Nature-Inspired

Not only do I love the sweater behind Kristina's Werner’s color challenge #35 this week, but the colours work well together. {...although I was careful with the amount of so saffron mixed with chocolate chip because of my days working at Pizza Delight as a teenager--those yellow and brown polyester suits were awful!} I see a little soft pink in the sample, so I included just a hint in my card. I knew I had to work felt and embroidery somehow into the design too (this meant a quick trip to Michael’s today because I don’t embroider). I haven’t used these leaf and flower stamps for a very long time, but I think they’re fairly timeless. Lots of layers here...to tie in with the natural theme, I embossed the very vanilla panel with my 'wild flower gone to weed' cuttlebug folder. Actually I think this folder is gorgeous and was so glad to have a reason to use it. The embossed image is lightly dusted with so saffron pastels. I inked the flower with pink pirouette then rocked it in close to cocoa before stamping, cutting it out and embellishing with brads. I stamped the leaf image in close to cocoa on the same colour cardstock, then cut out the leaves. I edged the so saffron leaves in the background with my stampin’ write chocolate chip marker then huffed and stamped. Before embroidering the stems, I stamped the leaf image again in a light distressed ink—I knew it would give me a guide for stitching and blend in with the very vanilla and so saffron colours without being too noticeable. To keep with the ‘nature inspired’ theme, I embroidered a 'stem stitch' with 100% linen floss (nice stuff) and finally used my SU alpine chocolate chip felt ribbon. I love the look of this ribbon, but it’s so thick!!

Earlier this week I played along with the ‘half-baked’ challenge (WT196) on Splitcoast and I've repeated a similar effect here, trimming off the left edge of the focal image and mats. I used my Fiskars scallop edge punch for the baja breeze border, distressed the bottom, set the holes with so saffron eyelets and created faux stitching detail with my Hero Arts stitched ribbon stamp (I don't think I've actually ever used this stamp before) and a paper piercer.

Stamps: Stitched Ribbon, Hero Arts; Leafy Shadow and Batik Flower, Paper Inspirations
Ink: SU pink pirouette, close to cocoa and so saffron classic; SU stampin’ write marker in chocolate chip
Paper: SU chocolate chip, close to cocoa, baja breeze and very vanilla (flat and textured)
Other: nestabilities circles/scallops; eyelet setter; SU Fresh Favorites II eyelets in so saffron; pop dots and dimensionals; SU stampin’ pastels; SU paper distresser; paper piercer; stamp-a-ma-jig; cuttlebug embossing folder; SU ribbon originals alpine; metallic brads, making memories