Sweet Summer Birthday Card

Hello, Crafters.

I don’t think anything screams summer more loudly than strawberries. This year we’ve planted three hanging baskets with strawberries in – hopefully well out of the way of slugs! I have to say a huge THANKS to Billie who told me after yesterday’s card that the Ladybird Trinkets can be painted! I tried with my Stampin’ Write Marker, a bright red Sharpie and my Dark Real Red Stampin’ Blend! The Blend was best, followed very closely by the Sharpie and the Marker wasn’t designed for this type of colouring and understandably, failed!

Although I often paint gems it didn’t occur to me to try the Ladybirds because I thought they were too dark. I am so pleased with the results I went through and painted all my Ladybirds! There is a close-up photograph below that gives you a good idea what the painted ladybird looks like. I’m so thrilled with how they turned out. Many thanks, Billie! 💖

I decided to stamp two images of the strawberry branches from the Sweet Strawberry Stamp Set on a top layer of Whisper White Cardstock (CS). To make sure I positioned the two images in the centre of my layer, I took a scrap of recycled computer paper and cut it to the size of a top layer. I folded it in half and positioned it in the top corner of my Stamparatus. Next I positioned the stamp slightly above the folded line because I wanted to leave some space between the two images so I could place a sentiment. Using Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, I stamped an image and checked that it was in the centre of my scrap top layer. I was very pleased with the result and swapped over to my Whisper White CS top layer and repeated the the process. After stamping the image a second time to get the depth of colour even, I turned the cardstock round 180° and stamped again.

My idea worked beautifully! It’s amazing how many different ways our Stamparatus can be used! I coloured in the centres of the flowers using my Dark Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Blend and the leaves with the Dark Granny Apple Green. I chose the HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU SWEET THING and stamped it using Granny Apply Green Ink. The sentiment was die-cut with the no 2 oval Stitched Shapes Die and adhered to a Real Red CS scalloped oval die-cut with scallop die no 3 from the Layering Oval Dies.

Oh-Oh!! I wonder how many of you have noticed my boo-boo!! Oh well, it’s too late for me to change it now but I will try later today. My strawberries are really red pears!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Let’s just say I was pre-occupied yesterday! If you’ve stopped laughing at me, I’ll carry on! LOL!

After I adhered the sentiment in the centre of my card using Dimensionals, I started working on the pears! I stamped four outline stamps using Real Red Ink and then the infill stamp with Real Red Ink stamped off once. Next I stamped the outline leaves and the infill stamps  using Granny Apple Green Ink. I stamped the leaves on a narrow strip of Whisper White CS and the pears on a much wider strip because there is a matching punch called the Strawberry Builder Punch and stamping on strips saves wasting cardstock. The pear is the right way up on the punch which means the strawberry is upside down…..if you know what I mean!

After I had punched out the pears and the leaves I decided to fussy cut them to do away with the white edging. The pears were super easy and with the leaves I left the stems till last and just snipped either side of the straight sides. I still left some white edging visible but painted over the white with my Granny Apple Green Dark Blend. I have to confess that at this stage I did think the leaves were sticking out quite a bit…..now I know why! I used Dimensionals to adhere the two pears on the right-hand side of sentiment.

I found a thin strip of Real Red CS in my scrap folder and adhered two strips diagonally across the top left-hand and bottom right-hand corners. My final touch on the front of the card was adhering three painted ladybirds; on on the sentiment and one each in the bottom left-hand corner and top right-hand corners. Inside the card I adhered a top layer of Real Red CS and a top layer of Whisper White CS, To decorate this layer, I adhered another pear in the bottom right-hand corner with some leaves as well.

Finally, after Billie had told me about painted the Ladybirds, I went back to yesterday’s card and painted the Ladybird I had adhered on the leaves. Again, it worked a treat and I thought you may like to see it!

I hope you’ve seen the funny side of today’s boo-boo and a enjoyed a little giggle!  This evening we have the Stampin’ Up! three hour OnTour virtual event. These events are within our own countries so I will make tomorrow’s card in the afternoon, making sure that I concentrate on what I’m doing!! LOL.

That’s it from me today. I look forward to being back with you tomorrow, and in the meantime, please take care and stay safe. Happy crafting.

JanB. xx

Products used for this project: please click on any of the links to be taken to my 24/7 online Stampin’ Up! shop. The Hostess Code for APRIL 2021 is 3MZTFE63 Thank you. xx

Real Red A4 Card Stock [106578] £8.25	Basic White A4 Cardstock [159228] £9.00	Sweet Strawberry Bundle [156214] £30.50	Stitched Shapes Dies [152323] £28.00	Layering Ovals Dies [151771] £33.00
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] £5.50	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Refill [133456] £4.75	Granny Apple Green Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack [154885] £8.50	Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack [154883] £8.50	Real Red Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack [154899] £8.50
Real Red Classic Stampin’ Pad [147084] £7.00	Real Red Classic Stampin’ Ink Refill [103287] £3.50	Granny Apple Green Stampin’ Pad [147095] £7.00	Granny Apple Green Classic Stampin’ Ink Refill [147163] £3.50	Ladybug Trinkets [154299] £7.00
Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine [149653] £112.00	Mini Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine [150673] £56.00	Stamparatus [148187] £46.00	Simply Shammy [147042] £7.50	Paper Trimmer [152392] £23.00
Paper Snips [103579] £9.25	Bone Folder [102300] £6.50	Grid Paper [130148] £11.75	Small Grid Paper [149621] £6.00	Silicone Craft Sheet [127853] £5.50
Multipurpose Liquid Glue [110755] £3.75	Stampin’ Dimensionals [104430] £3.75	Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals [144108] £3.75

Cardstock Layer Sizes: A4

Card base 8¼” x 5¾” scored and folded at 4 1/8”

Middle layer: 2 pieces 3 7/8” x 5½”

Top layer: 2 pieces 3¾” x 5 3/8”

Cardstock Layer Sizes: Letter-size

Card base 8½” x 5½” scored and folded at 4¼”

Middle layer: 2 pieces 4” x 5¼”

Top layer: 2 pieces 3 7/8” x 5 1/8”