per order or throughout the duration of the promotion. There is no limit on the number of coupons participants can use on an order during redemption.
  
• Bonus Days coupons codes can be used in the checkout process during the redemption period.
  
• All order types qualify for this promotion. Coupons can be redeemed on any order type.
  
• Email addresses must still be provided in order to qualify for Bonus Days coupons during the promotion period.
  
• Bonus Days coupon codes can be redeemed for any product, excluding Starter Kits and Paper Pumpkin subscriptions. New prepaid Paper Pumpkin codes can be redeemed.
  

Dates:

• Promotion period: July 7–31, 2016
  
• Promotion Deadlines: July 31, 2016 by 11:50 PM (MT)
  
• Redemption period: August 2–31, 2016
  
• Redemption Deadlines: August 31, 2016 by 11:50 PM (MT)

This great stamp set and thinlits – bundled or separate – will only be available from 2 Aug – 31 Aug.  That’s one short month – so mark your calendars and be ready to order just as soon as you can on the 2nd!!

What’s that you say??  You don’t want to wait until the 2nd to get it for yourself?!?  Well – all you need to do is join us – and you’ll be able to get it right now!  Drop me a line and we can chat and get you all hooked up! 🙂

I’ll be back with another project tomorrow – have a wonderful Saturday! 🙂

TTFN

Mary

STAMPIN’ UP! PRODUCTS USED IN THIS PROJECT:     

CARD CUTS FOR THIS PROJECT:

Daffodil Delight Card Stock: 4 1/4″ x 11″ (card base, scored and folded at 5 1/2″)

Old Olive Card Stock: 4 1/8″ x 5 3/8″ (mats for card front and for the inner liner); 2 1/8″ x 4 1/8″ (mat for front center panel); Thoughtful Branches stem die cut

Dapper Denim Card Stock: Thoughtful Branches flower die cut

Serene Scenery DSP Stack: 4″ x 5 1/4″ (card front – cut at 1 1/4″ from the top and again at 3 1/4″ – to make a 2″ strip in the middle)

Canson 90lb Cold Pressed Watercolor Paper: Thoughtful Branches flower die cut

If you need any stamping supplies, I’d be very happy to be your Demonstrator. Just click on the Order Stampin’ Up! Online Now button on the right side of the screen to go directly to my online store or drop me an email if you have any questions. Happy Stamping!