Sneak Peek: Cherry Blossoms, Lovey Dovey, Out on A Limb & Spring Greenery

Hello and welcome to day 2 of our 2022 Sneak Peek Week!  Each morning this week I will be showcasing cards using our newest Spring collection which will be available to purchase on January 7th.

Today I am sharing ideas using our newest Cherry Blossoms layering stamps, Lovey Dovey Sentiment Stamps, Out on a Limb Dies and Spring Greenery Dies. Hope you love them as much as I do!

Card No. 1: Up first is a card showcasing the Cherry Blossom Stamps. To create my delicate pink flower blossoms I omitted the first stamp layer so that the white background of my white cardstock could show through. To start my card, I inked up a 5.5" x 4.25" white cardstock panel using PinkFresh Studio Summer Shower Ink, die-cutting a stitched rectangle mat from the center using our Stitched Rectangle Dies. I then adhered the outer portion leftover to my cardstock base before layering the scalloped frame from our Frilly Frames Polka-dot Dies with that stitched rectangle mat over the top. I used that same blue ink to stamp my greeting from our new Lovey Dovey Stamps in the bottom, right-hand corner.  For my cherry blossoms tree branch I used our new Out On A Limb dies cut from brown cardstock. I scattered a few of our Mirror Droplets embellishments as my final finishing touch.

Card No. 2: For my next card I used all four pink ink layers from the Cherry Blossoms Stamps resulting in darker pink flowers. Cherry Blossoms often make me think of Paris in Springtime so I combined then with the Eiffel Tower image from our New Paris Afternoon Stamps to be shared later this week. I stamped the tower using VersaMark Ink onto kraft cardstock and then heat embossed it using Hero Arts Brass Embossing Powder.

For my scalloped panel, I mixed and matched our Frilly Frames Polka-dot Dies together with our Frilly Frames Lattice dies also cut from kraft cardstock. I then layered a piece of lighter pink cardstock behind them cut just a hair smaller to hide behind the scalloped edge. I then cut our Scalloped Oval Mat 2 dies from some crisp white cardstock and heat embossed my "merci" thanks greeting using the same versafine ink with Hero Arts Brass embossing powder.  A few white shimmer pearls completed my card.

Card No. 3: Up next is another card showcasing the classic pale pink blossoms for a shaker style card. To create my window for my shaker, I used our Frilly Frames Hexagon dies and then using our Stitched Rectangle dies I cut an opening from the center to form a frame. Before adhering anything, I inked up my back panel with Spun Sugar distress ink and stamped my sentiment from our Lovey Dovey Stamps using Versafine Clair Pinecone Ink and piling a bit of our Cherry Blossom Confetti in the center before adding my acetate backed frame to my card using foam tape. I once again used the Out on a Limb tree branch, but this time I die-cut them from white cardstock and while they were still nested in with the original sheet of cardstock on my cutting mat, I colored them using Copic markers which allowed me to add more detailed shading and some small wood grain details to my bark. By leaving them in their backing, I was able to do this really quickly without worrying about making a mess of things or about the ink getting all over the table and my hands.

Card No. 4: This next card was super quick!  I had already created all my flower blossoms assembly line style which is my favorite way to use layering stamps since setting up the layers just right is always the most time consuming part. The rest of the card I kept really simple to let the Cherry Blossoms Stamps take center stage. I added some contrasting black striped paper from our Sleek Stripes Paper pack, rounding the bottom corners using my We R Memory Keeper Corner Chomper. I then die-cut the word "congrats" using coordinating pink cardstock with a word die that come with our Slimline Scalloped Frame dies. As a last touch in an effort to add a bit more interest, I added dots of Rangers Glossy Accents to each of the flower anthers. I think this will be perfect for a wedding card!

Card No. 5: For my next two cards I decided to use the Cherry Blossoms Stamps in unusual colors to stretch the stamps and probably create what only can be considered fictional flowers. I paired the flowers inked up in lilac tones with leaves cut using our new Spring Greenery Dies. I started by cutting my background panel using our new Quilted Heart Portrait Dies which I backed with a darker shade of violet to show through the heart cutouts. For my greeting I stamped the "you make me happy" phrase from our new Lovey Dovey Stamps onto some of that same lilac cardstock and cut it out using the matching dies. To embellish my card I used the lilac colored pearls from our Iridescent Pearls pack.

Card No. 6: For this card I started by creating the tone-on-tone leaf background to resemble the look of an embossed card using our new Spring Greenery Dies. I stamped my Cherry Blossoms stamps using blue inks (linked below) and paired them with a hello greeting cut from white glittery cardstock using another word die from our Slimline Scalloped Frame dies. As a last touch I added a zig zag trim detail to the bottom of my card using our Ric Rac Border dies.

Card No. 7: For my last card of the day I focused on three of the leaf dies from our new Spring Greenery dies alternating them in bright rainbow colors cut from our Classic Gingham Paper pack. I mounted them on a grey cardstock background which I stamped with a greeting from our Lovey Dovey stamps using VersaFine Onyx Black Ink. I finished off the card with a white scalloped frame cut using our Fancy Frames Rectangle Dies.

I frequently am asked which ink colors I used for my layered images. While I think there are so many great options out there, these are the colors I used today for my stamped images from light to dark:

Flower 1 (card no. 2 & 4)
PinkFresh Ballet Slipper
Hero Arts Soft Pink
Hero Arts Bubblegum
Hero Arts Ultra Pink (or Gina K.Passionate Pink)

Lilac Flower (card no. 5)
PinkFresh Soft Lilac (sponged first layer)
PinkFresh Soft Lilac (stamped second layer)
PinkFresh Candy Violet
PinkFresh Regal Kiss

Blue Flower (card no. 6)

Hero Arts Dusty Blue (sponged first layer)
Hero Arts Cornflower 
PinkFresh Seaside
PinkFresh Blue Jay

Flower Centers / Stamen
Gina K. Key Lime (card no. 1 & 3)
Gina K. Sweet Corn (card no. 2, 4, 5 & 6)

Flower Anthers 
VersaFine Clair Pinecone

Leaves
Gina K. Key Lime
Concord & 9th Parsley

Brown Buds
PinkFresh Doe
Versafine Clair Acorn 

(and sometimes Versafine Clair Pinecone for darker examples)

To help you line up our layered stamps I've created a special layering guide (you can click on the photo below to view it larger).  The guide shows the stamps starting with the lightest ink color, working towards the darkest, but sometimes I find it easier to start backwards when setting up my layers. They both work depending on what your preference is.  The black outline indicates where that layer touches the previously stamped layer. 

That wraps up today's sneak peeks. I'm so happy you spent part of your day with me today. I read all your comments and they mean so much!  I'd love to give a $50 gift code to one lucky winner using the rafflecopter below. 

Our daily contests this week run through Saturday, January 8th at Midnight PST with winners announced here on Sunday, January 9th. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here's a closer look at the our new Cherry Blossoms Stamps & Dies, Lovey Dovey Stamps, Out On A Limb Dies and Spring Greenery Dies used today (which will be available to purchase starting on January 7th):

Other Sunny Studio Supplies Used:

Stitched Rectangle Dies Shop at: Sunny Studio	Versafine Onyx Black Ink Shop at: Sunny Studio	Ric Rac Border Dies Shop at: Sunny Studio	Fancy Frames- Rectangles Shop at: Sunny Studio
Frilly Frames Lattice Dies Shop at: Sunny Studio	Frilly Frames Polka-Dot Shop at: Sunny Studio	Frilly Frames Hexagon Dies Shop at: Sunny Studio	Slimline Scalloped Frame Shop at: Sunny Studio
Sleek Stripes Paper Shop at: Sunny Studio	Scalloped Oval Mat 1 Dies Shop at: Sunny Studio	Paris Afternoon Stamps Shop at: Sunny Studio	Paris Afternoon Dies Shop at: Sunny Studio
Quilted Hearts Portrait Shop at: Sunny Studio	Iridescent Pearls Shop at: Sunny Studio	Mirror Droplets Shop at: Sunny Studio	White Shimmer Pearls Shop at: Sunny Studio
Cherry Blossom Confetti Shop at: Sunny Studio	Versafine Clair Ink- Acorn Shop at: Sunny Studio	Brass Embossing Powder Shop at: Sunny Studio	VersaMark Watermark Ink Shop at: Sunny Studio
Classic Gingham 6x6 Paper Shop at: Sunny Studio

Sneak Peek: Introducing Passionate Penguins Stamps, Scalloped Heart, Stitched Heart 2, Quilted Hearts & Bursting Hearts Dies

Hello and welcome to the first day of our 2022 Sneak Peek Week!  Each morning this week I will be showcasing cards using our newest Spring collection which will be available to purchase on January 7th.

Today I'm sharing a variety of new heart inspired products perfect for Valentine's Day, but as you will see as I share throughout the week these products are perfect for so many cards outside the month of February.

Card No. 1: For my first card I paired three of the adorable penguin couples from our new Passionate Penguins Stamps together with our new Stitched Heart 2 Dies and our new Scalloped Heart dies for a fun slimline card design. For anyone who might own our original Stitched Heart dies (which have retired, but are still currently in stock), our new Stitched Heart 2 Dies do not duplicate any of the hearts included with that older set. These fill the sizes between the largest and smallest hearts in that set. They also layer beautifully with our new Scalloped Heart Dies. 

For this card I used the middle sized hearts and added a matching scalloped border to the bottom of my card using our Slimline Basic Border Dies. For my card background I repeatedly stamped a polka-dot pattern using our Background Basics Stamps. As a last touch I added a stitched strip of white cardstock running the entire length of my card using those same slimline border dies and stamped two punny sentiments from the Penguin stamp set, bridging the gap between them with a mini heart from the Stitched Heart 2 Dies.

Card No. 2: Up next is a card featuring the adorable penguins in a convertible car from our new Passionate Penguins stamps. I framed them by cutting out two of our Stitched Arch Dies together at the same time by adhering them together with washi tape before running them through my die-cutting machine. For my background, I cut a panel using our new Quilted Hearts Portrait Die which is a follow up to our old favorite Quilted Hearts Embossing folder. I colored my die-cut panel by inking it up with a rainbow using Distress Oxide inks before backing it with a piece of black cardstock to make my hearts really pop. I then added a piece of black cardstock behind my arched frame to form the street and give me a place to heat emboss my sentiment from the Passionate Penguins set. A little tree from our Tropical Scenes Stamps and a few hearts from our new Stitched Heart 2 Dies finished off my card.

Card No. 3: For this card I turned to our new Quilted Hearts Landscape Die for a horizontal card orientation. This time I left my panel white and then used a small circle punch to back each heart opening with a rainbow colored pattern. This may look more difficult than it really was. To make things go quicker I used my Scotch ATG gun to run diagonal rows of adhesive on the back side of my panel and then adhered my small punched circles without having to mess with gluing around each individual heart.

For my focal point I used the penguins sharing an umbrella from our Passionate Penguins Stamps and put them in a puddle from our Rain or Shine Stamps. For my heart raindrops I used the smallest heart die that comes with our new Stitched Heart 2 Dies. I added a sentiment from our Over the Rainbow Stamps stamped onto a circular Banner from our Banner Basics stamps which I colored using a no-line coloring technique.

Card No. 4: For my next card I created a fun heart background using the smallest heart from our new Scalloped Heart Dies together with patterned paper scraps from our Gingham Pastels Paper pack. I keep all my small Sunny Studio paper scraps in a ziploc bag so I was super excited to find a fun way to use these leftover scraps I had sitting near my desk for a couple years that were just a hair larger than these dies. It's like they were meant to be!  After I alternated them on an A2 sized black cardstock panel, I trimmed off the bottom edge and added a stitching detail with our Slimline Basic Border Dies and a matching scalloped edge using two of the scallops from the same border die set. For my focal point image I colored the little penguins in the envelope from our new Passionate Penguins Stamps and added a heat embossed sentiment from our Sending Sunshine Stamps which I popped up with foam tape.

Card No. 5: Up next is a card using the three cute individual penguins from the Passionate Penguins Stamps together with our new Heart Bouquet Stamps we shared last week for a mini slimline style card. I started by inking up my background using spun sugar distress ink and then layering on progressively heavier layers using our Forest Trees Stencils. I covered the bottom with stitched snowy hills using our Slimline Nature Border dies. A punny greeting from the stamp set and pink hearts from our Heart Droplets were the perfect way to finish this soft and sweet card.

For this card and the next I used the ABT Pro Alcohol-Based Art Markers in the red color family (available open stock HERE) that were provided to me by Tombow. If you are already a fan of Tombow's Dual Brush Pens and want something that will match with the same color palette then these are a reasonably priced alternative to Copic Markers.

I have included the numbers for each pen I used for my blends here. There were some tiny gaps between the colors, but I was able to get around this by using a marker tip to tip technique to create smooth, seamless blends.

Card No. 6: My next card shows off our new Bursting Hearts Dies for my background which I then layered with our Stitched Circle Small Dies in the center. I'm so in love with this new background die!  I layered a piece of pink cardstock below which I had inked up along the edges using worn lipstick distress ink. I cut the little pennant strip for my sentiment using a die from our Stitched Rectangle Dies.

I had limited ABT Pro Alcohol-Based Art Markers on hand for my cards, but I thought these images from our Spring Showers Stamps showed off the colors I did have pretty well, while also matching the balloons that I had colored from our Heart Bouquet Stamps.

I created a color chart for all the reds, pinks & flesh tones that I had on hand to work with and that were used to create these two cards. I was having trouble finding good color swatches for these markers online when trying to decide which colors I wanted try out so I really wanted to help others out in their own color matching search by sharing a color comparison guide.

Card No. 7: My last card of the day also features our new Bursting Hearts Die, but this time with a horizontal card orientation. The beauty of this background die is you can easily use it on either side without any worries about the hearts being upside down. I colored my background behind my heart overlay using distress inks with the Bitty Bunny Blending Brushes which were small enough to allow me to get the full rainbow gradient from the inside circle to the outside edges. I then colored two pieces of scrap cardstock using Picked Raspberry Ink, cutting one piece using the Stitched Heart Dies to place in the center of my card and using the second piece to cut out the shadow for my greeting from our Lovey Dovey Stamps (to be shared more tomorrow). Making sure the word shadow was good and dry from my inking, I then heat embossed the sentiment using Versamark Ink and White Detail Embossing Powder.

That wraps up today's sneak peeks. I'm so happy you spent part of your day with me today. I read all your comments and they mean so much!  I'd love to give a $50 gift code to one lucky winner using the rafflecopter below. Our daily contests this week run through Saturday, January 8th at Midnight PST with winners announced here on Sunday, January 9th. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here's a closer look at our new Passionate Penguin Stamps & Dies and Scalloped Heart Dies, Stitched Heart 2 Dies, Quilted Hearts Landscape Die, Quilted Hearts Portrait Die & Bursting Hearts Die featured today (which will be available to purchase starting on January 7th):

Other Sunny Studio Supplies Used:

Rain or Shine Dies Shop at: Sunny Studio	Rain or Shine Stamps Shop at: Sunny Studio	Stitched Rectangle Dies Shop at: Sunny Studio	Versafine Onyx Black Ink Shop at: Sunny Studio
Background Basics Stamps Shop at: Sunny Studio	Sending Sunshine Stamps Shop at: Sunny Studio	Banner Basics Stamps Shop at: Sunny Studio	Banner Basics Dies Shop at: Sunny Studio
Spring Showers Stamps Shop at: Sunny Studio	Spring Showers Dies Shop at: Sunny Studio	Tropical Scenes Stamps Shop at: Sunny Studio	Tropical Scenes Dies Shop at: Sunny Studio
Stitched Arch Dies Shop at: Sunny Studio	Slimline Basic Borders Shop at: Sunny Studio	Slimline Nature Borders Shop at: Sunny Studio	Stitched Circle Small Dies Shop at: Sunny Studio
Forest Trees Stencils Shop at: Sunny Studio	Lovey Dovey Stamps Shop at: Sunny Studio	Lovey Dovey Dies Shop at: Sunny Studio	Heart Droplets Mix Shop at: Sunny Studio
Hero Arts Morning Glory Ink Shop at: Sunny Studio	Hero Arts White Detail Shop at: Sunny Studio	VersaMark Watermark Ink Shop at: Sunny Studio	Cottontail Embossing Powder Tool Shop at: Sunny Studio
Fancy Frames-Circle Dies Shop at: Sunny Studio	Gingham Pastels 6x6 Paper Shop at: Sunny Studio	Over The Rainbow Stamps Shop at: Sunny Studio	Bitty Bunny Blending Brushes Shop at: Sunny Studio