Design Contest -- Dogwood Build-a-blossom

Okay, folks!  Here is a card I am really proud of.  Generally speaking, I'm not very talented at "thinking out of the box" when it comes to card making -- i.e. I am no Jackie Topa! (You REALLY ought to visit her blog if you haven't already, as she is simply amazing!).  Anyways, I came up with this idea for dogwood flowers using the Blossom Petals Punch from the new Occasions mini.  My mom's favorite flower is the dogwood, so I was thinking of a Mother's Day card when I created this card.

First, I punched some of the short/fat petals out of shimmery white card stock.  Then I stacked the petals on top of each other and used the small round punch from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack to punch a bite out of the top of each petal.  I then used the Early Espresso marker to add brown to the tips of each petal.  I stamped the little flower center from Build a Blossom in Old Olive ink, and punched it out with another punch from the Itty Bitty Shapes punches.  The rest is fairly self explanatory.  I plan to enter this card in a SU contest -- please wish me luck!  I've never won before....

Without further ado!  Here is my creation!

 Here is a close up of the blossoms:

Supplies used:  Early Espresso, Pear Pizzaz, Whisper White, Shimmery White Card stock
Ink: Early Espresso, Old Olive
Punches:  Scallop trim border and corner punches, two step bird, scallop oval, large oval, Blossoms Petals punch
Big Shot and square Lattice emb folder
Stamps: Build a Blossom, Baroque Motifs, Oval All

Simple Build a Blossom

Here is the third project we are making at my upcoming Happy Hearts Day Class.  It is a very simple card featuring the new Build a Blossom stamp set and matching punch, as well as the new Framed Tulips embossing folder from the Occasions Mini.  I never use the color, River Rock, so I challenged myself to try using it.  I actually like it! and Old Olive is a nice compliment to it.  After embossing the folded River Rock card with the Framed Tulips embossing folder, I used RR ink direct-to-paper to highlight the embossed area, making the frame stand out.

 Supplies:
River Rock, Very Vanilla and Old Olive Card stock
River Rock, Cherry Cobbler, and Old Olive Ink
Build a Blossom stamp set
Blossom punch, cherry cobbler seam binding, Basic pearls, vintage brads, Framed Tulips embossing folder, shimmer mist spray (made with rubbing alcohol and champagne shimmer paint)

Brighten up the Month!

When I went to my stamp room to "play" today, I was longing for color and brightness and sparkle! -- and this is what I came up with!  This card features the Build a Blossom stamp set and matching punch as well as the Tulip Frame embossing folder and the new fabric brads from the new Occasions Mini.  I love all of these products.  The flower set and punch can create a lot of different looks.  After building the flower, I spritzed it liberally with shimmer mist (made from rubbing alcohol and champagne shimmer paint), so in real life, it is SOOO sparkly!

I curled the second layer of petals using my bone folder -- and stuck them all on with a square of sticky pages.

Here are a couple of other cards using this same stamp set and punch.

 Supplies: Build a Blossom stamp set and punch, tulip embossing folder, Baroque Motifs stamp set, Elements of Style stamp set.  Baja Breeze, Pumpkin Pie, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Old Olive, Pear Pizzazz card stock.  Baja Breeze, Pumpkin Pie, Certainly Celery, and White Craft inks.
Basic Pearls
Fabric brads -- from new Occasions Mini
Shimmer spray