Spring - Right as Rain

Spellbinders | Stampendous Sweet Song

Hello! Today I am sharing two spring-themed cards featuring the Stampendous Sweet Song stamp set, part of the Stampendous Spring Collection at Spellbinders. The instructions for the two cards are essentially the same, with the key difference being the color of the cardstock background.

Looking for the March 2023 Clubs Inspiration Blog Hop? Head here.

Stamp Sweet Song floral corners multiple times on Peach Sorbet cardstock (new cardstock color that will be available next month) with similar ink color for a tone-on-tone background. (I rotated the stamp to create a more random pattern.) For the second card, repeat process with Sage cardstock. Trim panels as necessary and add to card bases.
Stamp Sweet Song small and medium birds in VersaFine Onyx ink on Arches Cold Press paper; heat set and watercolor with medium of choice. (I listed below the watercolor markers I used.) Once dry, add white acrylic ink to eyes and fussy-cut.
Ink Snowdrift cardstock with Tumbled Glass ink. Stamp panel with Sweet Song lines (in Morning Mist ink), sentiment and bird (in Onyx). Trim and add to floral background. Add fussy-cut bird. Repeat for second card.

Spellbinders | March 2023 Clubs Inspiration Blog Hop

Hello! I am delighted to be participating in a blog hop celebrating the Spellbinders March 2023 Club Subscriptions. You should have reached me from the blog of Daniel West. (The entire list of participants is included at the end of my post.) For the hop, I created a card showing a different way to use the March 2023 Large Die of the Month. As designed, the set creates a three-dimensional card, which I showed here.

Spellbinders is giving away a $25 gift certificate to three lucky blog readers – selected from the comments on the Spellbinders blog. Giveaway closes on Sunday, March 26, 11:59 pm MST. The winner will be announced in the blog hop post the following Wednesday. The winner is responsible for shipping cost, duties and taxes. Please note, store credit (gift certificate) cannot be applied to Club Subscriptions; store credit can be applied to shop past Club products, Club extras, and regular releases.

Create a spring-themed friendship card with the Large Die of the Month using watercolored paper for the die-cut elements.

Apply reinkers and watercolor marker ink to watercolor paper. Once dry, cut tree base, flowers, and leaves from the watercolor paper using dies in the Large Die of the Month set.
Adhere leaves and flowers to tree. Cut flower centers from Snowdrift cardstock and adhere. Trim tab from bottom of the tree (the tab is needed for the 3D application of the die set).
Using watercolor paper to which Mowed Lawn reinker has been applied, cut hill with die in the Color Block Scenic Scape set. For background, apply Tumbled Glass ink to Snowdrift cardstock. Trim and add to card base. Add hill to background and trim as needed.
Add tree to scene with foam adhesive. Cut bird from watercolored paper using dies in the Sweet Birds on a Branch set. Assemble and add to tree with foam adhesive.
Stamp sentiment with stamp in Seasonal Motif set. Cut with die in the A Cut Above the Rest Sentiments Stamp & Die Set. Add to card below the tree.

Thanks for visiting! Head next to the blog of Jennifer Kotas. Scroll for the full blog hop list.

Jean Manis <–You are here

Penny Black | Boots and Blooms

Hello! Today I am sharing a spring-themed card created with Penny Black supplies, new and old. I have been watching the video series created by Jill Foster for Penny Black, which has been incredibly instructive.

- Cut Boots from Arches Cold Press watercolor paper and color with markers. (I colored by scribbling a mat with the marker color and picking it up with a wet Round Size 8 brush. I did not apply the marker directly to the watercolor paper.)
- Cut Burst of Blooms from Arches Cold Press watercolor paper (twice) and color with markers. Use the May Green Pitt Artist Pen to color the stems (this was one of the many tips shared by Jill in the videos). Once dry, adhere centers cut from white cardstock with the Dots die. Trim stems, fussy-cutting as necessary, and place blooms into the boots.
- With two largest Stitched Frames dies, cut frame from white cardstock. (This set cuts on the inside and creates a cut pattern on the outside. By using the two dies together, I get a frame with the cut pattern on the frame.)
- Ink white cardstock with Tumbled Glass ink, applying more ink at one end. Stamp with Flower Teddy sentiment. Trim panel to fit behind frame and adhere.
- Create card base from Purple Mist cardstock. Add frame and sentiment panel. Add assembled boots with foam adhesive.

Spellbinders | March 2023 Large Die of the Month

Hello and happy March! I feel a sense of relief when we get to March, as in spring is on its way. Today, I am sharing a three-dimensional birthday card (that collapses for mailing) created with the Spellbinders March 2023 Large Die of the Month “Flowering Tree” set. While I have shown a 3D card, the set can just as easily be used for a 2D card showcasing the beautiful tree.

With the Large Die of the Month set, cut the tree, leaves, and flowers from a variety of cardstock colors. Assemble and set aside. (Note: I used spring colors for the blooms; the colors can easily be changed for the summer season.) Cut sentiment pieces from Snowdrift cardstock.
Using dies in the Large Die of the Month set, cut the base from Waterfall cardstock and assemble.
Cut clouds from Snowdrift cardstock with dies in the On Cloud Nine set. Add for the background to the tree.
Attach tree and sentiment to card base. Embellish with bird cut using the Sweet Birds on a Branch set.

Tim Holtz | Spring Florals

Hello! Today I am sharing a spring-themed card combining several Tim Holtz dies and stamp set. This is not to say that it is the least bit springlike where I am!

As I mentioned in this post, it has been a while since I have pulled out any of my watercolors. With the supplies out, I created washes from which to die cut, using Colorburst powders and Daniel Smith watercolors on Arches Cold Press paper.

Stamp Spring Shadows sentiment in black ink on white cardstock, cut to A2-size, and add to card base.
Cut florals and foliage with Brushstroke Flowers 4, Modern Floristry, Bloom Colorize, and Festive Bouquet dies from the watercolored paper and Black Matte Alcohol Ink cardstock. Darken foliage with Rustic Wilderness ink. Assemble flowers and adhere foliage to underside of the largest flower.
Apply Tumbled Glass ink to card panel. Add floral assembly to card with glue and foam adhesive.