Spring - Right as Rain

Front Porch Garden Delight

Hello! Today I am sharing a card created with the Art Impressions Front Porch and Front Porch Garden stamp and die sets, which are part of the Front Porch Series. The front porch scene depicted is warm and inviting, complete with a welcome mat, a potted plant, and a watering can. Whether it’s for a birthday, thank you, or just because, this card is sure to bring a smile to the recipient’s face and make them feel appreciated. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to create the card.

Stamp Front Porch and Front Porch Garden with VersaFine ink on Arches Cold Press watercolor paper; heat set.
Color images with watercolor markers (Tombow and Zig) using the watercolor palette, No. 4, and No. 1 brushes. Once dry, cut with coordinating dies. Note: the Front Porch door die cuts the window panes. I chose to fussy-cut the door, as I had watercolored the window panes.
Add images to dry-embossed background (I used an older Stampin’ Up folder) with a strip of dark gray to represent the ground.

Sending Hedgehugs with Penny Black

Spring has sprung on this sweet watercolored card that shows two hedgehogs watering a daisy. Featuring the Penny Black Grown with Love stamp set, this card is suitable for sending a message of love, friendship, or just a simple hello! But there’s a twist – instead of using the flower in the original Penny Black Grown with Love stamp, I masked it and added a die-cut daisy. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how I created the card.

- Stamp hedgehog image on Arches Cold Press watercolor paper with VersaFine ink, masking the flower image so that it does not stamp; heat set.
- Watercolor image. I used Zig markers in Medium Beige, Oatmeal, and Light Pink for the hedgehog faces and bodies. I used Zig Gray Brown for the hedgehog needles. For the watering can and metal portion of the spade, I used Zig Gray. I used Tombow Poppy Red for the spade handle and Zig Light Blue for the pond.
- Stamp hedgehogs on Gina K Masking Magic. Fussy-cut hedgehogs and pond and cover watercolored portions with the masks. Apply Tumbled Glass Oxide ink for the sky and Mowed Lawn Oxide and Rustic Wilderness Oxide for the grass.
- Stamp Grown with Love sentiment on to white cardstock and cut with large cloud die in the Silver Linings set. Cut two small clouds with the same set.
- Use the Daisy Delight die to cut the daisy from white cardstock. Color with Copic markers. I used Pale Yellow and Cadmium Yellow for the flower center and Moss Green for the stem.
- Trim stamped panel to 4 x 5 1/4 inches and add to yellow card base. Add clouds and daisy to scene.

This stamp set was part of the Refreshing release three years ago. You can see the release video here.

Art Impressions | Watercolored Blooming Window

Hello! Today I am excited to share a “Hello” card created with the Art Impressions Blooming Window and ShadowBox Window Die sets featuring a window looking out onto a beautiful spring garden scene. I used watercolors to bring the garden to life. Let’s take a look at the details of the supplies I used and how I created it.

Stamp Blooming Window images (main image and additional pot of tulips) with VersaFine on Arches Cold Press watercolor paper; heat set.
Watercolor the garden scene with watercolor markers (list of markers used shown in the list below).
Use ShadowBox Window Die to frame image. In this video Bonnie Krebs shows how to use the die set. The ShadowBox set works with the Art Impressions Windows to the World stamps.
Cut images and sentiment with dies in the Blooming Window set and ShadowBox Window Die set; assemble.

Penny Black | Watering Can and Blooms

Hello! Today I am sharing a spring-themed card created with Penny Black supplies, new and old. As I mentioned in this post, featuring a card of the same design, I have been watching the video series created by Jill Foster for Penny Black, which has been incredibly instructive.

Using the 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 panel with Tumbled Glass and Mowed Lawn. Stamp Flower Teddy sentiment with VersaFine Onyx ink. Trim panel and adhere frame to top. Add assembly to yellow card base.
Cut Watering Can elements and tulips from Arches Cold Press watercolor paper. Color with watercoloring medium and colors of choice (some of the markers that I used to color the watering can and tulip blooms are listed below). I used the May Green Pitt Artist Pen to color the greenery and stems. Trim tulips as needed and add to inside of the watering can.
Add assembly to card with foam adhesive.

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.