Time for another blog hop - the Stars are out!

Welcome to the March SU Blog Hop - I missed last month due to family issues - you should have arrived here from Mary Campbell's blog. As many of you know, the past months have been extremely difficult for my family. On top of all his other health issues, it was discovered about 4 weeks ago now that my dad had an inoperable "massive malignant brain tumor". He was ready to go Home to be with the Father, and did so on Saturday March 5 - two weeks ago today.

Am I sad? Well, YEAH! I'm human, yes? However I rejoice in knowing that I will be with him again in Heaven. Joy* lives in my heart and it IS well with my soul even though I really do miss my da!!! (and now I can really hear you thinking,"What on earth does this have to do with a blog hop???????", Well, really - not all that much with earthly things,... you know?)

Therefore, in spite of and because of all that, I bring to you a happy little, springy card,

using the Baby Blossoms stamp set from the Occasions Mini.

(*Don't confuse JOY with happiness - happiness is fleeting, joy is a state of soul.)

I actually did several versions of this happy, Spring-y card. These are the two I really like!

These cards use a technique called Faux Silk - I keep wanting to say Faux linen for some goofy reason, but really - it's silk!

This technique is oh, SO easy to do - and you probably have what you need to do it at home already!

Take a piece of plain white tissue paper - wrinkled is ok, so go check out those old gift bags and see if you hit a bonanza in one of them. This is the kind of tissue I buy at the end of Christmas sales when they are 90% off at the one B&M store I go to occasionally for fabric and such.

In this case, I used the rose stamps from the Baby Blossom set and stamped the background piece of the two step rose (the 3/4 inch rose) in Pretty in Pink all over the tissue, and then stamped the detail stamp of the same size rose in Regal Rose on top of the Pretty in Pink.

(HINT - use a really clean piece of grid paper - and turn it over onto the nongrid side to REALLY see where the PiP stamping was, lol!)

Finally, I stamped the little leaf in Pear Pizazz (LovE that color!). Then I crumpled up the tissue and carefully uncrumpled it. I used the Stampin' up! glue stick i had been hoarding and covered a 4 1/2x4 1/2 piece of Very Vanilla with it, then spread the stamped tissue over it. I rubbed it gently with my fingers, treasuring the little wrinkles, as they serve to silkify it.... and trimmed the piece to 4x4. How stinkin' easy was that!!!!!! This technique has been around a bit, and was recently featured in the Stampin' Success magazine, which is one of the perks of being a demonstrator for SU! I punched the edge of my Pear Pizazz cardstock (cut to 4x5 1/4, and trimmed after punching with the border punch). Then, I used the Decorative label punch (120907) to punch out the large punchie you see below, stamped the sentiment in Regal rose on a scrap of Vanilla and punched it out with the Modern Label punch. I applied a piece of Victoria crochet ribbon (118481) using Snail to secure the ends on the back. I used three Stampin' Dimensionals to pop it up on the green Decorative label and attached it to my card front. Finally, I added two teeny-tiny pearlets from the half pearls we sell, just to jazz up the "Just Because". Inside the cards I made, I stamped a few with baby sentiments and a few with birthday wishes.

TAKE ONE:

TAKE TWO:

Which is your favorite, ONE or TWO? Please leave me a comment and let me know!

Now - as this is part of the SU Stars group Blog Hop - you'll want to click this link to head to Raissa's place for her share: www.raissastamps.com.

You can continue from there to the next hop stop, or go to the group page and start at the very beginning! Thanks for looking - we'd love to see what you are inspired to make!