Happiness Always cards

Every month a pretty magazine arrives in my mailbox from Stampin' Up! This demos-only publication is FULL of great ideas and projects. I fell in love with a card in the May issue, and had to make it right away. It uses some of my favorite products: the Top Note Die, Tangerine Tango and Wild Wasabi embossing powder, and the Aqua Painter®. I LOVE using the Aqua Painter® to watercolor stamped images!! Just be sure you either heat emboss your stamped image, or use a permanent solvent ink such as StazOn® before you start to watercolor.

I have been having so much fun using the Flower Fest stamp set from page 20 of the Summer Mini. For these cards, I stamped the largest flower in VersaMark® ink onto Confetti White card stock, and heat embossed with Tangerine Tango embossing powder (123106).  The leaf image is also stamped in VersaMark® ink onto Confetti White card stock, and then heat embossed using Wild Wasabi embossing powder (123224).  I used my Aqua Painter® with Wild Wasabi ink to lightly brush a little color onto the leaves. For the flower, I used my Aqua Painter® with So Saffron and Tangerine Tango ink to dab color randomly onto the petals. The flower and leaf images are adhered together, and then attached to the card with Dimensionals. A medium Basic Pearl fits perfectly into the flower center.
The card on the right is my version of the sample in the May Stampin' Success magazine. I cut about three-quarters of the Top Note shape from Greenhouse Gala DSP. Then I rolled the straight edge around a skewer, and adhered the roll down with a bit of Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110755). White Baker's Twine (124262) is wrapped around the Top Note shape before adhering it to the card front. The sentiment comes from Happy Greetings (Summer Mini p26), which is a great set with six sentiments :)
The card on the left is the Make & Take from a workshop I did on Monday. I really like the simple ribbon treatment; it's super easy for those of you who are still working on getting your ribbon to tie the perfect knot. The Daffodil Delight 5/8" grosgrain ribbon is simply folded around the Top Note die cut and tied at the top with a bit of white Baker's Twine. Easy peasy... no knot to fuss over. All colors of the 5/8" grosgrain ribbon are retiring, so be sure to get yours before they are gone!

**Mom note: My boys have their own set of Aqua Painter® brushes (103954). If your children like to paint with watercolor paints or use "paint-with-water" books, you must get a set for the kiddos. The water stays in the handle, so there's no cup of dirty water to spill. After my youngest tried a sip (yuck!!) of the paint water one day, I thought I would have to ban painting. I'm soooooo happy I decided to get them their own set of Aqua Painter® brushes!!