Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Blog Hop: Sealed with Love

Welcome to the very first 2017 Artisan Design Team Blog Hop! This is such an incredible honor, and I am still thrilled to have been chosen. As a "brief" intro of myself to those who have never heard of me (and I am SURE that will be most everyone that goes through this hop, 😊), I have been a stamper for about 15 years, and a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for 10 years. I joined for the discount (cuz who wouldn't?!) and have stayed for the discount, the wonderful community of stampers, and the lovely people I have met through workshops, classes, and clubs that I have held through the years. Now, Stampin' Up! is not what I do as a profession, I am an Emergency Department nurse. I try to keep my "nurse humor" to a minimum on this blog, as it may be a bit too much for delicate ears, lol! I love being a nurse, but it is an emotionally, physically, and mentally demanding job. I NEED the therapy that stamping provides. No matter what mistakes I make with stamping, it is just paper! Stamping provides an area where control and precision are not necessarily needed, or even wanted. Maybe that is why I adore watercolor so much. You will find that I do a lot of watercolor. And that I use too many smiley faces and exclamation points. Get used to it. It's not gonna change 😀😊😁!!!! I also talk too much. You might be able to tell that already. Oh, and another reason I love to stamp... I cannot draw to save my life!! Stamps are awesome that way 😄 Oh, and I have been married to my sweetie for 26 years, have 4 adult kids, and 1 adorable grandson! Yes, I know, I look much too young for that 😜

We are so happy to share with your our creations with Sealed with Love! If you are following along in order, you just arrived from Germany and the lovely Sylwia Schreck's blog. Gorgeous, right?!

So, funny story about this post. We had planned a December cruise with my brother and his family for this year, and then I found out I was chosen for the Artisan Design Team. Both of these are fabulous things! And the first deadline for the ADT was scheduled to be during our cruise. So I hoped and prayed that my box of goodies would arrive at their earliest estimated delivery date, about 36  hours before my plane was to depart. Well, bad weather delayed my goodies, and they arrived in my home about the time I landed in Florida.... so I was not going to be able to participate in the FaceBook portion of the first blog hop for the Artisan Design Team. So sad, but I understood. The first day of our return, I was busy catching up on all of those things that await you at home, and had just put away all of my new goodies between loads of laundry, when I checked my email. And there was a snafu with everyone uploading their projects, and I was able to put together a project and submit it with everyone else! How awesome is that?!
All that being said, this card is nothing like what I had planned when I went into my craft room. I had a whole list of ideas that I had brainstormed before my box arrived. Then this idea demanded to be used. I hope you like it!
 

The colors for this card were greatly influenced by the fact that I had just returned from the Caribbean. And I do so love water, blues, and greens. And watercolor! 😎
Here is how I made this card:

1. Cut a piece of watercolor paper to 4¼"x5½", tape down to a board with painter's tape. (You will be trimming this down later)
2. Either squeeze an ink pad to get ink on the lid, or add a drop of re-inker to the open lid of Pool Party, Island Indigo, and Emerald Envy ink pads. Dilute with some water from you Aqua-painter.
3. With an Aqua-painter and clean water, wet the watercolor panel. Apply a wash of Pool Party. Air dry, or dry with Heat Tool. I did use the heat tool. Add layers of Island Indigo and Emerald Envy, drying between each layer and each color. Keep playing with the colors and layers until your hot mess turns into something you like. 
4. Trim down to 3¾"x5". Emboss with the adorable new Falling Petals embossing folder. Stitch around the edges with sewing machine and white thread, pull the tails to the back and tape down. Adhere panel to Thick Whisper White card base with Fast Fuse. 
5. Take a scrap of Vellum that is at least 3" square, wipe with Embossing Buddy, stamp the sentiment in Island Indigo, then Clear heat emboss. Die cut with a heart from Sweet and Sassy Framelits set. Cut a next size smaller heart out of Pool Party, layer the hearts together and stitch down the center. Pull the tails back, tape in place. Use Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere to the card front. 
6. Inside the card, ink up the paint swoosh image with Pool Party, stamp off once, then stamp in the center of the inside panel. Ink up the row of hearts image in Emerald Envy, stamp off once, and stamp over the swoosh. All done!

 Here is a little peek behind the heart to see how it is popped up.

And the swoosh of hearts on the inside! I like to stamp things lightly on the inside of the card that it would be easy to write over the top of. It adds pizzazz to the inside without taking away from space to write.

I am the last stop on the hop, but if you joined us somewhere in the middle, be sure to keep on clickin'! The next stop is Allison Okamitsu, and you do not want to miss her creations!

If you have seen something you need for your crafting life, just click the image in the supply list below and it will take you to my store! If you order less than $150, please use this month's Host Code, which can be found at the top of the sidebar on the right.

And be sure to check the box allowing me to contact you when you check out. I can't send you a thank you card if I don't know your address! And I promise to only send you happy mail, no junk mail :)

Product List

Sealed With Love Photopolymer Stamp Set

[142815]

$21.00

Falling Petals Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

[142761]

$8.50

Sweet & Sassy Framelits Dies

[141707]

$35.00

Watercolor Paper

[122959]

$5.00

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock

[140272]

$7.00

Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

[122924]

$8.00

Vellum 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

[101856]

$8.00

Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad

[126982]

$6.50

Pool Party Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[122933]

$3.25

Island Indigo Classic Stampin' Pad

[126986]

$6.50

Island Indigo Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[122932]

$3.25

Emerald Envy Classic Stampin' Pad

[141396]

$6.50

Emerald Envy Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[141401]

$3.25

Aqua Painters

[103954]

$17.00

Embossing Buddy

[103083]

$6.00

Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder

[109130]

$5.00

Heat Tool

[129053]

$30.00

Big Shot

[143263]

$110.00

Fast Fuse Adhesive

[129026]

$10.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.00