What I Love 3-Step Floral Thank You

I just love this "What I Love" stamp set from Stampin' Up! I made a set of thank you notes out of some old card bases that were slick and a bright pearlescent red!

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The 3-step stamping was fun to do, and it gives the look that the flowers were hand-colored and shaded.... but so much easier! I inked around the edges of both the front and inside panels in desert sand before attaching them to the card base.

I stamped-off (2nd generation stamping) before stamping the image inside... but I should have done it one more time to get the image even lighter. The rest is just left blank to write a personal note.

Such a super easy card to make. I think this stamp will be a fave for a long time!

Supplies:

Stamp Set - Stampin' Up! What I Love

Ink - CTMH Cranberry, Olive, Desert Sand

Cardstock - CTMH White Daisy

Scor-Tape

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Decoupage Sympathy Card

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It's so very sad when you lose a friend, and for me sympathy cards are hard to make, especially when they are for a member of that person's family.... it just hits too close to home. But sometimes there is that need for these cards, and I find it more special to make them than to go buy one. 

I scored a couple lines down each side of this card. The center circle floral is a 3D decoupage element, and is mounted on metallic gold card. The outside floral frame is popped up from the gold layer.

Below is a better view of the layers.... each being 1/16" higher as it's built up.

The sentiments both on the front and inside are from Stampin' Up's Thoughts & Prayers set. I used CTMH ink in Olive.

My Favorite Bokeh

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I'm not sure if it's the colors I used on this card, or if it's because the bokeh technique turned out better (I get more practice each time) or if it's a little of both.... but this turned out to be my fave bokeh anniversary card so far! This one was for our DD and her hubby's first anniversary. 

I used my favorite sprays... Lindy's Stamp Gang's Starbursts... for the background. I just love their shimmery goodness! I added water to move the colors around and blend a bit. After letting it dry overnight, I added the bokeh "bubbles" using homemade circle punched templates in different sizes (and a finger dauber for the smallest dots) with CTMH white daisy pigment ink. The panel was just a bit too large for the front of the card, so I used it's trimmings on the inside with the sentiment.

The ribbons are from CTMH and retired.... I layered them, added the bow and called it done! I was thrilled that she loved the card :)

My BFF's Recycled Cards

Even though my BFF and I live in the same city, she sends me a few cards every year. I keep cards people send me for a very short time if they are store bought ones. I'll display them on the mantle for a week or two, then usually out they go!..... BUT...

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If they are handmade - like the ones my BFF sends - then I keep and display them for a much longer period of time.... sometimes years!

When I run out of room, I have to make a decision about what to do with them. They are so special to me, that I can't bear to just throw them away, so I've decided to recycle them!

So I cut off the pretty decorated fronts and attach those to new card bases for a whole "new" card!! These are a few examples.

I just adore the one above using tone-on-tone Crumb Cake card stock and ink from Stampin' Up! Such a pretty flower stamp from that company as well, although I don't know what it's called. And the tiny butterflies with their bling bodies just completes the whole thing.

The one above was made from a card kit, with stickers and diecuts, that CTMH had years ago. I love the copper brads she added, and decided I could use it for a masculine card... nothing easier than that!

This last one she made me was a simple thank you card for an anniversary gift I gave her that included all the washi tapes she used on the card!

Since I'm so sentimental about her cards, now the test will be if I can actually mail them off to someone else, LOL!... Only time will tell....

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Recycled Cards

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These sparkly dotted card fronts used to be ONE big card. It was a card given to me by a friend and since I only keep store-bought cards displayed for a very short period of time, I decided it was just too cheery to throw away.... so I recycled!! (Yay... less in the land-fill!)

I cut off the card front and then just cut it in half and attached each piece to another card base. Of course, by doing that, the original sentiment on the front ended up on just one card, so I stamped the "pssst..." on a matching scrap, punched it out and popped it up with dimensional pop dots on the other card.

Then I stamped the sentiment on the same color scrap, punched it out and attached it to the inside. Both are from the Stampin' Up Happy Watercolors set.... Easy-peasy!!

Now on this next one, I did absolutely nothing on the front except glue it to the new card base... can't get any simpler than that, LOL!

The inside of this one couldn't be simpler either, because it's from the original card as well.... I just cut out the sentiment and attached it inside the new card!

So now I have 2 "new" colorful, cheerful, encouraging cards ready to send to friends when I need them.

I hope this inspires some of you to stop and re-think before just throwing away cards you've received.... try recycling!