• Prepare a 5-1/2″ by 5-1/2″ card base from Old Olive. Layer with a selection from Cottage Wall Designer Series Paper.
• Select a darker contrasting paper from Cottage Wall, cut a wide strip. Use the Eyelet Border Punch. Layer onto the card base. Punch a second eyelet border from the same pattern as the base layer and adhere. The end result will be two eyelet borders layered on each other, with a narrow strip of the darker paper peaking through at the top.
• Select a third pattern from Cottage Wall and mat onto Old Olive. Adhere to the card base.
• Ink the “Thyme” image from Herb Expressions with Basic Gray and stamp onto Very Vanilla. Color the image using Blender Pens and the following inks: Lovely Lilac and Old Olive. Mat onto Orchid Opulence, followed by Old Olive. Add a snippet of Old Olive Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, and adhere to the card base as illustrated.
• For a little bling, add two Clear Rhinestone Brads!

I knew from the moment I laid eyes on Cottage Wall that I was going to use it again and again. Purple is my favorite color, so how could I resist it! This Designer Paper coordinates with Old Olive, Orchid Opulence, and Rich Razzleberry, and is the perfect compliment to the Herb Expressions set!

So what will next time hold? I still have a few new sets that I have not inked up, including some cute Halloween sets. How about Halloween in July? The Cast-a-Spell Designer Series Paper is spookily adorable. I also have the beautiful Medallion stamp, too, which I can hardly wait to use! That’s my problem…Too many stamps and too little time before school starts again and I head back to the classroom!

As always, I love reading your comments and emails. Please feel free to leave me a comment, or if you have questions about any card, please feel free to email me. Until next time…

Order Your Stampin’ Up! Supplies Now
Stamp Set: Herb Expressions (113224)
Ink: Basic Gray (109120), Lovely Lilac (102874), Old Olive (102277)
Designer Series Paper: Cottage Wall (115671)
Card Stock: Old Olive (100702), Very Vanilla (101650), Orchid Opulence (100969)
Tools: Eyelet Border Punch (113692), Blender Pens (102845)
Embellishments: Clear Rhinestone Brads (113114), Old Olive ½” Striped Grosgrain Ribbon (113883)

• Prepare a 5-1/2″ x 5-1/2″ card base from textured Very Vanilla. Round the two lower corners using the Corner Rounder Punch.
• Using the Circle Scissors Plus and Glass Mat, cut a 3-3/4″ circle from Chocolate Chip.
• Ink the “Cat Nap” image from Peace Within with Basic Brown and stamp onto Very Vanilla. Set the Circle Scissors Plus at 3-1/2″ and cut out the image. Color using Blender Pens and inks as follow: Chair-Creamy Caramel; Pillow-Bashful Blue; Cat-More Mustard; Pot-Really Rust; Leaves-Garden Green; Flower-Cameo Coral; Butterfly-Bashful Blue; Gravel-Sahara Sand. Mat onto the Chocolate Chip circle.
• Cut three 1-1/4″ strips from Thoroughly Modern Designer Series Paper and mat onto Chocolate Chip. Position and adhere these strips onto Bashful Blue. Add a snippet of Brocade Blue Grosgrain Ribbon as shown in the photograph. Position and adhere the image circle, popping it up on Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Ah, what a life! Stretched out and basking in the sun! Peace Within is a fun, little set which should delight cat and basket lovers alike! As always, I love reading your comments and emails. Please feel free to leave me a comment, or if you have questions about any card, please feel free to email me. Until next time…

Order Your Stampin’ Up! Supplies Now!

• Prepare a standard card base from Perfect Plum textured card stock, scored at the top. Using the Corner Rounder Punch, round the two bottom corners.
• Layer with a selection from Nouveau Chic Designer Series Paper. Once again, round the two lower corners.
• Punch a short strip of Perfect Plum with the Eyelet Border Punch. Add a snippet of Sage Shadow 1/4″ Grosgrain Ribbon, and adhere to the card base as shown.
• Ink the “Dragonfly” image from Nature’s Nest with Basic Gray and stamp onto Very Vanilla. Using Blender Pens, Sage Shadow and Perfect Plum inks, shade in the dragonfly. Outline using the Sahara Sand Stampin’ Write Marker. Mat onto Sage Shadow and Perfect Plum.
• Coat the dragonfly with Tombow Adhesive, and cover with Micro Beads. Remove the excess.
• Add a Filigree Brad with a Pink Circle Fire Brad center to the lower right corner. Adhere the completed Dragonfly image mat to the card base.
• Using the Photo Corner Punch, punch a photo corner from a coordinating selection of Nouveau Chic Designer Series Paper. Round with the Corner Rounder Punch and adhere to the lower right hand corner. (Tip: This was to balance the design on the left hand side.)
• To add further dimension to the card, cut out blossoms from the Nouveau Chic paper and pop onto the card base with Stampin’ Dimensionals. (I added a little extra bling by adding a Clear Rhinestone Brad to one of the blossoms.)