Tag Archives: Simon Says Stamp

Cards made using Simon Says Stamp products.

In the Weeds: I’m Here For You

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Hi everyone!

Just posting another card expressing support. I’ve been making a lot of this type of card and sending or posting them to friends and family because everyone feels a little unmoored nowadays. Please hang in there and practice safe health measures.

Hope you like this project. Stay healthy and safe!

Supplies used to make this project:

  • Stamps:
    • Simon Says Stamp: Wildflowers background stamp (silhouetted flowers).
    • Ellen Hutson’s Essentials by Ellen: In the Weeds stamp set (sentiment).
  • Inks:
    • Distress Oxide Inks: Chipped Sapphire, Blueprint Sketch, Mermaid Lagoon and Salty Ocean (blended background). The colors listed are from top down.
    • Altenew: Obsidian pigment ink (sentiment and flowers).
  • Cardstock/Paper:
    • Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper (for the ink blended background of the card front).
    • Black cardstock from my stash for the card base
  • Notes: The card front was cut down to 4.0” wide and 5.25” long. The overall card is an A2 size (4.25” by 5.5”). The blended background was done first and then the images and sentiment stamped over the blended background using a very black, opaque ink.

You Are Every Bit of Wonderful! Single Layer Floral Card

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I love gold embossing powder! Using it really dresses up a card and adds a bit of elegance when paired with a sophisticated background stamp like the one I used for this project.

I took inspiration for this card from the recent bi-monthly Yippee for Yana video on the Simon Says Stamp YouTube channel. This month’s Yippee for Yana video features an elegant one-layer masked floral card.

Yana Smakula’s designs are so wonderful and her style runs the gamut from whimsical to sophisticated. I love the versatility in her card making. She is always a constant source of inspiration.

My project uses Yana’s basic techniques shown in the video. The only obvious difference is the background stamp and sentiments that we each chose and perhaps the specific brands of embossing powders used. I also did not ink blend the edges of the embossed background with the same color of ink but chose a similar color from my ink pad stash.

One other difference is that I masked off a section in the middle by die-cutting a label from a rounded-corner label die using masking paper. After removing the label mask, I heat embossed a sentiment in the same gold embossing powder.

Hope you like my project. Hope you have a great day!

 

Supplies used to make this project:

  • Stamps:
    • Simon Says Stamp: Pretty Peonies background stamp
    • Simon Says Stamp: Uplifting Thoughts (sentiment)
  • Dies:
    • Pinkfresh Studio dies: Essentials Basic Label Frames set
  • Inks:
    • Versamark Ink for heat embossing
    • Catherine Pooler Inks: Icing on the Cake (light ink-blending around edges of card)
  • Cardstock:
    • WPlus9: Coal Mine (very similar to SSS’s Slate cardstock) for the card front
    • Neenah Solar White 110# (card base)
  • Other:
    • Brutus Monroe embossing powder: Gilded

Keep Smiling: It’s Rainbow Colored Butterflies!

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Hi everyone! This card was created using a stencil and one of my favorite coloring mediums, Distress Oxide Inks. I love the softness and opaqueness of these inks.

I chose bright colors because it is Summer and stenciled these butterflies in rainbow colored order.

Due to the size of the stencil butterfly and the fact that I wanted six colors for my rainbow I had to create an A6 card. The dimensions of an A6-sized card are 4.5” x 6.25”. This is the overall dimensions of my card, but the center butterfly panel is smaller as you can see. I needed the added length of an A6 card so that I could include the purple butterfly. I love the color purple!

The butterfly panel is raised with the help of a panel of craft foam and then adhered to the black A6-sized card base.

Hope you like this project. Keep smiling and have a great day!

 

Supplies used to make this project:

  • Stamps : Simon Says Stamps: Beautiful Day (sentiment).
  • Stencils: Simon Says Stamp: Butterfly Stencil (the mid-sized patterned butterfly on the stencil was used).
  • Inks: Versafine ink: Onyx Black (sentiment)
  • Distress Oxide Inks: From top to bottom butterfly: Picked Raspberry, Abandoned Coral, Mustard Seed, Twisted Citron, Broken China, and Wilted Violet.
  • Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 110# (for the butterfly panel); Wplus9: Black cardstock (it is 100# weight).

Birthday Wishes with a Bright Floral Border

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I thought I’d go for a bright and colorful, graphic flower look for this birthday card. It was created for the # 103 Simon Says Stamp Flickr Challenge! The theme was a birthday theme.

Note: When I made the card I didn’t know that the Simon Says Stamp Birthday Flowers may no longer be available. I apologize if it isn’t. However, two currently available SSS stamp sets that would work with this design are the Bold Flowers stamp set and the Wild Beauty stamp set.

Creating this card was simple. No layers were involved, only stamping a floral image all around the edge of the card front and then stamping the sentiment in the center and adding a couple of leaves around the sentiment. The only difficulty was choosing the right colors for the flowers. I decided to go with a bright summery color palette (after all it still is summer even though everyone is preparing to go back to school).

You could call this card a one-layer card, but I put foam tape on the entire back of the card front before adhering it to the black card base. I never miss a chance to add a little bit of dimension to my cards unless I can help it!

Hope you like the project. Have a bright and flowery day!

How I made this project:

  • Stamp the solid floral image around the perimeter of an A2-sized piece of white cardstock. Note: Clean off your stamp thoroughly after stamping each flower to ensure that you get a solid and clean color for each flower.
  • After stamping the entire perimeter of the card. Go back and stamp the flower centers in a color that will show enough contrast against the solid flower image. Again, remember to clean off your stamp after each stamping to insure no cross-contamination of ink color.
  • Stamp the sentiment in the middle of the card front.
  • Stamp additional leaf images around the sentiment for a more finished look.
  • Trim the completed A2 panel one-eighth of an inch on all sides. The final dimensions of the card front will be 4-inches by 5.25-inches.
  • Mount the card front onto an A2 card base.

Supplies used in making this project:

  • Stamps: Simon Says Stamp: Birthday Flowers stamp set.
  • Inks: All by Catherine Pooler Inks (love the coverage of this ink, especially when stamping a solid image!). Note for each color pairing listed, the first ink is the ink used to stamp the solid flower image, the second is the ink used for the flower center.
    • Party Dress/Rockin’ Red
    • Tiara/Bellini
    • Fiesta Blue/Daydream
    • Orange Twist/Rockin’ Red
  • Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 80# for the card front; Papertrey Ink cardstock in True Black for the card base.

Hello Sunshine, Hello Summer!

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Summer’s here! This card is meant to be looked at whenever we have an overcast, sun-less day during the summer. It is a reminder that the clouds are only temporary, and the sun will come out tomorrow, tomorrow! (Please excuse the reference from the musical Annie.)

I wanted to create a cheery summer sky and sentiment to imitate those bright sunny days in the summer when the sky is so blue and only broken up by the occasional puffy, billowy cloud.

These flat-bottomed cloud dies are so cute. They add an interesting graphic shape to the card and are the perfect size for stamping a small sentiment. Unfortunately, these cloud dies are by Simon Says Stamp and are no longer available. However, you could use another cloud wafer die set by SSS or many other cloud dies made by other companies. Also, you could even cut out your own clouds from white cardstock!

 

How I made this project:

  • Stamp the sun circle with the stamp from the stamp set onto white cardstock using yellow ink.
  • Die cut the stamped sun circle.
  • Die cut and it sun rays using coordinating solid and patterned yellow card stock.
  • Adhere/assemble the sun circle and the sun rays together, forming a sunburst.
  • Die cut the clouds from white card stock.
  • Die cut the stitched sun rays cover panel using blue cardstock.
  • Cut an A2 sized mat in coordination yellow card stock.
  • Trim the stitched sun rays panel 1/8-inch on all sides (panel with be 4 inches x 5.25 inches).
  • Adhere the trimmed stitched rays cover panel to A2 yellow card stock mat.
  • For the sun and rays, adhere the sun circle and rays to each other as shown in the card.
  • Stamp sentiment onto the larger of the two puffy, flat-bottomed cloud.
  • Adhere the clouds, sunburst image as shown in the image of the card using foam tape to give the pieces added dimension.
  • Mount the entire card front onto an A2 portrait-oriented card base.

 

Supplies used in making this project:

  • Stamps: Reverse Confetti: My Sunshine stamp set; Simon Says Stamp: Four Seasons stamp set (sentiment).
  • Dies: SSS: Flat-Bottom Clouds (no longer available), but there are so many other cloud dies on the market that could be substituted; Reverse Confetti Cuts: My Sunshine coordinating dies to the My Sunshine stamp set; Reverse Confetti: Stitched Sun Rays Cover Panel.
  • Inks: Catherine Pooler Inks: Tiki Torch (for the sun); Versafine Ink: Onyx Black.
  • Cardstock:
    • For the sun rays: Papertrey Ink: Summer Sunrise for solid rays and Papertrey Ink patterned paper in Summer Sunrise.
    • For the stitched sun rays panel: Papertrey Ink: Hawaiian Shores.
    • For the mat under the sun rays panel: Papertrey Ink: Summer Sunrise.
    • For the card base: Neenah Solar White 110# cardstock.
    • For the sun circle and clouds: Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock.

Hope you like this project. Have a great (and sunny) day!

Kindness Begins With Love

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The Simon Says Stamp Flickr Challenge #98 requires using any kind of embossing on your project.

I employed an emboss resist technique, with ink blending using Distress Oxide Inks. My aim was to create a bright, but soft look.

How I made this project:

  • Prep a piece of A2 Distress Watercolor Cardstock with anti-static powder (e.g. Embossing Buddy bag).
  • Stamp the floral images onto the watercolor card stock using Versamark ink.
  • Cover the stamped images with white embossing powder, tapping the paper to remove any excess, and heat emboss with a heat tool.
  • Blend Distress Oxide inks over the embossed images, making sure that there is a slight blending between the colors.
  • Use a sponge dauber to color and blend the center of the floral images with a slightly darker ink in the same color family as the colored flower.
  • Blend light ink in the middle of the cardstock where the sentiment will be stamped.
  • After blending the colors, sprinkle water drops onto the card front and blot excess water with a paper towel.
  • Dry the entire card front with a heat tool.
  • Trim the card front to 4” x 5.25”.
  • Stamp the sentiment onto the card front.
  • Adhere crystal heart drops to the card front.
  • Adhere a piece of fun foam to the back of the card front.
  • Mount card front onto an A2 portrait-oriented, top-folding, black card base.

Supplies used to make this project:

  • Stamps: Simon Says Stamp: Look for the Miracles stamp set (flowers; Simon Says Stamp: Kind Flowers stamp set (sentiment).
  • Distress Oxide Inks: Worn Lipstick, Abandoned Coral, Picked Raspberry, Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade, Broken China, and Mermaid Lagoon.
  • Other Inks: Versamark (for embossing); Versafine Pigment Ink in Onyx Black (sentiment).
  • Other Supplies: Studio Katia: Clear Hearts; Hero Arts White embossing powder.
  • Cardstock: Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Cardstock (card front); Papertrey Ink: True Black cardstock (card base).

For this project, I cut up a sentiment from the Kind Flowers stamp set so that the words ‘begins with love’ could be stamped alone.

Hope you like this project. Have a great day!

Have a Beautiful Day – Butterflies

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This card was made to offset the cold, rainy weather that doesn’t seem to want to go away. The calendar says late May, but where I live, the cooler weather seems to be hanging on forever!

How I made this project:

  • Tape down the leafy stencil over a 4” x 5.25” piece of Bristol smooth cardstock.
  • Using a stencil brush, blend green ink over the stencil, blending and softening as the ink is applied and the desired intensity is achieved.
  • Stamp butterfly images onto a piece of white cardstock using a Copic-friendly ink. The butterfly images will be colored with Copic markers.
  • Color butterfly images with Copic markers.
  • Die-cut (if you have coordinating dies) or hand fussy-cut the butterflies.
  • Stamp sentiment in the middle of the blended, stenciled background.
  • Arrange the butterflies around the sentiment, raising them with foam squares.
  • Adhere the card front onto a piece of green 4.25” x 5.5” (A2-sized) piece of cardstock.
  • Mount the entire card piece to a horizontal A2-sized card base.

Supplies used in making this project:

  • Stamps: Simon Says Stamp: Beautiful Day stamp set (butterflies and sentiment).
  • Stencils: Simon Says Stamp: Leafy Frame stencil.
  • Inks: Simon Says Stamp: Jellybean ink (leafy frame background); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (outline of butterfly images); Versafine Onyx Black ink (sentiment).
  • Copic Markers: RV09, RV17, RV19, RV21, RV34, RV66.
  • Dies: Simon Says Stamp: Beautiful Day coordinating die set (butterflies).
  • Cardstock: Strathmore Bristol Smooth cardstock (card front); Neenah Solar White 80# (stamped butterflies); Papertrey Ink: New Leaf cardstock (mat); Neenah Solar White 110# (card base).
  • Other: Stencil brush.

Notes:

  • I prefer to use a stencil brush with a delicate stencil such as the Leafy Frame stencil because you have more control in blending and softening the color when creating a fade-out background. Also, the brush is easier to use on a delicate stencil. There is less chance of “bending” the cut-out areas on the stencil while blending the background.

Hope you like this project! Have a great day!

 

 

Hey, Wasabi?

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I love using die-cuts that create openings. The openings serve as frames for my stamped images.

For this whimsical card, I chose a theme to tie several stamp images and a sentiment together. I’m sending it to a friend as a hello card.

How I made this project:

  • For this project, I used a die cut that cuts 6 round openings. I cut the openings using a 4″ x 5.25″ piece of white cardstock
  • I stamped 5 images that were all thematically related to sushi and ramen (I was hungry at the time!), colored the images with Copic markers and then cut out the colored images using the coordinating die set.
  • For the assembly of the card, I used a teal-colored piece of 4.25″ x 5.5″ (A2) as my mat. I centered and adhered the white die-cut piece onto the teal-colored mat. I stamped a sentiment on the bottom, right opening.
  • I then adhered all the images using foam squares onto the remaining 5 openings.  I then adhered the card front onto an vertical-oriented card base.
  • Note: All images and the sentiment were from the same stamp set.

Supplies used in this project:

  • Stamps: Essentials by Ellen: Wasabi stamp set.
  • Dies: Essentials by Ellen: Wasabi die set (coordinates with stamp set by the same name); Simon Says Stamp: Repeating Circles wafer die.
  • Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black (Copic-friendly ink; used for the stamped images that were colored using Copics); Versafine pigment ink: Onyx Black (for sentiment); Taylored Expressions: Early Grey ink (for nori skins on the sushi).
  • Copic Markers: R12, R22, R01, YG11, YB23, Y35.
  • Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 80# (die-cut openings); Papertrey Ink: Tropical Teal (for mat); Neenah Solar White 110#.

 

Hope you like this card. Have a great day!

Hey There: Emoji Faces Card

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This is such a simple card to make! The clean and simple style lends itself to being a gender-neutral card. Just send this to a friend to say hello!

I  used a die-cut that had 6 circle openings and puffy stickers. The puffy stickers were really cute, I found them at a Paper Source store and couldn’t resist buying them!

The only stamping was done with the sentiment.

How I made this card:

  • Die-cut openings onto a 4″ x 5.25″ piece of white cardstock.
  • Glue the die-cut opening piece onto a 4.25″ x 5.5″ (A2-sized) piece of colored cardstock. A lavender-colored piece of cardstock was used here.
  • Adhere the puffy stickers in the middle of each opening, leaving one opening free to stamp the sentiment.
  • Stamp the sentiment in the middle of the sixth opening.
  • Adhere the card front to an A2 card base.

Supplies used in making this card:

  • Stamps: Hey There stamp – sorry it is from my stash of small sentiments and I can’t remember the maker or the name of the stamp set it came from. However, you could use any small sentiment to convey the message you want to the sender.
  • Dies: Simon Says Stamp: Repeating Circles wafer die.
  • Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 80# for die-cutting opening; lavender cardstock from my stash; Neenah Solar White 110# for card base.
  • Ink: Versafine ink in Onyx Black for sentiment.
  • Stickers: Emoji Face Puffy Stickers by Meri Meri (found at Paper Source store).

Hope you like this card. Have a great day!

 

Smile–The Sun is Out

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Smile-the-Sun-is-Out-SSS-flickr-challenge-72

Simon Says Stamp’s Flickr Challenge #72 is all about summer and what it means to you!

A bright sun and the clear blue water of a lake would make anyone smile during the summer. This is the second of two submission to SSS’s Flickr challenge. If you want to see my first interpretation of this challenge please go to my post Hello Summer.

How I made the “Smile—the Sun is Out” project:

  1. The wave background was stamped onto A2-sized white cardstock with Versamark ink and then heat embossed using white embossing powder, after prepping the cardstock with an embossing bag.
  2. Then the embossed wave background was colored using three different colors of blue Distress inks to create an ombre effect.
  3. The sun was stamped onto yellow-orange cardstock and then die-cut using a coordinating die and orange enamel dots were added to the sun’s cheeks.
  4. The sun was mounted onto the card front with foam tape.
  5. An oval die was used to cut an oval from vellum cardstock for the sentiment.
  6. Then sentiment was stamped in a black ink compatible with vellum.
  7. Sequins were then adhered around the sentiment using glue dots.
  8. Glue dots were adhered to the back of the sentiment behind the sequins and the entire piece adhered to the card front.
  9. The card front was cut down to 4” x 5.25” and mounted onto an A2-sized piece of cardstock.
  10. The entire piece was then mounted onto an A2 top-folding, portrait-oriented card base.

Supplies used in making this project:

Stamps:

  • SSS: Happy Days (sun image)
  • SSS: Happy and Smile (sentiment)
  • Hero Arts: Wave Background

Dies:

  • SSS: Happy Days (coordinating die set – for sun)
  • My Favorite Things: Wonky Stitched Oval STAX Die-namics

Inks:

  • Distress Inks in Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean, and Mermaid Lagoon.
  • Versamark
  • Versafine Ink in Onyx Black (sun)
  • Tsukineko Brilliance Ink in Graphite Black (sentiment on vellum)

Cardstock:

  • Neenah Solar White 80# (card front)
  • Papertrey Ink: Summer Sunrise (sun)
  • Stampin’ Up: Tempting Turquoise (card mat)
  • Neenah Solar White 110# (card base)

Other:

  • Hero Arts White Embossing Powder
  • SSS: Crystal Reflections Sequins
  • Pinkfresh Enamel Dots

Hello Summer

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Hello-Summer-SSS-flickr-challenge-72

Simon Says Stamp’s Flickr Challenge #72 is all about summer and what it means to you!

Whenever I think of summer, I think of the sun and puffy white clouds against a bright blue sky. This card is a representation of all of that. This is one of two of my submissions for this challenge. For the other submission, please go to my post: Smile: The Sun is Out.

How I made the “Hello Summer” project:

  1. Using watercolor cardstock, I used Distress Oxide inks to create a yellow/orange back ground using plenty of water. I did this by smooshing (a very technical term) Fossilized Amber and Spiced Marmalade oxide inkpads onto a craft mat and spritzed water on the craft sheet until the colors beaded up. I then swiped the cardstock face down onto the colors, moving the cardstock until the cardstock was full covered with ink. I dried the cardstock with a heat gun and then swiped it onto the inked craft mat again, and dried the cardstock again. I repeated this process until I got the desired result. I added more ink or water as needed after each swipe.
  2. The cardstock was then die cut using SSS’s Full Card Sunshine craft die. I saved the die-cut pieces and the negative space for the final assembly of the card.
  3. Using another piece of watercolor cardstock and a cloud stencil, I colored the cardstock using a blending tool and Distress Oxide ink in Broken China to create clouds.
  4. After the cloud background was finished, I laid the negative die cut piece from step #2 over the background and used it as a guide to properly place the sun and the sun rays onto the cloud background. I glued down each piece with a glue pen and lifted off the negative guide piece after everything was glue into place.
  5. Next, the hello and summer dies were die-cut from turquoise cardstock.
  6. The puffy cloud was cut from vellum using one of the dies from a nesting clouds die set.
  7. For the assembly:
  • The sun and sun rays were already adhered to the cloud background in step #4. This assembled piece was then cut down to around 1/8-inch on all sides.
  • The die-cut “hello” and “summer” were glued to the vellum cloud using a glue pen.
  • Sequins were adhered to the cloud using mini glue dots.
  • Glue dots were adhered to the back of the vellum cloud behind the sequins and then the entire cloud piece was adhered to the card front.
  • An A2-sized turquoise piece of cardstock was used as a mat.
  • The mat and card front were adhered to an A2-sized, top folding, portrait-oriented  card base.

Supplies used in making this project:

Dies:

  • SSS: Full Card Sunshine craft die; Painted Hello wafer die; Painted Summer wafer die.
  • Hero Arts: Nesting Clouds Infinity dies.

Stencils:

  • My Favorite Things: Stencil Clouds

Inks:

  • Distress Oxide Inks in Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade, and Broken China

Cardstock:

  • Tim Holtz Watercolor Cardstock (card front)
  • Stampin’ Up cardstock in Tempting Turquoise (mat)
  • Neenah Solar White 110# (card base)

Floral Background Birthday Wishes

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B-Day-Flowers

 

This card represents some of my favorite go-to techniques. I made this card for the SSS Flickr Challenge #71 which requires you to make a project using your favorite technique(s).

I’m not really a heavy user of a lot of different tehnqiues. I love what others can do with the latest techniques, but I’m usually slow to adapt to the latest cardmaking trends. Some of these trends such as watercoloring take a lot of time to master and do effectively. I love watercolor techniques, but I’m still trying to develop my eye for watercoloring.

Several of the techniques I rely on often are represented in the card above. I love the emboss resist technique and die-cuts!

Details of this project:

Stamps:

  • My Favorite Things (MFT) Bundles of Blossoms Background stamp
  • Simon Says Stamp (SSS) Birthday Bits stamp set (sentiment)

Dies:

• MFT Die-namics: Stitched Flowers
• PTI Limitless Layers 2.5” Circle Die Collection

Inks:

• Versamark Ink
• SSS Rose Apple Dye Ink

Cardstock

• Neenah Solar White 110# card base
• Rose/Coral cardstock (from stash) for mat
• Papertrey Ink (PTI): Rustic Cream cardstock (die-cut flowers)
• Ranger 8.5×11 Mixed Media Cardstock (card front)
• Bazzill 40lb Vellum cardstock

Other:

• Hero Arts white embossing powder
• WOW Embossing Powder in Gold Rich Pale
• Pretty Pink Posh: Metallic Gold Sequins (4mm and 6mm)

How I Made this Project:

1. Using an A2 sized piece of Ranger Mixed Media cardstock, I stamped the card with MFT’s Bundles of Blossoms background stamp with Versamark ink and then heat embossed the image with Hero Arts white embossing powser.
2. I then used the embossed-resist technique to color the background using SSS Rose Apple dye ink. The ink was applied lightly to the center of the background, and then more heavily moving outward to the edges.
3. Using a die from the PTI Limitless Layers Circle die collection, I die-cut the circle piece from vellum and heat embossed the sentiment onto it using WOW gold embossing powder
4. Three dies from the MFT Die-namics Stitched Flower die set were used to cut out flowers from PTI Rustic Cream cardstock. These flowers were adhered onto the vellum sentiment circle using micro glue dots.
5. For assembly of the final card:
• I cut down the A2 embossed-resist card panel to around ¼ inch on all sides.
• Matted this to full A2-sized card panel in a rose-coral piece of cardstock from my stash.
• The center sentiment piece was adhered to the card front using micro glue dots placed behind the small die-cut flowers.
• Gold sequins were adhered to the centers of the die-cut flowers.
• The entire finished card front was adhered to a top-folding, portrait-oriented card base.