Welcome to a new feature at The Stampin’ Schach: On the CASE with Ann & Nicole, an endeavor lovingly undertaken with my friend and stamping buddy, Nicole Watt of Pixel Maven’s Retreat. (Nicole has shared the story of the evolution of this new series in her post today.) Twice a month, on the first and third Wednesdays, we will be CASE-ing a card from one of Stampin’ Up!’s current catalogs. CASE means to Copy and Share with Everyone, and that is exactly what we will be doing. We hope you enjoy the cards we CASE and the free step-by-step tutorials! Let’s get on to today’s CASE!
Birthday Blooms
Page 70 – Annual Catalog 2017 – 2018
You know me…I LOVE to fussy cut, and I LOVE a soft, romantic card. It should come as no surprise that I would select this feminine beauty, pictured below, as my choice for this week.
I did step-up my version a smidge, by adding a pearl and ribbon. However, if you would like to stay true to the catalog, you could easily leave these off. Another change I made was to heat emboss my images using Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder. It has been my experience it is easier to water color and fussy cut embossed images. Enjoy today’s card!
Colors of the Day
Stamps and Paper and Inks … Oh, My!
Stamps: Birthday Blossom
Paper: Crumb Cake Cardstock (5-1/4″ x 10-1/2″), Whisper White Cardstock (5″ x 4″)
Inks: Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzazz, Pink Pirouette, So Saffron, VersaMark
Other: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Aqua Painter, Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder, Heat Tool, Paper Snips, Pear Pizzazz 3/8″ Shimmer Ribbon, Pearl Basic Jewels, Stampin’ Dimensionals
On the CASE Notes
Your Step-by-Step Guide
1. Score the Crumb Cake cardstock at 5-1/4″ to form the card base.
2. Using the Stamp-a-ma-jig, position and stamp the floral image twice in VersaMark ink onto the Crumb Cake card base. Heat emboss using Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder. If you would prefer to not emboss, use Crumb Cake ink.
3. Stamp the sentiment in the lower left hand corner. To keep the look soft, I used Crumb Cake ink. One could also use Soft Suede or Early Espresso. Step it up, with a single Pearl.
4. Ink the floral image again with VersaMark, and stamp onto Whisper White cardstock. Heat emboss with Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder. Once again, if you would rather not heat emboss, use Crumb Cake ink.
5. Use an Aqua Painter to paint the leaves Pear Pizzazz, the petals Pink Pirouette, and the center So Saffron. To shade, simply add more layers. Technique Tip: I squeeze a closed ink pad to transfer ink to the lid of the pad, and use this for coloring. Another option is to add a few drops of ink refill to a suitable container, like a plastic paint palette with wells.
6. Snip out. “Pop” atop the card base as shown using Stampin’ Dimensionals.
7. Step it up! If desired add a snip-it of Pear Pizzazz 3/8″ Shimmer Ribbon and a bow.
If you would like to see another card made with Birthday Blooms, check out this Post from the Past.
How Hard Was It to Crack this CASE?
In hindsight, this is a very simple card to create. By all means, the fussy cutting will take you the most time. However, the results are well worth it, don’t you think? And even though it takes a little more time to heat emboss my version of this card, it does indeed make it easier to cut and color. Difficulty Level: 3 out of 5, simply because of the heat embossing and fussy cutting.
#SUontheCASE
Nicole and I hope our projects today inspire you to try CASE-ing the catalog too! We’ll be “on the case”, looking for the hashtag #SUontheCASE on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ & Pinterest). If we find one of your projects, we’ll share it, like it, repost it – we’ll do it all!
Now head on over to Nicole, the Pixel Maven, to see the CASE file she has been working on. You will love it! And remember, if you have any questions about the cards I create or the techniques I use, I am only an email away. Until next time – CASE away!
Ready to get On the CASE? If you would like to try your hand at creating today’s card, the supply list is located below. Clicking on a product takes you right to my store. And remember, during the month of July, every $50 you order scores a $5 Off Bonus Coupon from Stampin’ Up! to be used on August orders…as well as a free gift from me!
It’s time for another round of inspiration from 
The Seaweed image was inked in Tranquil Tide and stamped onto Pool Party cardstock. It was then colored using Blender Pens with Pool Party, Tranquil Tide, and Powder Pink inks. A slight shimmer was imparted with a Clear Wink of Stella Glitter Brush. Shells were embossed in white, and accented with Pearls and Rhinestones.
A glittery Anchor is embedded in the sand, resting atop a swatch of Copper trim, which was spread out. The trio of fish were copper embossed. Dazzling Diamonds Stampin’ Glitter adds a touch of bling.
I hope you enjoyed today’s card made with this versatile set. Won’t you let me know in your comment today? Of course, if you ever have a question about the cards I create or the techniques I use, I am only an email away. Now hop along to 
We just returned from showing Jackie in Canada for three weeks, and I needed several thank you cards to send out to my new Canadian friends. I thought Narelle’s sketch would be perfect for showcasing the adorable Coffee Café set. It’s easy, thanks to the coordinating Coffee Cups framelits. I hope you like this cute little thank you card a latte!
The greeting was stamped in Garden Green, the lid in Early Espresso, and the little hearts are Cherry Cobbler. Since this was the first time I inked up this set, I rubbed over the lid and sentiment oval with a pencil eraser to help the ink adhere better, thus providing a better image.
