Daisy Garden Birthday Card

Hello, Crafters.

Today’s card is my first play with the gorgeous Daisy Garden Stamp. It’s what I’d normally call a background stamp but I can see this stamp being used for all sorts of techniques except a background! My first idea is using it for the spotlight technique! This in itself can be created in more than one way but I decided to keep mine clean and simple. I used my Stamparatus to stamp my image on a piece of Basic White Cardstock (CS) that was about 6” x 6” and I really struggled getting a good image. After three attempts I realised that, because I had adhered the label on the back of my stamp very badly, it had caused the stamp to almost “crinkle” up in a certain area!

I decided there and then, I will never adhere the labels to “background” stamps again! To get my stamp to work properly I had to carry out some very delicate surgery! I removed my stamp from my Stamparatus plate and laid it face down on some scrap paper. Next, I took my craft knife and carefully pushed the tip of the blade through the label near the edge. Using a ruler as a guide, I applied enough pressure to my knife to cut through label but not through the rubber backing on the stamp. It was a lot easier to do than I expected! Next I turned my stamp round 90° and repeated the process so I effectively cut a cross in the label. The knife stopped when it reached the first cut line, so I turned my stamp 180° and cut from the opposite edge to the centre.

I replaced my stamp back onto the Stamparatus plate, inked it again with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and it stamped beautifully, albeit a bit pale. After re-inking and stamping again the image was lovely! Now you know how to sort out any stamp that you attach the label in a cock-eyed fashion! How did I know what to do? Because I did it once before to a much smaller stamp although it was quite a big stamp. You’d think I would have learned!!

Back to today’s card! After I had stamped the image, I cut my image down to the size of a regular top layer. I chose the number 4 straight cut die from the Layering Circle dies and placed it in various places over my image to decide where I wanted my spotlight to go. I didn’t plan the position so it was in the centre of the image, that’s just how it worked out. If you decide to give this technique a try, it really doesn’t matter where your spotlight lands, although I’d prefer mine to be well out rather than looking as if I was heading for the centre and misjudged it! When I was happy with the image inside my die, I ran it through my Big Shot.

I chose to colour the images using my Stampin’ Blends but I went for solid colours rather than shading. The colours I used are Dark Highland Heather, Daffodil Delight and Granny Apple Green; and Light Pool Party for the background. I finished the complete circle off with my Clear Wink of Stella Glitter Pen concentrating on one colour at a time in case the colour bled onto the brush. I layered the image on a middle layer of Gorgeous Grape CS and tied a piece of Gorgeous Grape Sheer Ribbon around the stems. Once I’d tied it into a bow, I stamped the HAPPY BIRTHDAY sentiment, which is from the Art Gallery Stamp Set, onto a scrap of Basic White CS using Gorgeous Grape Ink.

After I had die-cut the sentiment using the number 1 slim die from the Stitched Rectangle Dies, I adhered it to a piece of Gorgeous Grape CS which measured 5/8” x 2 5/8”. Once I had adhered the sentiment in place using Dimensionals I was able to decide where I wanted my ribbon to be positioned and adhered the layers onto a Basic White CS card base. I also adhered a Gorgeous Grape CS middle layer and a top Basic White CS layer inside my card. I cut a strip off one of the stamped images I wasn’t happy with and coloured it using the same Stampin’ Blends as before. I cut it to size, added a thin strip of Gorgeous Grape CS on the top of the image and adhered it along the bottom of the top layer. To finish off the front of my card, I added three Pastel Pearls in the unpainted area and two on either end of the sentiment.

I’m very pleased with the finished card and by colouring the image with solid colours rather than shading, it makes the spotlight stand out a lot better! That’s it from me today. I look forward to being back with you soon and in the meantime, take care and stay safe. Happy crafting.

JanB.xx
Product List

Gorgeous Grape A4 Cardstock [147011] £8.25	Basic White A4 Cardstock [159228] £9.00	Daisy Garden Cling Stamp Set [155079] £20.00	Art Gallery Bundle [156227] £46.75	Layering Circles Dies [151770] £33.00
Stitched Rectangles Dies [151820] £33.00	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] £5.50	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Refill [133456] £4.75	Gorgeous Grape Classic Stampin’ Pad [147099] £7.00	Gorgeous Grape Classic Stampin’ Ink Refill [147164] £3.50
Highland Heather Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack [154887] £8.50	Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack [154883] £8.50	Pool Party Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack [154894] £8.50	Granny Apple Green Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack [154885] £8.50	Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush [141897] £7.50
3/8″ (1 Cm) Gorgeous Grape Sheer Ribbon [154572] £6.50	Pastel Pearls [154571] £6.00	Stamparatus [148187] £46.00	Simply Shammy [147042] £7.50	Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine [149653] £112.00
Paper Trimmer [152392] £23.00	Paper Snips [103579] £9.25	Bone Folder [102300] £6.50	Take Your Pick [144107] £9.00	Grid Paper [130148] £11.75
Small Grid Paper [149621] £6.00	Silicone Craft Sheet [127853] £5.50	Multipurpose Liquid Glue [154974] £4.50	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”