Waterside Retreat for Challenge #372 - Beach Combing

I wanted a chance to use my new suite from the May - August catalogue, Waterside Retreat. I was particularly intrigued by the first pages of the DSP that have several different individual card fronts on them. Most are beach scenes of some kind, but I picked the best one for a Beach Combing theme and mounted it on a Gray Granite card base.

This theme was chosen by myself for the As You See It Team for Challenge #372, because I'm a coastal design lover! Take a look at the Challenge Banner:

To get the full idea of the card, you will need two photos:

and:

• I'm not sure what to call this fun fold: Maybe a peek-a-boo fun fold??Basically, a flap is folded over the card front from the top, whether it's a vertical or horizontal orientation. It has a window in it to reveal some of the scene behind it, but it also covers up some of the scene as well. When it's opened it reveals a sentiment and some additional surprised behind it.
• This card base still opens as a regular card with an interior to write your own greetings in.
• Start with a Gray Granite card base, 4 1/4" x 11", scored on the long edge at 5 1/2". Fold on the score line and burnish.
• On the card front add one of the card fronts from the Waterside Retreat DSP. This one is cut at 4" x 5 1/4". If it's too small, cut a piece of background design, like the green plaid, or blue stripes at 4" x 5 1/4", add to the card front, then center the card front.
• Cut a piece of Gray Granite 4 1/2" x 4" and score on the 4 1/2" side at 1". Cover with a piece of the Waterside Retreat DSP that's the woodgrain design. If your card front is landscape orientation,  have the wood pieces running across horizontally in a 4" x 4 1/2" direction.  If your card front is portrait orientation, have the wood pieces running across horizontally in a 4 1/2" x 4"  direction. Fold the piece on the 1" score line and burnish. Round all the edges with a corner rounder punch.
• If your card front is landscape, you will be gluing the attachment over the top of your card, so use the Rounded Rectangle punch to punch a window in your piece with the bottom of the piece hitting the bottom of the punch and horizontally finding a strategic spot to be seen through the window. Leave room on the sides to attach the chair and the tall grasses.
• If your card front is portrait, you will be gluing the attachment around the right side of your card, so use the Rounded Rectangle punch to punch a window in your piece, with the bottom of it hitting the bottom of the punch and finding a strategic spot to be seen through the hole you're punching. Again, leave room for the chair and long grasses on either side.
• Keep the punched out piece as a backing for your sentiment.
• Die cut the three pieces of the Adirondack chair from Pecan Pie cardstock. Assemble and add to the left side of the hole using glue and mini-dimensionals.  
• Stamp the grasses with Mossy Meadow and die cut. Add to the left of the hole using mini-dimensionals.
• Stamp the sentiment in Pool Party, punch it out with an oval punch and mount it on the backing of the Rounded Rectangular punch. Glue on the card where it will be hidden by the top piece. Die cut some shells with the dies from the Rolling Waves dies and add to the beach.
• I fussy cut a small float and added it to the grasses on the beach.
• To hold the addition closed, I used a stack of 2 mini dimensionals on the bottom edge of an anchor trinket so the edge could be tucked underneath. 
• Finish the card inside as you like it.

If you live in Canada, and don't have a ®Stampin' Up!© demonstrator, I'd love to be yours. I can help you with ideas, get you catalogues and provide you with Stampin' Up products. You can leave a message in the comments or contact me using any of the methods listed in the right side bar at the top of the page. You can shop with me from anywhere in Canada by clicking on the SHOP NOW button in the top menu or clicking on any of products below from my Online Store.

Product List

Relaxing Waterside Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [167922]	Relaxing Waterside Bundle (English) [167928]	Waterside Retreat 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [167920]	Gray Granite 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [146983]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [166780]
Pecan Pie 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [161717]	Pastels Shimmer 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Paper [167198]	Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad [147111]	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad [147107]	Rounded Rectangle Punch [167880]
Double Oval Punch [154242]		Rolling Waves Dies [167144]	Mini Stampin' Dimensionals [144108]	Bone Folder [102300]
Multipurpose Liquid Glue [110755]	Loose Anchor Trinkets [167931]

Simply Beautiful for Challenge #371 - Recipe for Framed Floral Success

After the last challenge, I was reminded by Jan, of a favourite technique that I hadn't used for a long time: painting on darker cardstock. So I decided to use it for this challenge. This recipe challenge, #371, devised by our team member, Deborah, is a great one. The five elements are a one word sentiment, a die cut, flowers, a frame, and shades of pink! As long as all five are included, use them anyway you want to. Here's the Challenge Banner:

Here is a closer look:

• I started with a base of Bubble Bath cardstock, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".
• I added a panel of Basic White cardstock, 5" x 3 3/4", dry embossed using the Floral Spray 3D embossing folder.
• On a 51/4" x 4" sheet of Berry Burst cardstock, stamp the large flower from the Simply Beautiful stamp set, which is only still available in French now, on the Last Chance list. I stamped it in Versamark ink and heat embossed it using white embossing powder from the Basics Wow Embossing Powders set.
• I did the same with the sentiment from the Fabulous Sayings stamp set, which was the product of the month from January. (I got it with my $100 order for only $5! Each month there is a new product of the month you can get for a reduced price with a qualifying order.)
• I used a water painter to paint the flower with a water diluted mixture of the Kraft Whisper White ink. I used the Heat tool on low to speed up drying. Then I used a Blender Pen to "paint on" some Bubble Bath ink in the interior of the flower, adding more where the shadows would be and less where it would be brighter.
• I die cut a frame for my flower using two of the Spotlight on Nature dies, one inside the other and I used a smaller one to emboss the sentiment on.
• I adhered everything on the card front and made a double finger bow from the Fresh Freesia 1/8" velvet ribbon, which I added using a glue dot, on the bottom right of the frame.

If you live in Canada, and don't have a ®Stampin' Up!© demonstrator, I'd love to be yours. I can help you with ideas, get you catalogues and provide you with Stampin' Up products. You can leave a message in the comments or contact me using any of the methods listed in the right side bar at the top of the page. You can shop with me from anywhere in Canada by clicking on the SHOP NOW button in the top menu or clicking on any of products below from my Online Store.

Product List

*Simply Beautiful Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [166958]	Simply Beautiful Bundle (English) [166965]	Fabulous Sayings Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [167972]	Bubble Bath 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [161718]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [166780]
Berry Burst 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [144243]	Versamark Pad [102283]	Embossing Additions Tool Kit [159971]	Basics Wow! Embossing Powder [165679]	Heat Tool (Us And Canada) [129053]
Whisper White Craft Stampin' Ink Refill [101780]	Water Painters [151298]	Blender Pens [102845]	Bubble Bath Classic Stampin' Ink Refill [161670]	Fresh Freesia 1/8" (3.2 Mm) Faux Velvet Ribbon [165540]
Spotlight On Nature Dies [163580]	Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653]	Multipurpose Liquid Glue [110755]	Mini Glue Dots [103683]	Stampin' Seal [152813]
Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]

* Only available in French now; **Floral Spray 3D Embossing Folder - available May 5th

You Still Have a Few Hours Left to Play Challenge #370 - Popular Cardable Occasions

You still have a few hours left to play our Fill in the Blank Challenge - Popular Cardable Occasions at As You See It Challenges! Why don't you give it a try, here.

The Challenge will close on Wednesday, Apr. 22, at 11:55 pm Pacific time.